Boost Your Google Traffic with a New SEO Technique

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. What is Snippet Bait?
3. Step 0: Rank on the First Page of Google
4. Step 1: Find Featured Snippet Opportunities
5. Step 2: Identify the Featured Snippet Type
6. Step 3: Create Your Snippet Bait
   • Definition Snippets
   • Table Snippets
   • Ordered List Snippets
   • Unordered List Snippets
7. Pros and Cons of Snippet Bait
8. Conclusion
9. Resources

Introduction

Are you struggling to get more Google traffic to your website? In this article, I'm going to introduce you to a new SEO technique called Snippet Bait that can help you increase your organic visitors and boost your click-through rates. This strategy has helped me take one of my pages from a mere five featured snippets to over 200, including some that bring in over 10,000 visitors per month. I'm Brian Dean, the founder of Backlinko, and I'll guide you through the entire SEO process, step by step.

What is Snippet Bait?

Snippet Bait is a specific content tactic designed to help your page rank in the featured snippet spot on Google. Featured snippets appear above the traditional first page results, making them highly visible and attracting more organic clicks. By implementing the Snippet Bait strategy, you can dramatically increase your chances of ranking as a featured snippet and driving more traffic to your website.

Step 0: Rank on the First Page of Google

Before diving into Snippet Bait, it's crucial to ensure that your page is already ranking on the first page of Google for a given keyword. Featured snippets typically come from pages that Google trusts, which means they are usually pulled from first-page results. If your page is not already on the first page, there is almost no chance of it being selected for the featured snippet. Therefore, focus on optimizing your page for better rankings before proceeding to Snippet Bait.

Step 1: Find Featured Snippet Opportunities

To start leveraging Snippet Bait, you need to identify keywords for which you already rank on Google's first page and have a featured snippet at the top of the page. These are the keywords with snippet opportunities that you can potentially target. Tools like Ahrefs AMAs can help you discover keywords where you rank and have a featured snippet in the search results. By identifying these opportunities, you can strategize and optimize your content accordingly.

Step 2: Identify the Featured Snippet Type

Once you've found a featured snippet opportunity, it's essential to understand the type of featured snippet you're looking at. There are four main types of featured snippets to keep an eye out for:

1. Definition Box: This snippet provides a concise definition or description directly to searchers.
2. Table: Google pulls data from a page and displays it as a table in this snippet.
3. Ordered List: This snippet presents a list of items or steps in a specific order.
4. Unordered List: Google presents a list of items that don't need to be in any particular order in this snippet. Identifying the type of featured snippet will help you tailor your snippet bait to increase your chances of ranking as a featured snippet for that specific type.

Step 3: Create Your Snippet Bait

Now that you've identified the featured snippet type, it's time to add snippet bait to your page. The approach for each type of featured snippet may vary. Let's explore how to create snippet bait for each type:

Definition Snippets

For definition snippets, provide Google with a short 40 to 60-word snippet of text directly usable in the featured snippet. It's helpful to have a clear definition heading like "What is X?" right above your definition. Make your content sound objective without including personal opinions. Aim for a dictionary-like definition that Google can pull and use for the featured snippet.

Table Snippets

To rank for table snippets, you need to add an actual table to your page using HTML and proper coding. Google tends to scrape tables that already exist rather than creating them from scattered data on a page. Make sure your HTML uses the table tag to present the data clearly, increasing the chances of Google recognizing and using it as a featured snippet.

Ordered List Snippets

To target ordered list snippets, structure your page so that specific steps or items are presented as subheadings (H2 or H3). Each step should be clearly defined and labeled using texts like "Step Number One" or "1." Consistency is key when presenting the order of your steps or items. Wrapping each step in an

tag will make it easier for Google to recognize and feature your content.

Unordered List Snippets

For unordered list snippets, consistency is still essential, although there is no specific order required. Wrap each item in an

tag to distinguish it from the rest of the content. Although the order doesn't matter, utilizing a consistent format will help Google understand the listed items better.

Pros and Cons of Snippet Bait

Pros:

• Increased visibility: Snippet Bait helps your content appear in the featured snippet spot, gaining more visibility and organic clicks.
• Higher click-through rates: Featured snippets attract users' attention and can lead to higher click-through rates compared to traditional search results.
• Increased authority: Being featured as a snippet gives the perception of being an authoritative source and can boost your website's credibility.

Cons:

• Uncertainty of appearance: Featured snippets are dynamic and can change over time due to Google algorithm changes. There is no guarantee that your content will always be featured.
• Competition: As more website owners strive to rank as featured snippets, the competition for these spots becomes more intense. It requires ongoing optimization efforts to maintain and improve your chances.

Conclusion

Snippet Bait is a powerful SEO strategy to increase your organic traffic by targeting featured snippets. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can find opportunities, identify the type of featured snippet, and create snippet bait that has a higher chance of ranking in the featured snippet spot. Remember to focus on ranking on the first page of Google before implementing Snippet Bait. With consistent effort and optimization, you can leverage featured snippets to gain more visibility and attract valuable traffic to your website.

Resources

• Ahrefs AMAs: [website URL]
• Backlinko: [website URL]

Highlights:

• Introducing Snippet Bait as a new SEO technique to get more Google traffic
• The importance of ranking on the first page of Google before targeting featured snippets
• Identifying and understanding the four main types of featured snippets
• Step-by-step guide on creating snippet bait for different types of featured snippets
• Pros and cons of using Snippet Bait as an SEO strategy