to optimize content for Google SERP features

What are the best ways to maximize the potential of Google’s search engine results page features?

Discover how to adopt a strategy for your brand in order to increase visibility and ensure inclusion within these important result types.

Google SERP Features Today

Google’s goal when it updates its search engine algorithm or adds features is to better organize information for users.

The SERP feature does this by highlighting the answers that are most likely match a user’s query above the fold.

The following are some of the most common SERP characteristics:

Snippets featured

• Information that is highlighted at the top of results pages, bolding answers to the user’s query.

Knowledge panels

• The panels that appear to the right of the search results provide information about certain entities, such as celebrities, businesses or landmarks.

Local packs

• Local businesses that are relevant to the search query of the user, with their address, phone number and reviews. They also appear at the top or right of the results page for mobile devices and on the desktop.

Image packs and video carsousels

• The search results can include horizontal lists or collections of images that are related to the query. Users can preview and view these videos directly on the results page. They can appear anywhere on a results page.

Site links

• The main search results are accompanied by additional links that lead users to certain sections or pages of a website.

Also, people ask

• Expandable question boxes with related questions and responses based on the initial search query. Answers may link to the exact same domain or a different one.

Rich snippets

• These results, also known as “rich” results, look similar to the traditional search results, but they display additional information such as star ratings or pricing. They provide users with more context.

Review

• Users can see ratings and reviews alongside business listings to get a better understanding of how the public rates the quality of a product or service.

These SERP features may appear more frequently for some users, but their availability depends on the location of the user, his search query, and device.

Some results, such as job listings, event listings, or flight and hotel listings, are only available for certain types of searches.

Optimizing SEO content to feature snippets

Featured Snippets is one of the most popular and requested SERP features. They usually consist of three major components:

• Title.
• Content snippet
• URL source.

The title is a short summary of the information. Meanwhile, the content snippet gives a quick answer to the user’s question. The URL source is the website that the information was pulled from.

It is important to provide concise and well-structured content that answers common user questions.

If your website contains cooking recipes, for example, you could structure the content with step-by-step directions or bulleted lists to answer questions quickly.

You can increase your chances of being featured in snippets by optimizing certain elements on the page.

Optimize your headings and subtitles so that they clearly indicate which sections contain the answer to the question.

Answer the question in the first sentence.

Consider using AI tools such as ChatGPT and Google Bard for creating optimized content.

Schema.org is a great way to provide your content with context for search engines and improve its visibility.

Consider the following steps to improve your chances of appearing in snippets:

• Create content that addresses the most common questions users have in your niche or industry.
• Focus on keywords with long tails and questions which are more likely than short-tail keywords to trigger featured snippets.
• Search results for mobile devices often feature featured snippets.
• Use visual elements such as images, charts or infographics to enhance your content.

Google Local Packs: Boost your local SEO

Think about the last time that you used the phrase “near-me” in a Google search.

If you own a business, whether it’s a restaurant or retail store, professional service, or if you are a professional, you can optimize your online presence to be found by local customers.

Many organizations overlook the importance of local SEO as part of their overall strategy. Nearly 98% of users search Google for local business information.

It is important to understand the basic features of Google Local Pack.

You should fill out as many fields as possible in your Google My Business account to ensure visibility on Google’s local packs.

Do not forget to update your information, such as the address, telephone number, operating hours, and website.

To optimize your website’s on-page content for local searches, you should conduct a thorough keyword search that includes location specific keywords.

If you own a coffee shop near Seattle, for example, use keywords such as “best coffee shops around Seattle” or “coffee nearby.”

Google will likely place your business at the top of search results for those who have enabled location targeting.

Include these keywords in your meta tags and headings. Also, include them naturally within the content of your URLs.

Create landing pages and blog posts for your local area that include information about the business, including nearby events or attractions.

It is important to consider the geographic region when targeting a chain or brand with multiple locations.

Knowledge panels can provide rich and detailed results

Knowledge Panels Rich results and SERP features such as rich results provide detailed information about a brand, person or topic directly on the search results page.

These pages provide a quick snapshot of important details such as a entity description, its website, social media profiles and notable achievements.

Appearing in these results can increase your brand’s credibility, as it shows users that you are an expert, have authority and are trustworthy.

Start by providing accurate and comprehensive information about the entity or topic you wish to optimize for rich results and knowledge panels.

EAT will be expanded to in December 2022. This will allow for an additional “E” when it comes to experience.

Content written by a person with first-hand experience has a higher chance of ranking. Specialize in topics that you or your team have real-world knowledge of.

Entity descriptions that are concise and compelling, and highlight your core expertise and unique selling points are more likely to be featured.

Structured data markup is also crucial for enhancing the visibility of your website’s content in knowledge panels and rich search results.

This code provides additional context that helps search engines understand your information and present it in a meaningful and visually appealing manner.

