What is Featured Snippet?
A featured snippet is the answer box Google shows at the top of the SERP ("position zero"), extracted from a page already ranking in the top 10. Formats include paragraph, list, table, and video. Winning one can 2-5x your CTR for the query.
How Featured Snippet works
- Snippets are extracted, not authored — Google pulls the passage it thinks best answers the query.
- Paragraph snippets favour 40-60 word answers directly under a question-formatted H2 or H3.
- List snippets favour clean <ol> or <ul> markup with 5-8 short items and no marketing filler.
- Table snippets need a real HTML <table> with a clear <thead> — CSS tables do not count.
- You can only win a snippet if you already rank in the top 10 — snippet optimisation is a rewrite tactic, not a fresh-content tactic.
Example
Search "how to disavow a backlink" and the paragraph snippet is a 55-word extract from a page ranking #4, not #1 — because the #1 buries its answer under 800 words of intro.
Run it on your own keyword
Pull the live top 10 and the SERP features currently showing for your keyword.
See who owns the snippetFrequently asked questions about Featured Snippet
What is the difference between a featured snippet and an AI Overview?
A snippet is a single extract from one page. An AI Overview is a generated summary blending 3-8 pages. Snippets have existed since 2014; AI Overviews launched in 2024.
How do I steal a competitor's featured snippet?
Rank in the top 10 for the query, mirror the winning snippet's format (paragraph vs list vs table), and give a tighter, more self-contained answer directly under an H2 that matches the query wording.
Does winning a featured snippet cannibalise my organic click?
Rarely for informational queries — CTR usually rises 2-5x. For transactional queries where the user needs your product, snippets can slightly reduce clicks but boost brand recall.
Related terms
AI Overview
An AI Overview is Google's generative answer that appears above the blue links for informational queries. Powered by Gemini, it summarises 3-8 cited sources into a synthesized answer, often with follow-up questions attached. AI Overviews now trigger on ~30% of US queries.
SERP Features
SERP features are the non-blue-link elements on a Google results page — AI Overviews, featured snippets, People Also Ask, image packs, video carousels, local packs, knowledge panels, shopping results, and site links. They now occupy 40-70% of a typical SERP and are ranked separately from organic blue links.
People Also Ask (PAA)
People Also Ask is Google's expandable question box on the SERP, showing 4 related questions with click-to-reveal answers. Each expanded question loads 2-4 more, so a single PAA box can surface 20+ questions. Winning a PAA slot drives clicks even from position 30+.
Schema Markup
Schema markup (structured data) is standardised JSON-LD you embed in your page's HTML to describe its content to search engines and LLMs — articles, FAQs, products, reviews, events, and more. It powers rich results in Google, better AI-Overview citations, and cleaner LLM answers.