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Think for a minute. What is the sole purpose of a search engine? The goal of a search engine is to provide you, the user, with the most relevant and valuable information possible to help you make a decision or answer a question. Traditionally, that information is presented in a list of websites that the Google algorithm presents as the best information. Over the past few years, Google (and Bing) have wanted users to stick around. They’ve added reviews, business listings, and more “in-search” results. The purpose of this evolution is to provide you with the answer more expeditiously, without having to click out to a website.
Position 0 or #0
Now, optimizing for search is not just about being first in the results. It’s about being the answer. You have seen it over the past year or two, right? Google now provides “answers” at the top of the search results or “#0”.
Maybe you have been living under a proverbial rock and haven’t seen this. Well, see below for a Google answer about Batman. Why? Well, because it’s Batman.
Answers (or Featured Snippets)
These “answers” (#0) are actually called “Featured Snippets“. Featured Snippets give SEO a deeper level of optimization, bring increased value and trust to a brand/service, and have proven to increase CTR also known as click-through rates.
More importantly, they are the gateway to voice search and artificial intelligence (AI). The explosion of AI assistants and bots has made it more important than ever to adapt to how information is presented and found. Ask your Google assistant a question. Chances are it will show you an “answer”.
There are tools we can implement today that will get your site on the right path and ahead of the game. Rich snippets are nothing new, but fully utilizing them separates you from the pack.
(If you have a WordPress site, here are some great plug-ins that help with rich snippets.)
(If you have any questions, need help, or just don’t have the time to learn all of this, please contact Brasco ///)
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Be sure to check out next week’s blog on chatbots and how to utilize AI in your business!