Very rarely has being first been less desirable. But, when it comes to search engine page results (SERPs), being first is, well, second best. So, what’s better than first? Nothing; except for being zero, which in this case means the position above the first result or Position Zero.
What is Position Zero
The first Google search result that shows above organic SEO listings is known as Position Zero (P0). P0 often referred to as a featured snippet, provides users with immediate answers without requiring them to click the search result link. The snippet contains a summary, the URL, and other information about the web page from which the response was taken. Because content with a highlighted snippet has a 2X greater click-through rate, these snippets are a particularly valuable location to occupy.
Why Is Position Zero Valuable?
- Industry Recognition and Authority: Possessing the highly sought-after position 0 establishes you as a thought leader. It proves that your material is expertly produced, trustworthy, informative, and legitimate—all the things it should be.
- Awareness and Visibility: Your website’s name and URL are clearly shown in the featured snippet. You can still profit from the exposure even if the user doesn’t click on your snippet.
- Click-Thru Rate (CTR): Even if you already have a high position for a specific keyword, it is still beneficial to optimize for the featured snippet. The excerpt is displayed in bold and might even feature an image or other asset-type which deters users from scrolling further down the page by this.
A SearchEngineLand report showed a 516% increase in the number of sessions on a client page after acquiring the featured snippet.
In reality, the concept of P0 nails the very essence of search, and it’s rather surprising how long it’s taken us to get here. Engines are effectively now siding with users and recognizing that not all searches need more than what is immediately asked, which is an interesting prospect given how competitive it is to be listed in a desirable place, to begin with. Now that results appearances have been reduced to a single position, as opposed to an entire page, it will be exciting to see who consistently claims P0 and, as search evolves, why. So, how can you secure this desired position in the SERPs?”
– James Weiss, Big Drop’s Senior Director
Step 1: Recognizing your site’s potential
There are differences between markets when it comes to featured snippets. Featured snippets are not displayed in SERPs that show the local pack, so if you run a local business, concentrate on placing your establishment for the Google Maps results.
On the other hand, highlighted snippets are a terrific opportunity to take advantage of if you are in a market where there is a demand for clear answers to frequently asked questions, your industry uses phrases that need explanation, and/or you have data that can be given in a tabular fashion.
While it’s tempting to immediately jump into keyword research to find question-oriented keywords, you should first check whether your site is ranking with featured snippets today. You should keep track of your position 0 rankings; just because you have the spot today doesn’t mean you will next week.
Additionally, comparing the CTR data from Google Search Console with the keywords for which you have featured snippets can help you gauge potential opportunities, particularly if you can contrast the CTR data for the period when the featured snippet was active with the period when it wasn’t.
Even if your website doesn’t have any highlighted snippets, analyzing those of your competitors will help you come up with a list of potential keywords on which to concentrate.
Step 2: Finding Potential Keywords for P0
Nothing beats good, old-fashioned keyword research to find worthy candidates for featured snippets. As you conduct your study, have the following in mind to get more snippets:
- Higher-volume phrases
- Longer queries that contain six words or more
- Since the purpose of featured snippets is to answer questions, explicit questions with who, what, when, why, and how will help get to P0
- Searches for terms are also included in implied queries. Think of a search for “content creation,” where the user is essentially asking, “What is content creation? “, to find a definition
Step 3: Increasing P0 Potential
To boost your chances of being chosen for a featured snippet, whether you are upgrading the website or starting from scratch, you’ll want to employ several strategies, such as:
- Content that expressly responds to the question
- Tagging and clean code that Google can easily comprehend
- Signs of increased consumer engagement
In addition, a short response from your page can also be chosen by Google as a featured snippet for a question if you publish your material in a question-and-answer manner or as a list of commonly asked questions.