Content Writing Tips for Search Result Featured Snippets, Part 2

In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over the inverted pyramid model for writing content for featured snippets. Featured snippets are vital parts of the search result field for many internet marketing pros, allowing them to provide direct answers to prospective clients on the search page to increase convenience.

At SEO Werkz, featured snippet maximization is just one of our many search engine optimization services, which we provide in addition to web design, PPC, social media marketing and numerous other related services. In today’s part two, we’ll offer tips on converting the pyramid theme to answering customer questions, plus some basics on how much to leave for your website and how to write content that’s robust and high-quality.

Answering SEO Queries

So how do you convert the inverted pyramid theme we went over in part one to actual answers on the featured snippet page that will help you win snippets? This begins with your answer, which you can think of as the “lead” we already went over. If someone’s asked a direct question, the lead is the summary of the basic answer to it.

As we noted earlier, you begin with the attention-catching part, then get into the details and the context that showcase your expertise. In cases where other questions may arise based on your answer, or if the original question is a broad one, things get a bit more complex – that’s a big part of what we’ll go over in our subsequent sections here.

Leaving a Trail

One important theme to consider here: Ensuring that your featured snippet answers leave enough to the imagination that leads still click to your website once they have the answer they’re looking for. Some general tips in this realm:

• Avoid easy answers: When it comes to simple facts, such as a time and date or a personal quality, these are separate topics you do not need to answer. These answers are regularly replaced and won’t likely win you snippets.
• How-to questions: The best questions to answer are how-to questions and those that will provide further context on your products or services.

• Building credibility: During such answers, it’s just fine to give the searcher a trail. They receive much of the information they need, but also realize that clicking to your page will bring them even more complete and valuable data. Those looking for a quick and easy answer aren’t those who tend to convert most – rather, those who view your information as credible and want to learn more about you are the ones you’re targeting.

Quality Content

When it comes to ensuring your content is at a high enough level for any featured snippets, refer back to the inverted pyramid theme. When getting into details and context, feel confident answering sub-questions or logical follow-ups – those who are truly interested and could become conversions will appreciate this additional detail.

For more on maximizing your content to win featured snippets, or to learn about any of our SEO, PPC or web design services, speak to the staff at SEO Werkz today.