So, what is a snippet? A snippet is one result on a search engine result page (SERP) consisting of the title, URL, and brief description of a business website that satisfies search terms entered into a search engine by a consumer. Snippets are produced for the consumer as the search engine uses an algorithm to find websites related to that search query; those with content that matches those terms closely are shown at or near the top of the SERP. Keywords from the query are highlighted in the snippet description to show relevance.
There are two main types of snippets. One type is known as rich snippets, which are basic snippets with some extra valuable information (e.g. product/service details, reviews, etc.). Rich snippets display the additional information only for webpages that include certain types of information as well as showing them only on certain digital devices (e.g. computers vs. smartphones vs. tablets, etc.). Rich snippets push business websites to higher ranks in search results, but the content of the snippet is the key to encouraging consumers to click through to the website itself—optimizing the snippet with details most people want and using clear and concise writing for descriptions is crucial.
Another type of snippet that is useful in digital marketing campaigns is featured snippets. These results appear at the top of the SERP ahead of all other organic search results in special boxes with the description shown first, before the title and URL of the website. Featured snippets include content that best addresses a consumer’s specific query within its content. Featured snippets efficiently drive traffic to a website, making them vital elements of an effective digital marketing strategy.
The snippet is one of the most valuable ingredients of a digital marketing recipe. These bite-sized business builders play a significant role in search engine ranking and the conversion of consumers to customers by enticing and encouraging them to visit your business website from the moment they sit down at the search engine table. It increases your click-through rate which demonstrates to Google and other search engines that your website is highly competitive with other websites because it contains some of the most relevant data about a given set of products/services for which consumers search online.
Do you want to make effective use of digital marketing tools like snippets to boost online business traffic for your company? Eye See You Now, an Austin, Texas-based SEO company, can help with that and with all your SEO, web design, marketing, and social media needs. The ESYN team is ready and waiting to assist you, so do not hesitate to contact the professional SEO experts for a free consultation.
