You’ve seen more and more methods for ranking #0 in search results lately, right? You’ve likely seen the People Also Ask (Related Questions) boxes – the accordion-like question and answer boxes are Google search result pages (SERPs). Introducing why Featured Snippets are an important part of SEO and digital marketing and how you can appear in them to drive increased traffic to your site.

1. Fernando Angulo
HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS
SEMRUSH
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS ~ SEPTEMBER 12 - 13, 2019
DIGIMARCONEUROPE.COM | #DigiMarConEurope
DIGIMARCONNETHERLANDS.NL | #DigiMarConNetherlands
KEYNOTE How to rank higher than
No. 1 on Google:
A SERP features story.

2. 2
HOW TO RANK HIGHER
THAN #1 IN GOOGLE

3. @Fernando1Angulo @SEMrush_es

4. 2
6 offices 700+ employees 10 years
143 regional
databases
4,000,000+
users
clients in
150 countries
SEMrush

5. 6 offices 700+ employees 10 years
142 regional
databases
4,000,000+
users
clients in
190+
countries
SEMrush

6. 2
6 offices 700+ employees 10 years
142 regional
databases
4,000,000+
users
clients in
190+
countries
SEMrush

9. SERPs results has changed

10. 10Content
@fernando1angulo

11. 11
SERPs in 2019Content
@fernando1angulo

12. 12
Content people usually searchContent
@fernando1angulo

13. How to optimize content
for being better than #1?
42

14. We analyzed...
featured
snippets
keywords
6.9 million 80 million
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

15. We analyzed...
featured
snippets
keywords
6.9 million 80 million
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

16. Why do Featured
Snippets Matter?

17. More Traffic
Increased CTR
More Revenue
Used for Voice
Search
Why do Featured
Snippets Matter?
$
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

18. More Traffic
Increased CTR
More Revenue
Used for Voice
Search
Why do Featured
Snippets Matter?
$
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

19. More Traffic
Increased CTR
More Revenue
Used for Voice
Search
Why do Featured
Snippets Matter?
$
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

20. More Traffic
Increased CTR
More Revenue
Used for Voice
Search
Why do Featured
Snippets Matter?
$
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

21. 21

22. 22

23. 23

24. 24

25. 25

26. 26

27. 27

28. 28

29. 29

30. 30

31. 31

32. 32

33. 33

34. 34

35. Understanding
Featured Snippets

36. 36
Paragraph
Featured Snippets
Understanding
Featured Snippets What are they?
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

37. 37Understanding
Featured Snippets
List
Featured Snippets
What are they?
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

38. 38
What are they?
Table
Featured Snippets
Understanding
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

39. 39
What Types of Keywords
have Featured Snippets?
Understanding
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

40. 40Understanding
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

41. 41
Question Featured Snippets
Understanding
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

42. 42
Questions
Snippets
“How to” keywords are fantastic
at earning featured snippet lists.
Understanding
Featured Snippets

43. 43
41% of
questions
have featured
snippets.
Understanding
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

44. 44
Preposition Featured Snippets
Understanding
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

45. Preposition
Snippets
45
Prepositions are a great opportunity
to optimize ordered and unordered
lists.
Understanding
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

46. Preposition
Snippets
46Understanding
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

47. 47
Comparison Featured Snippets
Understanding
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

48. Comparison
Snippets
48
Pricing keywords are the type of end-
of-buying-cycle keywords that tend
to have high conversions.
Understanding
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

49. Comparison
Snippets
49Understanding
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

50. Formatting for
Featured Snippets

51. 51Formatting your
Featured Snippets
How much content should
you write?
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

52. 52
Create paragraphs in
the 40–60-word range.
Be succinct
Avoid giant walls of
text.
Formatting your
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

53. 53
Headers and subheaders
are used on average in
top performers.
22
Formatting your
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

54. 54
of URLs are
secure (HTTPS).83%
Formatting your
Featured Snippets

55. 55
The average Flesch-
Kincaid reading level was
7th grade.
Formatting your
Featured Snippets

56. 56
On average, we
found 12 images with
ALT text
Earth seen from outer space
Earth seen from
outer space
Formatting your
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

57. 57
On average, we found 33
external link citations.
Formatting your
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

58. List
Snippets
58
You need to give the user a
reason to click through to your site.
Formatting your
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

59. 59
Create lists with more
than 8 items.
Use longer lists so
Google is forced to
truncate the results.
Formatting your
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

