A featured snippet is the boxed answer Google sometimes displays above the standard organic results — also called "position zero." It's pulled verbatim from a page that's already ranking on page one for the query.
Formats
Four common formats:
- Paragraph: 40-60 words answering the question. Most common.
- List: ordered or unordered list pulled from the page.
- Table: comparison data extracted from a
<table>element. - Video: a YouTube clip with timestamps.
Why they matter (and matter less than they used to)
A featured snippet can:
- Boost CTR by 20-40% if it's yours (the trade-off depends on whether the answer is so complete the user doesn't need to click)
- Crater CTR for everyone if it's a competitor's (~25% suppression for organic results below)
- Earn voice-assistant slots when Assistant/Alexa/Siri read out the answer
In 2026, AI Overview has eaten into the featured snippet's territory — many queries that historically had a featured snippet now have an AI Overview instead, sometimes with the snippet pulled into the AI block.
How to earn one
Pages already ranking 1-10 for the target query are eligible. To increase the odds:
- Format an explicit answer —
<h2>question, first paragraph 40-60 words direct answer. - Use lists or tables when the query implies one ("steps to," "vs," "list of").
- Add semantic context before and after the answer — the surrounding paragraphs help Google's confidence.
- Add JSON-LD where appropriate — Article, FAQPage, HowTo (for older formats).
Common mistakes
- Hiding the answer in a wall of intro — Google extracts what's visible first.
- Stuffing the answer with brand mentions — Google often skips snippet candidates that read like marketing.
- Inconsistent question phrasing — match common search phrasings ("how long should..." not "the recommended length of...").
A featured snippet is not a permanent reward. Google may swap it for a competitor, or replace it entirely with an AI Overview, on any given recrawl.