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How to Optimize for the Google Answer Box

Author: Tom Cottrill | Date Posted: Oct 28, 2021

So, how many times a day are your clients asking you to get them in the Google answer boxes on search results? It’s as if all it takes is for you to flip a switch, and boom, your desired content is showing up at the top of results pages. Wouldn’t that be awesome?

Let’s talk about Google Answer Boxes. If your clients have seen these blurbs popping up at the top of organic search results, they are probably starting to ask you, their digital marketing agency, some questions. How should you explain them to your clients? We can help.

What are Featured Snippets on Google?

On search engine results pages, the answer box lists the information that Google deems the most succinct and relevant answer to any given query. These featured snippets provide a quick response to their question without ever clicking out of the search engine results page (SERPs).

Why does Google do this? They want users to stay on search engine results pages and click on Google ads, so the more time they spend on the search results page, the more likely they are to see and click on one of these ads.

So while these featured snippets are somewhat self-serving for Google’s best interests, they also give your clients an opportunity for their website to show up above all other organic search results.

How to Optimize for Google Answer Boxes

The million-dollar question becomes, how do you get your clients to show up in featured snippets for relevant search queries?

To even have a chance at showing up in the featured snippets on Google, you need to format your content correctly:

• Keep answers clear, around 100 words and no more than 3-4 sentences.
• Make sure the answers are accurate and relevant to the search query.
• Optimize titles, headers, and on-page content to answer the question on the SERPs.
• Make sure the website is being appropriately indexed on the technical side of SEO.
• Structure the page for user experience and ensure quick load time so Google crawlers can easily access and index it.
• Use bullet points or simple question-and-answer format for Google to easily find relevance and to easily answer the question quickly and simply for your audience.
• Keep tracking using analytics and adjusting accordingly.

Why is it important for your brands and companies to try and show up in these featured snippets? This “position 0” on Google can put brands ahead of the fierce competition that owns the top organic and paid search results positions. If your clients write concise, relevant answers, they have a better chance of winning the featured snippet over competitors.

Shoot your shot, you’ve got nothing to lose but everything to gain! Not sure where to start? We suggest to our clients to create an FAQ page that serves their website while also formatting their content in a way that could also get Google’s attention.

About Ignitro Studios

Since 2013, Ignitro Studios has been working to blend marketing and technology in support of agencies and other marketers. By understanding both sides of web development, we have a unique perspective and advantage within the industry. We provide design, development, project management, QA, and strategy, driving the bus so our clients don’t have to. We will work with our clients to get results while also empowering them to do their job better. Learn more about Ignitro Studios.