When Google makes something a priority, savvy marketers sit up and take notice. Search is one area where Google has been clear in its expectations, saying that “voice is not only helpful — it’s critical for many people’s daily engagements with technology.”

Indeed, PwC research shows that 71% of people would rather use voice search to search for something online than typing into the search box. Today, 90% of consumers are familiar with voice-enabled devices, including smart speakers, voice assistants and voice search on smartphones.

How can you incorporate voice into your SEO strategy? In this article, I’ll outline what voice search SEO is, why voice matters to Google (and to you, as a result), how to expand your audience with voice and different ways you can better meet searchers’ needs by optimizing content for voice search.

• What is voice search?
• What is voice search SEO? 
• Nine tips for voice search SEO
• FAQ: How do voice assistants influence voice search results and rankings? 

What Is Voice Search?

Voice search is a voice-enabled way of searching or completing a task on the web or in an app. Searchers speak their keyword, phrase, or question into a microphone on their mobile device or to a voice assistant such as Google Home or Amazon Alexa and, depending on the device, may receive results in text or audio format.

Whether speaking to a voice assistant or voice-enabled search engine, you can expect that the algorithm will bring back what it believes is the best answer for the query with special attention given to the fact it was spoken aloud.

What Is Voice Search SEO?

Voice search SEO is the optimization of content for voice queries and can include the keywords used, how content is structured, the schema markup to help Google understand its relevance to a voice query and more.

As Google states in its Voice Playbook, “More than a million new internet users come online every day, many of whom wouldn’t be able to interact with technology at all without voice input.”

Ensuring that content is accessible to all of those new users is so important to Google that it’s part of the search engine’s mission statement “… to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

In fact, better serving the needs of mobile users who increasingly use voice to search was the driving force behind Google’s introduction of the RankBrain machine learning system in 2015. RankBrain helps Google better understand the intent and context of longer, more complex queries (as is often the case with voice search).

Optimizing your content with voice search SEO can dramatically increase your potential audience and help you expand into new markets.

Knowing that accessibility — specifically, voice — is such a key priority for Google means it should also be a priority for every website publisher. Voice search is an essential consideration in future-proofing your SEO strategy.

9 Tips for Voice Search SEO

1. Know Your Audience

Hopefully, you have a pretty good idea of your customer’s pain points and needs gathered in the processes of product or service development, SEO, PPC and more (like your keyword research). Understanding who you are optimizing for and what matters to them is an important first step.

Begin by listing specific questions and voice search queries your prospective customers might use. These are a few great sources for expanding your list and your understanding of voice searcher needs:

• Google Search Console
• Answer the Public
• People Also Ask

Map out your customer journey and identify gaps in content where you aren’t meeting their needs at any stage.

2. Understand the Voice Search Landscape

Don’t assume that you’re up against the same competitors in voice search results. Research the competition and available opportunities by asking your queries of different voice assistants and devices.

Remember to query brand terms as well. If you aren’t coming back as the response for queries explicitly seeking information about your company and its products or services, that’s a good place to start optimizing.

You might find that Amazon Alexa, Google Home and speaking directly into Google Search via the mic on your smartphone all bring back different results.

Track your opportunities to target featured snippets and evaluate top-ranking competitors to inform your voice search SEO strategy. Our SEOToolSet® can help with this important competitor research.

3. Expand Your Keyword Research with Voice Search In Mind

Now that you have a solid grasp of who you’re trying to reach and who else is succeeding in voice search, dig into your keyword research to find new opportunities to optimize content.

These tools can help:

• Keyword.io
• Semrush
• BuzzSumo Question Analyzer
• Google Autocomplete
• SEOToolSet’s Keyword Suggestions tool

See How to Select Keywords — SEO Guide Step 1 for more.

4. Keep in Mind the Various Ways People Use Voice to Interact

Google has identified four main types of voice interaction:

Recording is most often used in messaging apps such as WhatsApp or Messenger, while dictation is commonly how users interact with text editors and keyboards.

Commands and conversational interactions are most relevant to the search experience, and, therefore for voice search SEO.

