Featured snippets come in a few common formats: paragraph snippets (a direct 2-3 sentence answer, common for definitional 'what is' queries), list snippets (ordered or unordered, common for 'how to' or 'best' queries), and table snippets (common for comparison or pricing data). A page generally has to already rank on page one to be eligible for the snippet slot, and winning it usually comes down to structuring the specific answer clearly — a direct, self-contained sentence or two right after a matching heading, formatted the way the answer type calls for (a numbered list for a how-to, a table for a comparison). Featured snippets have become less consistently valuable as AI Overviews have started answering some of the same queries directly, sometimes absorbing what used to be snippet-driving traffic, but they remain a meaningful visibility and CTR opportunity for many query types.
Example
A 'how to fix broken links' article restructures its intro with a clean numbered list of five steps immediately under the H1, winning the list-format featured snippet for that query within six weeks.
Related terms
Related terms
Related Reading
404 Error
A 404 error is the standard HTTP status code returned when a requested page doesn't exist on the server — the classic 'page not found' response.
A/B Testing (SEO)
A/B testing in SEO is the practice of showing two versions of a page element — usually a title tag, meta description, or on-page element — to see which one earns a better click-through rate or ranking outcome.
AI Citation
An AI citation happens when an AI assistant like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, or Gemini references or links to a specific page as the source for part of its answer.
