Have you ever looked at a Google search results page and noticed that there is a result that appears before the first result? It is not part of the ranked results, yet it is. This is what is called position zero. Position zero is commonly referred to as a featured snippet. As far as SEO results are concerned, it is not part of the positions that are counted in a search engine results page (SERP). Position zero is a coveted position that you should aim for when you are trying to increase your online reputation.
What Is A Featured Snippet?
Featured snippets are answers that show up directly in indexed lists and are pulled from significant sites. Within the snippet, you will find a summary and the details of the web page where the information is being provided, including the URL. As you can see, these snippets are a very desirable position.
For example, let’s assume that your page is ranked in the first position. This is a result of many hours of dedication by you or your SEO/ORM team. Let’s further assume that your page answers a specific question that many users are looking to find. If you provide an answer concisely, you can sometimes be rewarded with a featured snippet.
I like to commonly refer to this as being the King and Queen at the same time. Since most users are only interested in the first few results, this featured snippet will grant you a lot more traffic. While it is in the top position, it should never be seen as the first result. That is why those of us in the SEO/ORM field refer to it as position zero. It is our way of saying that it is not something you can automatically get. Instead, it is a gift from search pages for doing a lot of hard work.
Two Become One
An important thing to note is that you can no longer have two results for the same page anymore. While you used to hold the featured snippet and rank one position, it is no longer possible with recent changes from Google. Since there is so much competition for the top ten spots, they felt it would be unfair to provide websites with multiple results. Whenever a search result is to return two identical results, it will lean to providing a featured snippet rather than a rank one result.
Voice Search
Many search engines are leaning heavily on web designers to integrate voice search in their websites. This is a result of many teenagers and young adults relying on voice search rather than typing. I would say that since the release of the voice search devices like Echo and Google Home, and Apple HomePod, it has become even more mandatory to do this. Many SEO and ORM companies estimate that more than half of the searches done today are via voice search instead of typed in by any keyboard (computer or smartphone).
Even before voice search was popular, Google became a household name that was the go-to search engine to find anything you wanted on the internet. Now that Google has introduced their “Knowledge Graph” that understands how people, places, and things are connected, it has made voice search the dominant application of searching the internet.
All Organic
In case you were wondering, all of Google’s results are entirely organic. That means they take into account your past searches as well as millions of other user’s searches. The more often a website is clicked on for the answer to a query, the more popular Google views it. After a specific amount of time, it is considered the “right answer” to questions that users have. Below, you will find a few things that play into what makes a web page earn position zero.
- First page results – If you ever want to end up in the featured snippet, you must have a result on the first page of Google. It does not mean that you have to hold the top position, but you should at least be in the top five positions if you expect to have a chance.
- Relevant information – The answers that you provide on your page must be the correct answers. It will also help if the information on your page is all connected to the search term overall. Meaning, you can’t provide answers to questions outside your area of expertise – even if they are the right answers.
- Formatting matters – If you format your content that asks a question and directly provides a correct answer, or if you have a table of information with an associated problem, you are more likely to be granted a featured snippet.
That “People Also Asked” Box
Sometimes you may not see the featured snippet, but you will see a box that shows, “People also asked.” While it is not a featured snippet, it is, in fact, position zero as well. Unlike any other position, you can have two position zeroes on one page. This is the only instance in which that can happen. Anything that appears before or after the search results is considered position zero. The only exceptions being paid advertisements.
Coveted Position
No matter how you slice it, position zero is the position in which you should be aiming. While you cannot do a lot to influence that position, you can have it granted to you. Should you find yourself in position zero at any point, you should give yourself a pat on the back for a lot of hard work. Position zero is not something that comes very quickly. I am not saying that position one is anything to be ashamed of, as that is a lot of hard work, as well. You know that you have finally achieved what very few have when you see your website proudly displayed above any other search on the search engine results page. I wish you the best of luck in achieving this very in-demand position.