Users give a voice command in Google Search or YouTube Search in order to receive back a relevant set of results. And as Google points out, we tend to be more conversational in our interactions with voice assistants such as Google Assistant or Siri. We use longer phrases or even speak in full sentences.

This means in voice search SEO it’s important to optimize for both:

• Head terms: Short phrases or single keywords with high search query volume and competition, such as [men’s shorts] or [flights].
• Long-tail keywords: Three-word or longer queries that are typically less competitive and give the query greater context.

5. Keep Answers Brief, Direct and Simple

A Semrush voice search study shows that the average text length of answers to voice queries is 41 words.

The same study found that close to 97% of answers returned were from the top 10 results in organic Google Search, and that 70% of voice search answers occupied a SERP feature (60% of those being a Featured Snippet).

Aim for the top 10 and that coveted featured snippet in “position zero” by answering the searcher’s question as completely yet succinctly as possible.

This isn’t the place to show off your robust vocabulary, either. Content readability should rank around a Grade 8 level on the Fleish-Kincaid scale for best placement in voice search results.

6. Demonstrate Your E-E-A-T in Voice-Optimized Content

The importance of experience, expertise, authority and trust in written content is a hot topic and an essential element of voice optimization.

Providing the best possible answer is critical for Google. They aim to nurture and protect searcher trust by providing the highest quality and most trustworthy information.

How do you clarify to Google that your webpage ticks all those boxes? See our Complete Guide to the Basics of Google’s E-E-A-T to learn more.

7. Make Sure Technical SEO Issues Aren’t Holding You Back

A clean, accessible site will always perform better in search, with all other things being equal, regardless of the query medium.

• Mobile-friendliness is imperative, especially with Google’s prioritization of the “page experience” update.
• Make sure your site is optimizing for core web vitals to take advantage of the rankings boost this can provide.
• Clean up any messy redirects and duplicate content, optimize your page speed, and use the robots.txt tester to ensure you aren’t accidentally preventing Google from accessing any pages.

Work through our Technical SEO Tips for more.

8. Use Speakable and Other Schema Markup

Help Google understand which sections of your webpage are best suited for audio playback on Google Assistant with Speakable schema, a type of structured data markup.

Once you’ve applied the schema to your page, submit it for review. This process can take up to five days. Google will let you know if the content meets its guidelines and is eligible for inclusion in Google Assistant results or not.

You can use other types of schema to make the topic, information type and structure of other content clear to search engines.

For example, Product markup can be used for any product or service, while LocalBusiness markup tells search engines about the page’s relevance to local business queries.

Use Google’s testing tools to troubleshoot schema markup in published content and code snippets.

9. Remember That Voice is Used for All Types of Queries

We tend to think of voice queries as things we ask Siri, Google, or another voice-activated assistant while needing to be hands-free — when you’re cooking lunch or driving a car, for example.

But voice search is used by all kinds of people to solve many different types of problems. People who struggle with low literacy, experience visual impairment, type slowly, communicate in complex languages, use lower-end devices lacking a full keyboard and more all benefit from using voice search versus typing in text queries.

In short, no topic, vertical, or business won’t benefit from optimizing for voice search.

Final Thoughts

Website publishers can help search engines better understand the relevance of content to voice searchers in many different ways. Work through the voice search SEO tips above as you create and deploy new content.

Then, make voice search optimization an integral aspect of your overall SEO strategy and enjoy the additional visibility and traffic it brings.

Interested in implementing voice search SEO into your site? Talk to us. We can help.

FAQ: How do voice assistants influence voice search results and rankings?

Voice assistants have transformed how users interact with technology, especially in voice search. As voice search becomes increasingly popular, understanding how voice assistants influence search results and rankings is essential for businesses aiming to maximize online visibility and engagement.

The Rise of Voice Assistants

Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant have revolutionized how people perform online tasks and access information. Voice search has become part of everyday life for millions, thanks to smart speakers and devices with voice control features. Search engines have modified their algorithmic processes in response to voice queries; this change affects how content ranks for ranking purposes and how it’s presented to users.

