How to Track Featured Snippets Effectively in SEO

Tracking featured snippets effectively is crucial for SEO success. According to Google, featured snippets appear in 92% of all voice search results.

To start tracking featured snippets, you'll need to use the Google Search Console. This tool allows you to monitor your website's search engine rankings and track changes over time.

You can also use third-party tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to track your featured snippets. These tools provide more detailed insights and can help you identify opportunities to improve your snippet rankings.

Featured snippets hold a prime position on search results pages, often appearing above traditional organic listings. They aim to respond directly to user queries, driving increased visibility and clicks for a site.

Tracking featured snippet opportunities allows marketers to capture this valuable real estate on SERPs. Understanding how a site ranks within SERP features like featured snippets brings insights into audience needs and preferences.

Marketers can boost traffic, enhance brand authority, and create content that stands out on search pages by monitoring and optimizing for these snippets. This is especially true when specific queries trigger featured snippets.

Google Search Console doesn't do a great job of tracking featured snippets in a way that's client-friendly. A featured snippet tracker is essential for identifying whether a keyword ranks for a specific snippet position.

To set up for tracking featured snippets, you'll want to use a featured snippet tool. Semrush is a top solution, and at Oneupweb, it's our favorite solution. We use Semrush's Organic Research and Position Tracking tools to monitor our ranking, including position 0.

You can also use Ahrefs to track featured snippets, with two main options: Portfolios and Rank Tracker. Portfolios are best for tracking a few key snippets when starting out, while Rank Tracker is better for tracking snippets across your entire website.

Here are the basic steps to set up tracking with Ahrefs:

Setting up the snippet keywords table can be a bit of a challenge, but it's worth it to get the data you need. Oneupweb's favorite solution is to use the Semrush Analytics API documentation for Domain Organic Search Keywords (historical) to create a custom API key that pulls historical totals of “domain ranks for snippet” keywords.

You'll need to apply a 1,000-row limit to the API key to avoid excess costs if something doesn't work properly. This is what Oneupweb did when testing the API key.

To apply the API call to an Excel spreadsheet, you'll need to use an external data query. It's a bit of a process, but it works until Semrush provides a better way. And believe us, they're thinking about it!

Here are the basic steps to set up the snippet keywords table:

If you want to track your featured snippet rankings without breaking the bank, you can try a free approach using Google Search Console. Look at what you rank for in the top 10 positions, and narrow it down to the "snippet-y" ones – e.g., question and comparison keywords.

Using an incognito browser is a good way to check the SERP for keywords you're ranking for that are likely serving featured snippets. This will give you a sense of which keywords are worth targeting.

You can also use Moz's whiteboard video as a resource to learn more about analyzing featured snippets in the SERP.

To get a zoomed-out view of total keywords for which you have featured snippets, you can use an SEO research tool. However, if you want to track month-over-month progress for free, you can use Google Looker Studio.

To set this up, you'll need to export your data from an SEO tool as a CSV to prevent accidental API costs. Then, you can import the CSV into Google Looker Studio to create a table in your monthly reports.

Here's a step-by-step guide:

Using Excel instead of Google Sheets is a good idea, as it allows you to easily control how frequently you refresh the data.

Tracking featured snippets is a crucial step in understanding their impact on your website's traffic and visibility. You can use tools like Ahrefs and Semrush to track your featured snippets.

Ahrefs offers two ways to track featured snippets: Portfolios and Rank Tracker. Portfolios are best for tracking a few key snippets when starting out, while Rank Tracker is better for tracking snippets across every page of your website.

To create a Portfolio in Ahrefs, head to Portfolios in the dashboard, click + Create, and add the URLs you want to track. Portfolios enable you to track 100-1000 URLs from 10 different domains in a group, depending on your plan.

If you want to track your complete website, you'll need Rank Tracker. To add keywords directly to Rank Tracker, select the keywords you want to add, click + Add to and select Rank Tracker on the dropdown menu, and add to your Project.

Once you've added all the keywords, head over to Rank Tracker, click on SERP features, select Featured snippet, and hit Apply. This will give you a summary of SERP features you've won, including your featured snippets.

Here are the key tools for tracking featured snippets:

Tracking featured snippets can be done in various ways, and it's essential to choose the right tool for your needs. A good featured snippet tool will allow you to monitor your ranking and find opportunities to improve your content strategy.

To track your featured snippets, you can use solutions like Semrush, Ahrefs, or Rank Ranger. Semrush is a top solution, and at Oneupweb, it's their favorite tool for tracking snippet ranking data.

There are two ways to track featured snippets in Ahrefs: Portfolios and Rank Tracker. Portfolios are best for tracking a few key snippets when starting out, while Rank Tracker is better for tracking snippets across every page of your website.

Keeping your content concise is key to capturing featured snippets. Google often pulls concise snippets that answer questions quickly.

To achieve this, aim for answers that are ideally under 50 words. Crafting clear, authoritative answers improves your chances of capturing snippets.

Analyzing and reporting on featured snippets is a crucial step in optimizing your content strategy.

To get the most out of your analysis, you should examine snippets from multiple angles. This includes search volume, keyword relevance, and position stability.

Conducting a thorough analysis of featured snippets sets a strong foundation for effective SEO and advertising campaigns.

By examining these factors, you'll gain insights into content strategies that work and how featured snippets drive visibility and engagement.

At Oneupweb, we use Semrush to pull our featured snippet reports using the Semrush API.

