Full Definition
A featured snippet is a special search result format where Google extracts a direct answer from a web page and displays it in a box at the very top of the results page — above the standard #1 organic result. It is often called 'position zero' because it sits above position 1. Featured snippets come in several formats: - **Paragraph**: A brief text answer (most common for 'what is' and 'how' questions) - **List**: Numbered or bulleted steps (common for processes and how-tos) - **Table**: Side-by-side comparisons of data - **Video**: A timestamped video clip that answers the query Why they matter: Studies show featured snippets capture between 35% and 50% of all clicks for those queries — often leaving the #1 organic result with fewer clicks than it would otherwise get. For voice search (Google Assistant, Siri), the featured snippet is almost always the only result read aloud. You don't need to rank #1 to win a snippet — pages ranking as low as #5 have been pulled up. What matters is that your content provides a clean, direct answer in the right format. To target featured snippets: identify 'what is,' 'how to,' and 'best way to' questions in your industry, write a concise answer in 40–60 words directly after the question heading, and use lists or tables where appropriate. Actionable tip: Find questions your competitors are winning featured snippets for using Semrush's 'Organic Research' > 'SERP Features' filter. Those are your stealing opportunities.