Voice Search and Search Intent

One crucial aspect of voice assistants’ influence on search results is understanding search intent. Voice queries are more conversational and natural than traditional text-based searches. Consequently, search engines aim to deliver concise, relevant answers that address users’ questions directly. To optimize for voice search rankings, it’s vital to provide concise and authoritative content that meets the needs of voice search users.

Structured Data and Featured Snippets

Voice assistants rely heavily on structured data and featured snippets to answer users’ questions concisely. By leveraging schema markup and optimizing content to be more structured, businesses can increase the likelihood of their content being selected as a featured snippet in voice search results. Achieving a featured snippet position can significantly enhance visibility and brand authority in the voice search landscape.

Voice Assistant Preferences and Brand Visibility

Depending on their algorithms and partnerships, different voice assistants may provide varying results for the same voice query. Optimizing content for specific voice assistant preferences can enhance brand visibility and ensure your content is presented to the right audience at the right time. Understanding these preferences and tailoring your voice search optimization strategy can yield valuable competitive advantages.

The Future of Voice Search and Recommendations

As voice search continues to evolve, businesses must stay proactive in adapting their content and SEO strategies to keep up with emerging trends and changes in voice assistant technology. Voice search is expected to play an increasingly significant role in how consumers access information and make purchase decisions. Embracing voice search optimization and providing valuable content that caters to voice assistant preferences will position businesses for success in the voice-driven digital landscape.

Step-by-Step Tips to Transform Your Site for Voice Assistant SEO

1. Understand the role and impact of voice assistants on voice search outcomes.
2. Analyze how voice queries differ from traditional text-based searches in terms of search intent and language usage.
3. Optimize content to align with voice search users’ natural language and conversational queries.
4. Implement structured data and schema markup to increase the chances of being featured in voice search results.
5. Tailor content to cater to specific voice assistant preferences and algorithms.
6. Keep abreast of emerging trends and changes in voice assistant technology to adapt your voice search optimization strategy accordingly.
7. Monitor and analyze voice search analytics to identify areas for improvement and measure the impact of voice assistant influence on search rankings.
8. Conduct competitor research to identify best practices and opportunities for voice search optimization.
9. Create valuable and authoritative content that directly addresses user queries and provides concise answers.
10. Use analytics and user feedback to refine and enhance your voice search optimization efforts continuously.
11. Test and optimize content for different voice assistants to maximize brand visibility and exposure.
12. Regularly update and refresh content to maintain relevance and accuracy in voice search results.
13. Leverage user-generated content and customer reviews to boost brand credibility and visibility in voice search.
14. Collaborate with voice assistant platforms and explore partnerships to enhance brand visibility and reach.
15. Monitor search engine algorithm updates and voice assistant advancements to stay ahead of the curve.
16. Utilize natural language processing techniques to ensure content aligns with voice search users’ preferences.
17. Leverage social media and voice-enabled devices to promote voice search-friendly content and engage with your audience.
18. Optimize website speed and performance to cater to voice search users’ need for quick and seamless results.
19. Gather user feedback and insights to improve voice search optimization strategies.
20. Stay informed about voice search trends and developments to remain competitive in the voice-driven digital landscape.

The post How To Do SEO for Voice Search: 9 Tips appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

In this article, we’ll discuss:

• Why is structured data important to SEO?
• What is structured data?
• What is schema markup?
• What structured data types are there?
• Which structured data type should I use?
• Best practices for using structured data
• FAQ: How does structured data impact search engine results and click-through rates?

Why Is Structured Data Important to SEO?

Structured data can enhance the appearance of a listing and add rich information to help searchers make a decision, which can improve click-through rates (CTR).

See the following search result of a Simi Valley, Calif., shopping center as an example.

Structured data on the MallsCenters.com website enables Google to recognize star ratings (which, by the way, are not so good for this particular mall) and the mall’s address and phone number, adding the data to their organic search result.

