A featured snippet is the boxed answer that sometimes appears right at the top of Google’s results, above the normal listings. Google pulls a short extract from a web page, a paragraph, a list or a table, that directly answers the search, and displays it with a link to the source. Because it sits in what SEOs call “position zero”, it can capture a large share of the clicks for a question.
How does Google choose the snippet?
Google selects a page that already ranks well for the query and that answers the question most clearly and concisely. You cannot pay for or tag a featured snippet. What you can do is structure your content so it is easy to lift: ask the question as a heading, then answer it immediately in a tight paragraph of around 40 to 60 words, or a clean numbered or bulleted list for step-based questions.
How to win featured snippets
- Target real questions your customers ask, then answer them directly and early on the page.
- Use clear headings, short answer paragraphs, and lists or tables where they fit the question.
- Earn the rankings first: snippets almost always come from pages already on page one.
The same clear, well-structured writing that wins featured snippets also helps you get quoted by AI assistants, which is why it overlaps with AI visibility and GEO. For the official detail, see Google’s guidance on featured snippets. Want help finding the questions worth targeting? Start with a free SEO audit.
