How to Optimise for Featured Snippets and Voice Search

The way users interact with search engines is changing.

Traditional keyword-based searches are no longer the sole focus for digital marketers. With the rise of voice assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant, as well as the increasing prominence of featured snippets on search engine results pages (SERPs), optimising for these emerging trends has become a top priority.

If you’re looking to position your content above the competition and take advantage of these opportunities, understanding how to optimise for featured snippets and voice search is essential. These two areas are interconnected, as voice assistants often pull their answers from featured snippets. In this article, we’ll explore how to target both effectively, improve your visibility, and ultimately drive more qualified traffic to your site.

Understanding Featured Snippets

Featured snippets, sometimes referred to as “position zero”, are selected search results that appear at the top of Google’s SERPs, just above the organic listings. These snippets aim to provide quick, concise answers to a user’s query, and are displayed in formats such as paragraphs, lists, tables, or videos.

They’re designed to improve the user experience by delivering instant information without requiring users to click through to a site – although many users do, making them a valuable SEO asset. Appearing in a featured snippet can significantly increase your organic click-through rate (CTR), boost brand visibility, and establish your website as an authority on the topic.

The Rise of Voice Search

Voice search is rapidly gaining traction. With the increasing use of smartphones, smart speakers, and IoT devices, people are now more inclined to speak to their devices rather than type. According to several studies, more than 50% of all searches are now voice-based. Users tend to use more conversational, long-tail queries when speaking, often seeking immediate, accurate, and brief responses.

Voice search queries often begin with phrases like:

• “How do I…”
• “What is the best way to…”
• “Why does…”
• “When did…”

These conversational queries tend to be answered by content featured in snippets. Thus, if you optimise for featured snippets, you’re simultaneously preparing your content for voice search.

Let’s now explore practical strategies to ensure your content is positioned for both featured snippets and voice search.

1. Start With Intent-Focused Keyword Research

Optimising for featured snippets and voice search begins with a deep understanding of search intent. You need to identify the types of questions your audience is asking and structure your content to answer those queries clearly and concisely.

Voice search tends to be more conversational and question-based. So, your keyword research should focus on natural language queries and question-based keywords. Tools such as AnswerThePublic, SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Google’s own “People Also Ask” section can be incredibly useful in generating ideas.

For instance, instead of targeting the short-tail keyword “SEO tips”, consider optimising for long-tail queries like “What are the best SEO tips for small businesses?” or “How can I improve my SEO ranking without a budget?”

When researching keywords, pay attention to:

• Question words: who, what, where, when, why, how
• Prepositions: for, with, without, near
• Comparisons: best, versus, compare, alternative
• Long-tail keywords: conversational phrases typically used in voice search

Focus your efforts on creating content that directly addresses these kinds of queries.

2. Use Clear and Structured Content Formatting

Search engines rely on well-organised content to identify potential featured snippet candidates. Therefore, content clarity, layout, and structure matter significantly.

Start by creating content that uses logical headers and subheaders (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to break up topics. This helps both users and search engines understand your content hierarchy. When answering specific questions, include the question itself in the header or subheading, followed by a short, precise answer directly below it.

Here are some structural tips:

• Use short paragraphs (2-4 lines)
• Keep sentences clear and to the point
• Use schema markup where appropriate
• Include FAQ sections where you answer user queries clearly
• Provide concise summaries of answers in the opening sentence

Google prefers to extract answers in snippet format when the content includes a direct response to a question, followed by supporting detail.

3. Create Content That Answers Questions Directly

The heart of both featured snippet and voice search optimisation lies in how well your content answers a question. Aim to provide the most succinct, informative response possible.

Here’s how you can structure your answers:

• Pose the question explicitly in the content (e.g., in a subheading)
• Immediately follow it with a direct answer (40–60 words is ideal for snippets)
• Expand on the answer with additional details, examples, or context

Let’s take an example:

H2: What is a featured snippet?

A featured snippet is a highlighted search result that appears at the top of Google’s results page. It is designed to provide a quick, direct answer to a user’s question. The snippet is often drawn from one of the top-ranking pages.

After that brief answer, you can continue to elaborate with more in-depth information, using relevant examples, statistics, and internal links to enhance user experience and authority.

4. Optimise for Paragraphs, Lists, and Tables

There are four main types of featured snippets:

• Paragraphs (most common)
• Numbered lists
• Bulleted lists
• Tables

If your content naturally lends itself to one of these formats, make sure it’s structured accordingly.