The ability to better communicate what your webpage is about in order to improve its appearance in the SERPs, dominate more of this valuable real estate and provide rich information to searchers is invaluable.

So how do you do it? Let’s dig into what structured data is and how it works.

What Is Structured Data?

Google defines structured data as a standardized format for providing information about a webpage and classifying its content. It helps clarify to the search engines what type of information you’re presenting.

With the introduction of HTML5 in 2015 came microdata, a set of tags that enabled webmasters and SEOs to do just that. Microdata tells search engines more about the page than what users can see — what type of page it is and what it’s about.

One example is a recipe page. Recipes typically have a list of ingredients, cooking instructions and nutritional information such as the number of calories per serving. Structured data enables you to tell Google where that content is on the page so you can suggest which page elements you would like to appear in search.

The following is an example from this Google help file that shows how to produce an image result in the featured carousel in Google SERPs:

<html>
<head>
<title>Apple Pie by Grandma</title>
<script type=”application/ld+json”>
{
“@context”: “https://schema.org/”,
“@type”: “Recipe”,
“name”: “Apple Pie by Grandma”,
“author”: “Elaine Smith”,
“image”: “http://images.edge-generalmills.com/56459281-6fe6-4d9d-984f-385c9488d824.jpg”,
“description”: “A classic apple pie.”,
“aggregateRating”: {
“@type”: “AggregateRating”,
“ratingValue”: “4.8”,
“reviewCount”: “7462”,
“bestRating”: “5”,
“worstRating”: “1”
},
“prepTime”: “PT30M”,
“totalTime”: “PT1H30M”,
“recipeYield”: “8”,
“nutrition”: {
“@type”: “NutritionInformation”,
“calories”: “512 calories”
},
“recipeIngredient”: [
“1 box refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box”,
“6 cups thinly sliced, peeled apples (6 medium)”
]
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
</body>
</html>

Doing so gives Google all of the information it needs to pull the following information from your webpage and format it in a visually appealing way:

Articles and blog posts are other common webpage types that can benefit from structured data. Article schema allows you to suggest to Google which headline, publication date, and image should appear in the search result for that piece of content.

Google wants SEO professionals to use this structured data, too. In one Google Search Central resource, it says:

Google Search works hard to understand the content of a page. You can help us by providing explicit clues about the meaning of a page to Google by including structured data on the page.

And in another, it says:

Google supports many interesting search appearance elements that can be applied to your page in search results … A few of these result types are generated automatically by Google Search, but most of them can be coded for by your site.

So, Google is telling you to use structured data. How do you do that, exactly?

One way is by structuring data on your page in ways that are easy for search engines to digest. This is where we need to get to know schema markup. It gives SEOs a way to share the most important information about any given entity so that the search engine can:

1. Understand what the page is about
2. Feature the most important information in the results

What Is Schema Markup?

Schema is a library of shared vocabularies you can use to mark up your page in ways that can be understood by the major search engines.

Think of schema as a collection of tags and microdata, Resource Description Framework in Attributes (RDFa), or JSON-LD code (the format preferred by Google) as the tags themselves. These are used to add markup to your webpages.

Founded by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Yandex in 2011, Schema.org is your go-to resource for the structured data schema you’ll use to optimize pages for rich search results. It’s already in use by over 10 million sites.

When schema.org first launched in 2011, it included schemas for more than a hundred categories, including movies, music, organizations, TV shows, products, and places. Today, the schema.org vocabulary contains 797 types and 1,453 properties.

What Structured Data Types Are There?

The Schema.org vocabulary uses a hierarchy that begins with a “Thing.” A thing can be any of the following:

• Action
• BioChemEntity
• CreativeWork
• Event
• Intangible
• MedicalEntity
• Organization
• Person
• Place
• Product
• Taxon

These are the broadest categories, the most generic types of items. From each one, you can drill down and get more specific. For example, from the Full Hierarchy list, we can click on Event to see the different types of Event schema that are available:

• BusinessEvent
• ChildrensEvent
• ComedyEvent
• CourseInstance
• DanceEvent
• DeliveryEvent
• EducationEvent
• EventSeries
• ExhibitionEvent
• Festival
• FoodEvent
• Hackathon
• LiteraryEvent
• MusicEvent
• PublicationEvent
• SaleEvent
• ScreeningEvent
• SocialEvent
• SportsEvent
• TheaterEvent
• VisualArtsEvent

The next level in the hierarchy is Properties. This is where you can get specific and provide those rich details Google may pull into the search results to make your listing more informative and visually appealing.

