How Can I Get to Position Zero on Google
It comes as no surprise that one of the main ways to increase traffic to your website is through ranking well on Google. But these days, there is another way to be featured above other sites on a quick Google search, and this is through featured snippets, otherwise known as “position zero.”
Right now, approximately 12% of Google’s content has featured snippets. Unfortunately, there can only be one victor of the featured snippet. Therefore, gaining position zero may take a little bit of work, but it is possible.
Below we will cover five of the best ways to help you achieve position zero, and therefore, be the leading business for information in your niche.
1.) Do Your Research
The first step is to simply research keywords in your niche. See what comes up and look into what potential clients may be asking. Then, begin to brainstorm what pieces of information your business could offer to answer these commonly asked questions.
Also, since snippets are likely to feature websites that are already high in rank, it is beneficial to look at the top ranking sites first. Analyze your competition and invest in tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to learn which search engine terms have the most snippet potential.
Lastly, look over the quick answer section, or the “People Also Ask” section, to see what other questions are being asked in relation to the featured snippet. These may contain questions that you can include answers for as well, making your answer the most efficient in Google’s eyes.
2.) Check Out Competitors
As we mentioned above, it’s important to check out the competition in addition to your initial research. Although it’s known that the higher your page ranks on Google, the higher your likelihood of gaining position zero is, sometimes a competitor ranking lower than you can still be the winner of the featured snippet.
How can this happen? Because Google may decide that their content contains a better answer to the searcher’s question than yours. This is an opportunity to take the time to analyze and compare answers to others’ sites, and work towards improving your own content in all the right ways.
3.) Use Similar Formats
Once you’ve analyzed your competitor’s featured snippet, it’s time to improve your own answer, but still use the same format that is currently featured.
In position zero, Google offers three formats of information: paragraphs, lists, and tables. You will want to ensure that you are using the same schema as the leading result because Google has already decided that this specific format helps a searcher understand the answer the best.
Depending on what the currently featured snippet shows, you may want to optimize your content into a numbered format, a table or add keywords with strategically placed headings.
4.) Content Matters
Don’t get lost in the competition by ignoring your purpose for writing. Remember that the goal is to write helpful, relevant content. Having a strong content marketing strategy matters, as your website will gain a reputation based on how useful and insightful your content is.
The best way to ensure that your website ranks well is to write content that is engaging and will bring traction to your website. Once your website ranks well, your opportunity to reach position zero increases significantly.
5.) Recognize What Works
Once you begin to see your content ranking higher on the Google search engine and eventually become a featured snippet, you can continue to optimize your answers to potential questions your customers and clients are asking. Over time you will begin to notice trends of what works and what doesn’t, allowing you to have a better chance of reaching position zero more than once!
Final Thoughts
Remember that just because you gain position zero does not always mean you will be able to retain it. This means it’s important that you and your team continue to readdress these steps to ensure that your website follows the trends of the ever-changing algorithms.
Always be looking for new ways to improve the quality of your answers, and be willing to evolve and grow with Google and your audience. This will help you build a solid reputation among current and potential clients, and ultimately lead to more traction to your site long-term.