Here are some key factors to consider when analyzing featured snippets:

Marketers who conduct a thorough analysis of featured snippets gain a competitive edge and can prioritize high-impact keywords and optimize for prime SERP placements.

A featured snippet example is a brief definition found by Googling "featured snippet", which is at the very top of the SERP and draws the eye of searchers, hugely increasing the chance that they'll click on that search result. In fact, a study found that featured snippets boost click-through rate (CTR) by a whopping 859%.

Featured snippets come in four main formats: paragraph snippets, list snippets, table snippets, or video snippets.

A featured snippet is a Google search result that provides a short answer to the user’s search query, in addition to the link to that answer’s source.

In fact, a study found that featured snippets boost click-through rate (CTR) by a whopping 859%, from 2.7% to 25.9%.

This brief answer box is called an "answer box" and is sometimes referred to as a featured snippet.

Featured snippets draw the eye of searchers, hugely increasing the chance that they’ll click on that search result.

Google bolds the most important part of the definition and highlights it in blue, making it stand out on the search engine results page.

Featured snippets come in four main formats: paragraph snippets, list snippets, table snippets, and video snippets. You're probably most familiar with paragraph snippets, which display concise text answers to questions.

About 70% of search snippets fall into the paragraph snippet category, making them the most common type. I've seen this firsthand when researching answers to specific questions online.

List snippets are another popular type, often used for "how-to" queries that require step-by-step instructions. They can be either ordered or unordered lists, making it easy to follow along.

Table snippets showcase data in an easy-to-read format, perfect for comparing statistics or information. This type of snippet is less common, but still worth optimizing for.

Video snippets are typically sourced from YouTube, and appear when video content best answers a query. This type of snippet is also relatively rare, but can be very effective in conveying information.

Here are the four main types of featured snippets, summarized:

To find featured snippets on your website, you can use Ahrefs. Enter a domain name in the search bar, go to the Organic keywords report, click on the SERP features filter, and select Featured snippet from the drop-down menu.

To find specific keywords that trigger a featured snippet result, add a Position filter from 1-1 and hit Apply. This will give you a list of keywords that trigger a featured snippet result for the top spot on your website.

You can also use Ahrefs to find keywords with prominent snippets by using the Site Explorer tool. To do this, start by entering a domain name in the search bar, go to the Organic keywords report, and click on the SERP features filter.

Select Featured snippet from the drop-down menu, and then add a Position filter from 2-5 to find top featured snippet opportunities. This will highlight keywords that you could possibly win from competitors.

It's often easier to start by winning lower Keyword difficulty (KD) keywords and then working your way up. To do this, add an additional filter that sets the KD from 1-10.

By using these tools and filters, you can find featured snippets on your website and identify opportunities to improve your content strategy.

Tracking featured snippets is crucial to understand their impact on your website's traffic. A good featured snippet tool will allow you to monitor your ranking and find opportunities to improve your content strategy.

There are top solutions for featured snippet tracking, including Semrush, Ahrefs, and Rank Ranger. At Oneupweb, Semrush is the preferred solution for monitoring snippet ranking data.

To track your featured snippets, you can use Portfolios in Ahrefs, which is best for tracking a few key snippets when starting out. Alternatively, you can use Rank Tracker, which is best for tracking snippets across every page of your website.

Here are the key features of Ahrefs' Portfolios and Rank Tracker:

Regularly checking snippet rankings highlights shifts or new opportunities to optimize content, ensuring it stays competitive on Google's search results.

Visualizing performance is key to understanding the impact of featured snippets on your website's traffic and engagement.

Using data visualizations can clarify wins in featured snippets, making it easier to track changes in snippet positions and their traffic impact.

Simple icons can be used to make data visualizations more accessible and intuitive.

Visuals can reveal the effect snippets have on search volume and engagement, making insights clearer for clients.

For example, using Google Looker Studio (free) can help create a featured snippet report that includes month-over-month featured snippet totals and individual snippet keywords each month.

Data visualizations can also help marketers prioritize high-impact keywords and optimize for prime SERP placements.

Google Search Results are a crucial part of the featured snippet tracking process. Featured snippets come in four main formats: paragraph, list, table, or video snippets.

These formats cater to different types of queries, such as questions, "how-to" instructions, comparisons, and video content. For example, list snippets are often used for "how-to" queries, offering step-by-step instructions or top recommendations.

Here are some common types of rich results that appear in Google Search Results:

These rich results can significantly boost visibility and better align content with user intent on search pages.

Featured snippets in Google's search results come in four main formats: a paragraph snippet, list snippet, table snippet, or video snippet.

Paragraph snippets display concise text answers to questions, often pulled from content with clear, direct responses.

List snippets, either ordered or unordered, are commonly used for “how-to” queries, offering step-by-step instructions or top recommendations.

Table featured snippets showcase data in an easy-to-read format, often for comparisons or statistics, allowing users to quickly digest structured information.

Video snippets, typically sourced from YouTube, appear when video content best answers a query.

People Also Ask boxes provide related questions and answers, helping users explore further topics.

Sitelinks offer quick navigation to specific sections of a website within the search result, improving usability.

Review snippets display ratings and feedback for products or services, adding credibility and influencing click-through rates.

To get your content featured as a Google snippet, you need to make it easy for Google to find. This can be achieved by using subheadings in your content.

Including direct questions in your content is another way to help Google recognize your snippet as relevant. GoCardless did this effectively in their featured snippet example for the search term "accounts payable vs. receivable."

Using both subheadings and questions in your content will increase the chances of your snippet being selected by Google. This is a simple yet effective strategy to improve your search engine rankings.