For example, choosing ComedyEvent takes you to the full list of Properties for that event type.

Selecting “Audience” takes you one level deeper, where you’ll find more specifics on where you can use this Property, an example, and sample code you can modify to use on your own page.

Remember, JSON-LD is the preferred markup format, so we display that here:

Which Structured Data Type Should I Use?

Keep in mind that using structured data can enable rich search results — it does not guarantee them. And there can be negative consequences to using structured data improperly.

Google provides General Structured Data Guidelines and warns:

Pages or sites that violate these content guidelines may receive less favorable ranking or be marked as ineligible for rich results in Google Search in order to maintain a high-quality search experience for our users. If we find that your page contains spammy structured data or content, we will apply a manual action to your page.

Structured data must be a true and accurate representation of the page’s main content, and the markup should describe content that is visible in the page’s HTML and to users. Choosing the most relevant type of structured data for your content is key.

Google provides an excellent resource called “Explore the search gallery,” which serves as a jumping-off point for structured data.

You can start by either browsing the full list of search features or filtering them into one of five categories to see the features most relevant to your needs. Those broad categories are:

• E-commerce
• Organizations
• Sports
• Jobs
• Entertainment

For each type of search feature, you’ll see an example of what it might look like in the SERPs, with tips (where applicable) on how and when to use it.

Clicking the “Get started” button leads you to a more detailed page on that search feature. Using the Carousel as an example, you’re delivered to a page that explains what the Carousel search feature is, what it looks like in Search, and how to implement this markup with step-by-step instructions.

You’ll also find samples of code for the different types of structured data that could be used for Carousel content.

Best Practices for Using Structured Data

In addition to following Google’s guidelines for structured data, as referenced above, there are several important steps to making sure you’re making the most of your search features opportunities.

Apply these best practices to ensure that search engines can understand your structured data and maximize your chances of triggering a search feature:

Make Sure You’re Putting Your JSON-LD Structured Data in the Right Place

Google provides a helpful video to show webmasters and SEOs where to put a markup on your webpage. In it, John Mueller also describes the different ways that Google processes JSON-LD, Microdata, and RDFa.

Validate Your Code with the Rich Results Test

Google provides the Rich Results Test tool so webmasters and SEOs can ensure that your marked-up page supports rich results. You can test either your code snippets or by live URL.

Use the URL Inspection Tool to Test How Google Sees the Page

Put a few marked-up pages live and see how you’ve done. Google’s URL Inspection tool gives you information about an indexed page, enabling you to see if there are any structured data errors.

This tool will tell you how many valid items are found on the URL and give a description of each item. It also contains details about any warnings or errors found so you can troubleshoot.

Currently, this tool supports 17 rich results types. Google notes that “not all rich result types are supported by the tool yet. Unsupported types might be present and valid on the page and can appear in Search results, but won’t appear in the tool.”

Once You’re Done Troubleshooting, Ask Google to Recrawl Your URL

Ask Google to recrawl and index your page once you’ve corrected any structured data errors. Remember, it can take a few days to a few weeks for your request to be processed.

Conclusion

Structured data may seem complicated at first, especially if you don’t know HTML.

However, Google and its partners in Schema.org have made it possible for anyone to apply structured data to your web pages by providing robust documentation, sample code you can modify, and testing tools to ensure you get the best results.

Take advantage of this opportunity to speak directly to Google and make your search results stand out in the competitive SERPs.

Our SEO experts can help you utilize structured data to enhance your webpage’s visibility and add functionality to your organic listing in the SERPs. Contact us today for a free consultation.

