AEO / Glossary / Featured Snippet
AEO Glossary
A featured snippet is a selected search result that Google displays at the top of the search results page (position zero) in a boxed format, showing a direct answer to the user's query along with the page title and URL. Featured snippets can be paragraph answers, numbered lists, bulleted lists, or tables.
Featured snippets are the predecessor to AI Overviews and AEO. The same content signals that earn featured snippets - concise direct answers to specific questions, structured formatting, clear H2/H3 headings, FAQ schema - are the same signals that earn AI citations. Brands with featured snippet coverage are typically also well-positioned for AI visibility.
Target featured snippets by: identifying question-format queries your audience asks, writing a concise (40-60 word) direct answer at the beginning of the relevant section, using the question as an H2/H3 heading, adding FAQPage schema, and structuring lists and tables with proper HTML markup. Check Google Search Console for queries where you appear in position 2-5 - these are prime featured snippet opportunities.
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