A featured snippet is Google's attempt to answer a query directly on the results page without requiring a click. Snippets are extracted from a page that is already ranking on page one.
Format
- Paragraph snippet — a short prose answer.
- List snippet — an ordered or unordered list.
- Table snippet — a small extracted table.
- Video snippet — a YouTube clip with a highlighted timestamp.
Example
Searching "how long to boil an egg" returns a paragraph snippet with a boiling-time table, sourced from a food-site page currently ranking around position three.
How SEM Optimiser reports it
When SEM Optimiser detects a snippet, it records the URL that won it, the snippet type, and the extracted text. The fix engine suggests concise on-page rewrites when a competitor holds a snippet you could realistically win.
Related terms
- SERP Feature
A SERP feature is any non-standard element on a search results page beyond the classic ten blue links, such as a featured snippet, People Also Ask box, or local pack.
- People Also Ask
People Also Ask is a SERP feature that shows a list of related questions the user might also want answered, each expanding to reveal an extracted answer.
- AI Overview
An AI Overview is a generative summary shown at the top of a Google search results page, synthesised by Google's Gemini model from multiple ranking sources.
- On-page SEO
On-page SEO is the practice of optimising individual web pages so their content and HTML signals match what search engines expect for the queries they target.