60. Table
Snippets
60
Focus on end-of-buying-cycle
keywords, such as price.
Formatting your
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

61. Table
Snippets
61
Create tables that Google will
truncate.
Use more than 5 rows or 7
columns to achieve truncation
and encourage engagement.
Formatting your
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

62. Images in
Featured
Snippets
62
Use landscape images
Formatting your
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

63. 63Formatting your
Featured Snippets Cheat Sheet
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

64. What is PAA?

65. PAA is not
Featured Snippet

66. PAA is not
“Searches related” at the SERP bottom
7

67. PEOPLE ALSO ASK =
Other questions asked
8

68. 9
▪ 1M KW analysed
▪ 80,231 with PAA -> 8.08%
80K
with PAA
8.08%
with PAA
Netherlands
Percentage of PAAs

69. 18
Search volume and PAA presence on the SERP
Netherlands

70. 25
PAA AnatomySERP functionality anatomy

71. PAA results format
● PARAGRAPH – 50.70% (40 679 PAA)
● LIST – 40.72% (32 671 PAA)
● TABLE – 8.58% (6881 PAA)
54.74
%
PAA paragraphe
50.70%
PAA Paragraph
40.72%
PAA List
26
Netherlands

72. 34#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

73. PAA SERP Presence: Desktop & Mobile
35#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

74. PAA Results
Appear more often
in mobile
PAA Results
Increase chances of
getting clicks and
higher CTR
PAA Results
Take up much
screen space
PAA in Mobile
36#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

75. Too often forgotten:
Google displays topics of related Featured Snippets in the "People Also Ask" box. So you
can gain a lot more visibility.
37#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

76. PAA in the presence of other SERP features
38#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

77. PAA in the presence of other SERP features
39#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

78. PAA in the presence of other SERP features
40#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

79. Positions of the sites presented in the PAA box
● ~ 73% of PAA don’t rank in
organic results by the keywords
examined
● ~ 2.5% of PAA come from
position 5-9
● ~ 5% of PAAs are generated
from positions 10-20
● ~ 12% sites with outside the
TOP 20 position appear in PA
The page does
not appear in
the organic
results by the
keywords
examined
Suddenly... everyone
has a chance :)
41#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

80. Positions of the sites presented in the PAA box
● ~ 80% of PAA don’t rank in
organic results by the keywords
examined
● ~ 2.3% of PAA come from
position 5-9
● ~ 4.3% of PAAs are generated
from positions 10-20
● ~ 8.2% sites with outside the
TOP 20 position appear in PA
The page does
not appear in
the organic
results by the
keywords
examined
41
Suddenly... everyone
has a chance :)
Mostly in mobile
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

81. How to benefit?
Ways to optimize Content for Featured Snippets and expand PPA score
42

82. 82
Identify the Right
Keywords
How to Earn
Featured Snippets
1.
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

83. Keywords that
already have a
featured snippet
83How to Earn
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

84. Keywords where
your
COMPETITORS
have a featured
snippet
84How to Earn
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

85. Keywords where
you’re ranking in
the top 5 can be
used to earn
featured snippets.
85How to Earn
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

86. 86
Format your Content for
Featured Snippets2.
How to Earn
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

87. Use Lists, Tables,
and Images
(correctly sized)
87How to Earn
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

88. 88
Turn your Authoritative Pages
into Featured Snippet Hubs3.
How to Earn
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

89. Upgrade &
Optimize your
Top Authority
Pages
89How to Earn
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

90. 90
Link to your Target Pages
4.
How to Earn
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

91. Maximize Internal
Links with
Hub & Spoke
Model
91How to Earn
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

92. 92
Amplify for Social Signals
5.
How to Earn
Featured Snippets

93. Use Blogger & PR
outreach to
increase external
social sharing
and links to your
target pages
93How to Earn
Featured Snippets
#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

94. How do I know if a site has Serp Features?
43#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

95. How do I know if a site has Serp Features?
Check the SERP
44#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

96. Find ideas
46#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

97. Find ideas
Questions
47#DIGIMARCON @fernando1angulo

98. 98
TAKEAWAYS
Don’t Be Afraid to Update Your Clients Old Content
Interlink pages on your Client's Web Site to Boost them
Put Your Client's Content on Slideshare and Quora
Turn Old Blog Posts into eBooks, Videos, Infographics
Optimize articles based on INTENT for each keyword
Keep updating evergreen articles at least quarterly
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

99. Thank You!Reach out if you have questions!
SEMrush.com
f.angulo@semrush.com
Fernando Angulo