Featured Snippet
The answer box that appears above organic results for some queries.
A featured snippet is a highlighted text excerpt, list, or table Google displays at the top of the SERP (often called 'position zero') directly answering the query. Featured snippets drive higher CTR than standard position-1 listings for informational queries.
Context
Featured snippets are typically drawn from pages ranking in the top 10, though Google often selects a page ranked 3rd–5th over the page ranked 1st if the selected page has cleaner answer structure.
The content shape Google rewards for featured snippets: a direct 40–60 word answer immediately following the H2/H3 that matches the query, with optional supporting context afterward. Lists and tables are preferred for enumerable queries.
A query 'how long does SEO take to work' that returns a featured snippet is most often pulled from a page that opens with 'SEO typically shows meaningful results in 4–6 months…' — a direct answer in the first sentence of the relevant section.
AI Overviews are reducing featured snippet impressions. Google often replaces the snippet with an AI Overview for the same queries. Optimizing for both is similar work — answer-first, structured, sourced.
Related terms
Services that apply this
More SEO terms
LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)
How fast the main content becomes visible on a page.
CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift)
How much the page jumps around during load.
INP (Interaction to Next Paint)
How fast the page responds to clicks and taps.
Core Web Vitals
Google's three-metric measure of page experience: speed, responsiveness, and stability.