What is a featured snippet?
SEO Definition and Examples
A featured snippet is the box above Google's organic results — "Position 0" — showing a direct answer to a question, extracted from an indexed page.
Full Definition: What is a featured snippet
A featured snippet is a special box Google displays at the top of the SERP, above all organic results. Google automatically extracts it from one of the indexed pages that best answers the user's query. There are 3 types: paragraph (the most common), numbered or bulleted list, and table. The page providing the content gets a major visibility advantage — even if it is not in the #1 organic spot.
Why Does Featured Snippet Matter for SEO?
Pages with a featured snippet get on average 8.6% extra CTR compared to the #1 organic spot without a snippet (SEMrush 2023 study). LLMs (ChatGPT, Perplexity) frequently cite from pages that win featured snippets — so optimizing for the snippet also optimizes for AI.
Source: Google Search Central — Featured SnippetsWhy AI optimization (GEO) matters
of Google searches already show an AI Overview.
BrightEdge, 2025
higher chance of being cited by AI engines when you add sourced statistics.
visibility lift in AI answers for lower-ranked pages that cite sources.
Frequently Asked Questions about Featured Snippet
Related Terms
SERP (Search Engine Results Page)
BeginnerThe SERP is the results page Google shows after a search, including organic results, paid ads, featured snippets, the Local Pack and other special formats.
E-E-A-T
IntermediateE-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is the framework Google uses to assess the credibility and quality of a site's content.
LLM SEO
AdvancedLLM SEO (or GEO) is optimizing content to be cited or recommended by AI models like ChatGPT, Perplexity or Google AI Overviews.
Schema Markup (Structured Data)
AdvancedSchema markup is structured data in JSON-LD format added to a page's HTML that helps Google and LLMs understand the context and type of the content.
Put Featured Snippet into practice
Explore how to apply this concept to your industry and city.
