Featured Snippet

What It Is

A featured snippet is the short, boxed answer Google sometimes shows at the very top of search results, above the regular blue links. It pulls a sentence, paragraph, list, or table directly from a website and displays it with the page title and a link. People also call it position zero because it sits above what used to be the top spot.

Why It Matters

For a local service business, owning a featured snippet means your answer is the first thing a potential customer sees. Even if they do not click through, your business name and authority are stamped on the answer. With AI-powered search results pulling from similar sources, the same content that wins featured snippets often shows up in AI answer engines too.

Common Misconception

You do not have to rank number one to win a featured snippet. Pages from positions two through ten regularly get pulled into the snippet box if their content is structured clearly and answers the question directly.

FAQ

How do I get a featured snippet?

Write content that directly answers a specific question, in 40 to 60 words, near the top of the page. Use clear headings, lists, or tables when they fit. Make sure the page itself ranks on the first page of Google for that question.

Can a featured snippet hurt my traffic?

It can, sometimes. If Google answers the question completely in the box, fewer people click through. But for most local service queries, people still click to call, get directions, or read more, so the snippet is usually a net win.

Are featured snippets the same as AI Overviews?

No, but they are cousins. A featured snippet pulls from one page. An AI Overview blends information from several sources and writes a summary. Pages that win featured snippets tend to also get cited inside AI Overviews, so the work overlaps.