In order to earn and maintain knowledge panel inclusion, you must be proactive and have the support of your audience and customers. Here are some ideas to consider:

• Encourage your organization to be mentioned and linked to by reputable sources in order to increase your online presence. This will also increase your chances of being included on the knowledge panel.
• Manage and respond to feedback and reviews from customers.
• Update and expand the information about your business to ensure that search engines have access to all relevant details.
• Check your knowledge panel frequently to make sure it is accurate and correct any errors or updates.

Visual SERP features: Image packs and video carousels

Sometimes an article is only as good as it gets when it comes to certain types content.

Google prioritizes the use of video carousels and image packs for queries that would benefit from a more visual explanation.

Images, videos and carousels are all elements that can enhance the visibility of your content and increase click-through rates. They also provide a more attractive experience for your site visitors.

The use of high-quality videos and images that are relevant to your content will encourage users to spend more time on your site.

It is important to consider the following factors when optimizing multimedia content for Google’s visual SERP features:

Pictures

Compress images for faster loading without compromising on quality. Use descriptive filenames, alt tags and captions.

Google recommends to only use visual content that is relevant to the topic of the page and does not include any text.

When page headings or menu items are placed inside images, they become inaccessible for some users. This includes those who use assistive reading devices.

Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design also require alt text for images and captions for images.

Video

Consider how the video will appear in search results when optimizing video titles, tags, and descriptions. Also, create a video thumbnail that is compelling.

You can also increase your visibility by hosting videos on platforms such as YouTube or Vimeo.

Implement structured data markup such as VideoObject Schema to give search engines detailed information. This will increase the chances of your video being featured in rich video snippets and video carousels.

Google Bard and AI: preparing for future SERP features

How will Google Search be next year? What will Google search look like in five years? Ten?

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai stated that the experience of ” ” will change substantially over the next decade, which users can already see through the introduction of Google Bard as well as the rapidly evolving worlds of large language models (LLMs) and generative AI.

Google’s conversational AI Bard is a new product that competes with ChatGPT.

Bard Answers can display maps, search and Knowledge Panels and even local results.

It’s almost inevitable that chatbot experiences make their way to Google Search.

SEOs will continue to monitor the impact of the Google Ads on organic traffic to websites and brands.

Publishers who rely on revenue models based on advertising and subscriptions have expressed concerns regarding chatbots’ and AI’s ability to gather and summarize information, without the user having to click through.

The ad revenue model looks particularly vulnerable when you consider Bard’s inability to date to cite and source third-party material.

The more questions AI-powered platforms are able to answer directly using a wide range of sources, then the less likely it is that users will visit publisher websites which may or not contain the information they need.

Google has now reaffirmed its commitment to improve the user experience, while also supporting publishers who rely on search-related advertising revenues.

The long-term effects of AI are yet to be determined.

SEO professionals must keep up with the changes in the search experience, and their impact on the performance of organic and paid channels.

Google clarified that bard is not Search but that the two experiences will become more similar as AI-powered features begin to be introduced.

Google has added new features to its search engine results pages, including Perspectives which lets users dive deeper into the creators’ experiences and a markup that allows site owners to tag their images as AI generated .

The Search Generative Experience will be introduced in May 2023.

AI-powered SERP answers from SGE will appear like the existing SERP features above the first organic SERP result.

Users can choose to expand the boxed answer by clicking on a link that takes them directly to the source website.

Users can also converse with each other and provide additional information. The context is carried from one question to the next.

Google SGE provides a unique search experience that builds upon the familiar ways in which searchers interact with the platform.

SEOs need to monitor their performance and plan accordingly for any positive or negative impacts as the feature is rolled out to the public.

The SGE, if properly optimized, could increase the number of site visits, just like featured snippets.

The AI debate is similar to the debate that occurred when featured excerpts were first introduced.

Publishers and brands need to be cautious when dealing with Google features that keep users in the Google ecosystem.

It would still be prudent to test the capability of presenting before a new audience, especially given the stage at which technology is currently developing.

This is especially relevant for businesses that operate in ecommerce. Google’s SGE aggregates 35 billion product listings via the Google Shopping graph, providing a powerful way to reach new consumer bases.

Google SERP Features Today and Beyond

SEO is evolving rapidly and SERP features are becoming more important for improving user experience.

To maximize visibility and reach our audience, we must optimize and adapt our strategies.

Plan your strategy for the existing SERP features now to maximize organic presence. This is also a good way to stay ahead of future advances in AI and conversational technologies.

Keep an eye on the impact that AI-powered responses have on organic traffic.

In a digital world that is constantly evolving, it will be important to embrace the future of AI technology and conversational technologies to stay competitive.

The first to publish the post Optimize your content strategy on Google SERPs was Search Engineland.