Paragraphs are best for definition-type queries like “What is digital marketing?” or “Why is sleep important?”

Lists are ideal for how-to queries such as “How to start a blog” or “Steps to change a tyre”. Number the steps and keep them simple.

Tables are useful when comparing data or providing statistics. For example, if you’re creating a page on tax rates or product comparisons, include the information in a clean HTML table.

Pro tip: You can review SERPs to identify which snippet type is currently being displayed for your target keywords, then mimic that format in your content.

5. Use Schema Markup for Enhanced Visibility

While schema markup is not a direct ranking factor, it helps search engines understand the content of your page more effectively, which can improve your chances of being selected for a featured snippet or shown as a rich result in voice responses.

Implementing structured data using FAQ schema, How-To schema, and Article schema can enhance your content’s visibility. It also boosts your content’s eligibility for appearance on Google Assistant results and smart devices.

There are many free schema generators available to help you create JSON-LD code, which you can then add to your website’s header or CMS.

6. Prioritise Mobile and Page Speed Optimisation

Since most voice searches are made on mobile devices, your site must be mobile-friendly and quick to load. Google’s mobile-first indexing means the mobile version of your site is the primary version used for indexing and ranking.

Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, and GTmetrix to identify speed issues and resolve them promptly. Compress images, use lazy loading, enable browser caching, and reduce server response times to ensure seamless access.

Also ensure:

• Your site is responsive
• Fonts are legible on smaller screens
• Buttons and links are easy to click
• Pop-ups don’t interfere with usability

Page experience directly influences bounce rates and user satisfaction – two factors indirectly affecting your ranking and snippet eligibility.

7. Improve E-A-T Signals (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)

Content that appears in featured snippets is often from sites that Google considers trustworthy and authoritative. Therefore, improving your E-A-T (a concept outlined in Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines) is critical.

Here’s how to strengthen E-A-T:

• Ensure author bios are present, showcasing qualifications or experience
• Link to reputable external sources to back up claims
• Include up-to-date statistics and data
• Maintain content accuracy and factual correctness
• Avoid thin content or keyword stuffing
• Regularly update your content to remain relevant

Building a strong brand, earning backlinks from reputable domains, and demonstrating topical authority within your niche will enhance your likelihood of being chosen for featured snippets and voice search results.

8. Create Dedicated FAQ Pages

FAQs are a powerful tool for voice search and snippet optimisation. They address specific user queries in a question-and-answer format, which aligns perfectly with how voice assistants operate.

When crafting FAQ content, use clear, concise language and aim for brevity in your answers. FAQs can be part of your main service pages or hosted on a standalone page. You can also embed FAQ schema to enhance their discoverability.

Include questions like:

• “How much does [your service] cost?”
• “What’s the difference between [product A] and [product B]?”
• “How long does delivery take?”

FAQs not only improve UX but also offer additional keyword targeting opportunities.

9. Refresh and Repurpose Old Content

Don’t overlook the potential of your existing content. Review high-performing articles and optimise them further for snippet and voice search opportunities.

Look for opportunities to:

• Add question-based subheadings
• Insert concise answer blocks
• Format content into numbered lists or tables
• Include relevant internal links to support context

You can also use tools like Google Search Console to identify which queries your pages are already ranking for, then tweak the content to better match search intent and structure it for snippet eligibility.

10. Monitor and Measure Results

As with all digital strategies, measurement is key. Use tools such as Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to monitor your featured snippet wins and voice search rankings.

Track metrics such as:

• Organic traffic uplift
• Bounce rates
• Average session duration
• CTR from SERPs
• Number of featured snippets held
• Ranking position for question-based keywords

Analyse which types of content are securing snippets and replicate that format across other pages. Continually refine your strategy to reflect user behaviour and algorithm updates.

Optimising for featured snippets and voice search is no longer optional – it’s essential for maintaining relevance and visibility in an increasingly voice-first world. By aligning your content with how people speak, structuring answers clearly, leveraging schema, and enhancing page experience, you’re not only improving your SEO – you’re future-proofing your digital presence.

It takes time, research, and consistent effort to win that coveted position zero, but the rewards – increased authority, traffic, and conversions – make it well worth the investment. Start small by identifying key questions your audience asks, and optimise your best-performing content. Over time, your site will become a go-to resource – not just for users, but for the algorithms that serve them.