FAQ: How does structured data impact search engine results and click-through rates?

Structured data holds the key to transforming your online presence. By providing search engines with valuable context and insight into your content, structured data significantly impact search engine results and click-through rates. Let’s delve into the nuances of this impactful strategy.

Structured data serves as a translator between your website and search engines. When properly implemented, it enables search engines to understand the content’s essence, leading to more relevant and visually appealing search results. This enhanced presentation, often including star ratings, images, and other rich snippets, captures users’ attention and encourages them to click through to your site.

Moreover, structured data is crucial in improving the visibility of specific information, such as addresses, phone numbers, and business hours, through the Knowledge Graph panel. This means users can find essential details about your business without even visiting your website, building trust and credibility in their eyes.

The influence of structured data goes beyond aesthetics. It empowers websites to stand out in crowded search engine results pages (SERPs), increasing the likelihood of attracting organic clicks. By providing users with a preview of the content they can expect, structured data minimizes ambiguity and ensures a more tailored user experience.

To harness the full potential of structured data, focus on implementing schema markup. Schema markup allows you to tag various elements on your webpage, providing explicit clues to search engines about your content’s meaning. This can create rich snippets and knowledge panels, further elevating your content’s visibility and click-through rates.

Structured data is a game-changer in the realm of SEO. Its impact on search engine results and click-through rates is undeniable, translating to increased organic traffic and improved user engagement. By leveraging structured data and embracing schema markup, you can position your website for success in the competitive digital landscape.

Step-by-Step Procedure: How to Leverage Structured Data for Enhanced Search Engine Results and Click-Through Rates

1. Understand the Basics: Familiarize yourself with the concept of structured data and its importance in SEO.
2. Identify Key Content: Determine which content on your website would benefit most from structured data enhancements.
3. Choose Relevant Schema: Select appropriate schema types that align with your content, such as articles, products, or events.
4. Learn Schema Markup: Gain a solid understanding of schema markup languages, including JSON-LD, Microdata, and RDFa.
5. Implement Schema Markup: Embed schema markup code into your webpages’ HTML, focusing on relevant sections.
6. Validate Structured Data: Use Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool to implement your markup correctly.
7. Monitor SERPs: Regularly check search engine results for your targeted keywords to observe the impact of structured data.
8. Analyze Click-Through Rates: Use analytics tools to measure the increase in click-through rates for pages with structured data.
9. Optimize Rich Snippets: Fine-tune your schema markup to enhance the appearance of rich snippets in search results.
10. Utilize Knowledge Panels: Implement schema markup for business details to appear in Knowledge Graph panels.
11. Provide Accurate Data: Ensure that the structured data accurately represents the information on your webpage.
12. Stay Updated: Keep up with schema.org updates and search engine guidelines to maintain effective structured data.
13. Test on Various Devices: Verify that structured data displays correctly across different devices and screen sizes.
14. Experiment with Formats: Test different schema markup formats to determine which yields the best results.
15. Address Errors Promptly: If errors arise, fix them promptly to maintain the integrity of your structured data.
16. Leverage Google Search Console: Use the Search Console’s structured data report to identify and resolve issues.
17. Enhance User Experience: Optimize the user experience on your website to complement the improved search results.
18. Monitor Performance: Continuously analyze the impact of structured data on search engine results and click-through rates.
19. Iterate and Refine: Based on performance metrics, refine your structured data strategy to achieve optimal results.
20. Seek Professional Guidance: Consult with SEO experts to ensure your structured data strategy aligns with best practices.

The post What Is Structured Data and Why Is It Important For SEO? appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

But you may not be thinking about some of the more abstract on-page optimization techniques. What I’m going to share with you today helps connect the dots between on-page tactics and broader SEO strategies.

In this article, I’ll cover:

• Determining word count for topics
• Ranking as a featured snippet
• Maintaining schema markup
• FAQ: What are the best practices for determining word count in SEO content?

1. Determining Word Count for Topics

We’ve all seen those studies that analyze X number of results to come up with a blanket SEO “best practice.” However, SEO is not a one-size-fits-all strategy. Nowhere is this truer than when it comes to the length of content on a webpage.

