How to Optimize for Featured Snippets, PAA Boxes, & Voice Search

Back in the olden days of Google, search results pages used to be fairly boring with a standard format of a few paid ad results followed by ten organic blue links. Nowadays, the search results page is as predictable as Charleston weather in January.

If you haven’t already, you can read all about the crazy special features on Google in Chapter One of Hospitality SEO. 

This guide focuses on two of the most prominent special features – Featured Snippets and People Also Ask boxes. It also includes a section on optimizing for industry-related voice searches. 

The Featured Snippet

Featured snippets appear above all other organic search results on a search results page. Originally, when a webpage was in a featured snippet position, the page also appeared as a regular organic search result listing on page one of the search results page.

Now, pages that occupy a featured snippet position will no longer be repeated as an organic listing on page one. 

However, the featured snippet is counted as the #1 organic search result listing.

They are large and still take up more space than standard results. Optimizing for featured snippets gives content more visibility and online presence.

How to Optimize for the Featured Snippet

  1. Start by doing a Google search for your keyword. Does it include a FS? 
    • If yes, optimize your content for the FS by following steps 2-4 
    • If no, do any related keywords include a featured snippet?
      • If yes, follow steps 2-4 to optimize for that featured snippet
      • If no, move on to optimizing for PAA questions
  2. Determine what kind of featured snippet you’re going after. The two most common types of FSs are paragraphs and lists.
    • For the paragraph-style featured snippet:
      • Ask the question in your post (this could be a heading or subheading)
      • Immediately follow the question with a one-paragraph answer (aim for 45-95 words)
      • Elaborate further in the post
    • For list-style featured snippets:
      • Ask the question in your post (this could be a heading or subheading)
      • Organize the answers in a list format (aim for 4-8 items in your list)
      • Use bullets or numbers 
  3. In general, the best way to show up in a featured snippet is to structure your content in a way that Google could easily use it in the featured snippet. Write clearly & concisely. Omit unnecessary words. 

Note: If you’re updating a piece of content, see if it’s already ranking in any FSs! 

The People Also Ask Box

As of July, PAAs are present on 65% of all searches and on almost 94% of featured snippet SERPs. Optimizing for People Also Ask boxes provides the chance for your content to reach your target audience for highly competitive keywords without having to rank for the keyword itself. 

How to Optimize for the People Also Ask Box

  1. Do a Google search for your keyword. Does the search result include a PAA box?
    • If yes, make a list of 3-4 related questions to include in your blog 
    • If no, do any of your related keywords include PAA boxes? 
      • If yes, make a list of 3-4 related questions to include in your blog. Follow FS steps for how to optimize for each question
      • If no, find at least 1 related question that has a featured snippet & optimize for it within your content.
  2. Follow the FS steps for how to optimize for each question (essentially just providing a concise answer to each question). 
  3. Determine how you want to incorporate your Q&As in your content. These questions tell you what people are really asking about a topic, so they can used to help steer the direction of your content. Here are two potential format options: 
    • Sub-heading technique: List each question as a sub-heading within your content, and then provide the answers to each question underneath each sub-heading.
    • FAQ technique: Create an FAQ at the end of your piece of content that includes your related questions and answers.

Voice Search

Voice search is becoming increasingly popular due to smart devices like Alexa and Cortana. In the hospitality industry, voice searches like “hotels near” followed by a tourism hot spot are becoming more frequent. Travelers are using voice search to plan trips around certain activities. (Read more on Social Table)

How to Optimize for “Hotel near…” Voice Searches

  • If you are writing about a local attraction, include the “hotel near…” language in the post.
    • For example, Hotel Bella Grace is one block from Marion Square. If you were writing a blog about things to do in Charleston, downtown Charleston, or anything that mentions Marion square, add a line that says “Hotel Bella Grace is the best hotel near Marion Square because it’s only one block away. After exploring the Saturday Farmer’s Market, rest your feet on our breezy front porch.” 
  • Use “hotels near [attraction]” as the final subheading
  • Use in alt text if it makes sense 

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