Featured Snippet
A featured snippet is the answer box above the standard organic results, extracted verbatim from a ranking page. Formats include paragraphs, lists and tables. Winning one usually requires ranking on page one and answering the question in a clean, liftable passage.
Why it matters for your rankings
Featured snippets put you above every standard organic result, including competitors who outrank you. They are one of the few ways to leapfrog position without additional links.
The trade-off is real, though. Snippets often answer the query so completely that nobody clicks, which is the zero-click problem. For informational queries that may still be worth it for brand exposure. For commercial queries where you need the visit, it can cost traffic. Snippets are also the direct feedstock for AI overviews and voice assistants, which read the extracted passage aloud. The formatting that wins snippets, a direct answer in 40 to 60 words under a question-shaped heading, is the same formatting that wins AI citations.
How to check it on your site
Find your snippet opportunities
In Ahrefs or Semrush, filter your ranking keywords for those with a featured snippet where you rank in the top ten but do not hold the box.
Match the existing format
If the current snippet is a numbered list, answer with a numbered list. Google rarely changes format for a query.
Answer immediately under the heading
Use the question as an H2 and put a 40 to 60 word direct answer in the very next paragraph.
Track wins and losses
Snippets change hands frequently. Monitor them monthly rather than assuming a win is permanent.