I strongly believe that you do not win by having the most words. Many recommend that you need as many or more words than everyone else when writing content. In fact, if you follow this strategy, you may actually be sacrificing the quality of your content just to meet word count.

To understand this, let’s quickly back up to the concept of keywords and competition in the search results.

Some believe their online competition is the big brands in their space, or the prolific thought leader in their industry who churns out content.

Neither of those is true. Your competition is the webpages that show up on Page 1 of the search results for a particular keyword query.

Top-ranked pages for the query “accounting software”

Yes, the top results could include a big brand and that thought leader. But more often than not, your market competition does not match your online competition.

So to answer the question: How many words should you write on a topic? The answer lies in the top-ranked pages for the keywords you are after.

If all the top results are under 1,000 words, it’s safe to say that you can follow suit. You do not have an obligation to write 2,000 words as per that general SEO “best practice” you heard about.

(As an aside, you can use our Multi Page Analyzer tool to help you analyze the competition.)

This should save you some time and effort. You can actually boost the quality of your content when it’s not being filled with fluff to meet a word count.

Use these guidelines as you are doing your research and writing. But don’t forget that the best advice is to use as many words as you need to make your point and make it good.

2. Ranking as a Featured Snippet

Featured snippets are shown at the top of Google’s search results in an attempt to directly answer question-type queries.

Featured snippets rely on content from content pages in Google’s index. I think of the featured snippet as an enhanced first position (aka “Position 0”) on the results page. That’s because it is still an “organic” listing that links to a webpage or video.

Sometimes featured snippets are shown directly beneath the ads block but above everything else. And sometimes when there aren’t any ads for the query, the featured snippet is above everything else.

Featured video snippet for “how to tie a shoe”

Regardless, featured snippets do count as one in the total number of organic listings on the page:

If a web page listing is elevated into the featured snippet position, we no longer repeat the listing in the search results. This declutters the results & helps users locate relevant information more easily. Featured snippets count as one of the ten web page listings we show.

— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) January 22, 2020

Featured snippets differ from direct answers in Google’s answer box.

Here’s how: Featured snippets link to the original source (aka your content). Direct answers from Google simply provide an answer, no link (for example, an answer to the question: what time is it?”):

Google direct answer to “what time is it?”

There are four kinds of featured snippets, and note that there may be one or more listings mixed in a featured snippet depending on the query. The four main types of featured snippets are:

• Video (YouTube)
• Text
• List
• Table

To optimize for a featured snippet, page construction matters. You need to architect the content in a way that is easy for the search engines to understand. And it should be set up to answer a question-type query.

In a Google Webmaster Central office hours hangout, John Mueller confirmed that clear structure on the page helps Google a lot when it comes to featured snippets. Also, use clear HTML on those pages — fancy code is harder to detect and process.

What does that look like in terms of how you optimize? Consider things such as:

• Headings on the page, such as H1, H2, and so on
• HTML tables
• Bulleted lists
• Ordered lists
• Table of contents in the introduction of the article
• A key term or question in a heading tag, followed by the answer in the body text
• A TL;DR (“too long, didn’t read”) summary near the top of your article

This study by SEMrush is a couple of years old, but it gives pertinent data on how you might create a page to rank for featured snippets.

My belief is that fragments within a page are going to be a ranking factor for featured snippets. When I say fragment, I’m referring to an anchor link within a document. For example, links from a table of contents to a section within an article.

In the Google Webmaster Central hangout referenced earlier, Marie Haynes asked if this is a factor. John Mueller hastily replied that he didn’t know, followed by: “I do know we sometimes show those anchor links in search as a subsite link-type thing.” I think he ducked the question.

I believe fragments will help webpages rank in featured snippets because Google needs an answer to a question, and that answer is sometimes buried somewhere in a 2000-word article.

So here’s how you might set that up:

• Create a table of contents for the article.
• Structure the headings (H2s, for example) to be the match of the question-type queries.
• Immediately answer the question in the heading in the first sentence or paragraph of body content following it.

3. Maintaining Schema Markup

Schema markup can be a great way to optimize content in order to clarify what your content means to Google, enhance your search results snippets, and for other reasons highlighted in our schema markup guide.

But did you know that it’s not uncommon for schema guidelines to change many times over the course of a year? That’s because schema specifications are more like a living document than a set-in-stone commandment.

Schema.org explains how new releases can impact things (some examples excluded):

Each release can include several kinds of change:

● New examples.

● Adjustments to the textual descriptions of terms (i.e., types, properties and enumerated values).

● Adjustments to the examples that accompany each term, and to the indexing of which terms an example should show up against. Although examples are not formally part of the schema definitions, they play a central role in schema.org’s widescale adoption and are versioned as part of the release. …

● Term descriptions and definitions can be moved between schema.org’s core and its hosted extensions. Each schema.org term is marked as being “partOf” either the core or exactly one extension, and terms can move in either direction. Terms can be generalized for wider use and moved into the core, or migrated from the core into a hosted extension. In both cases, textual definitions and machine-readable definitions may be adjusted.

At the end of the day, it’s not enough to let the search engine know the meaning of your content with schema. The maintenance of that schema should also be part of your plan. Review the schema at least monthly to ensure you’re on top of it.

Do you need an expert to look over your site and SEO plan? We can provide a variety of services to help you succeed. Contact us for a free quote today.

FAQ: What are the best practices for determining word count in SEO content?

Word count is one of the key indicators of page ranking, and this article from an SEO specialist will help you estimate your SEO content’s word count.

Understanding Word Count’s Role in SEO

To start, it’s essential to comprehend the role word count plays in SEO. Search engines strive to deliver users the most relevant and complete results possible, and content with more structure and length often proves more beneficial for readers, leading to higher rankings on search engines. Remember: quality always takes precedence over quantity! Balancing word count with engaging and informative content is key.

Finding the Optimal Word Count

Determining the optimal word count for your content can be a nuanced task. Consider both the purpose and type of content when writing blog posts. Blog posts typically range between 1,000 and 2,500 words in length to allow for thorough coverage of any given subject matter. Product descriptions may require brevity, whereas pillar pages could be longer.

Keyword research also plays a significant role. Tools like Google Keyword Planner can help identify the average word count of top-ranking pages for specific keywords. This data can serve as a useful benchmark.

The Importance of User Experience

While SEO is crucial, user experience should never be sacrificed for word count. Long paragraphs or overly lengthy content can deter readers. Ensure that your content is scannable, with clear headings and subheadings. Break up text with images, bullet points, and engaging multimedia elements to maintain user engagement.

Monitoring and Adapting

SEO is not static, and neither is word count optimization. Regularly monitor your content’s performance using analytics tools. Pay attention to metrics like bounce rate, time on page, and conversion rates. Adjust your word count strategy based on the data to continuously improve your SEO efforts.

Determining the right word count for your content is a crucial step toward achieving higher rankings and attracting organic traffic. Balancing quantity with quality, adapting to user preferences, and staying up-to-date with industry trends are the cornerstones of successful word count optimization.

Step-by-Step Procedure for Determining Word Count in SEO Content:

1. Decide upon your purpose and type of content creation (e.g. blog posts, product descriptions, or pillar pages).
2. Conduct keyword research to identify the average word count of top-ranking pages for your target keywords.
3. Determine the optimal word count range for your content based on its type and purpose.
4. Prioritize user experience by ensuring your content is scannable, with clear headings, subheadings, and multimedia elements.
5. Write engaging and informative content that provides value to your readers while meeting the chosen word count.
6. Regularly monitor your content’s performance using analytics tools, focusing on metrics like bounce rate, time on page, and conversion rates.
7. Analyze the data to assess the effectiveness of your word count strategy.
8. Adjust your word count strategy based on performance data to improve SEO efforts.
9. Continuously stay updated with industry trends and adapt your approach as needed to remain competitive in the ever-changing world of SEO.

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