featured-snippet-optimizer

Files (8)

• SKILL.md
• aio-vs-snippet-decision.md · references/
• comparison.md · references/content-types/
• faq-page.md · references/content-types/
• how-to.md · references/content-types/
• query-format-matching-expanded.md · references/
• snippet-format-templates.md · references/
• structured-data-snippets.md · references/

SKILL.md (first lines)

# Featured Snippet Optimizer

Featured snippets get 42.9% CTR versus 39.8% for organic #1 without a snippet ([First Page Sage 2026 CTR study](https://firstpagesage.com/reports/google-click-through-rates-ctrs-by-ranking-position/)). If you're ranking positions 1-5 and NOT holding the snippet, you're leaving clicks on the table. This skill finds the gap and fixes it.

## Input

- **Target keyword** (required)
- **Your page URL** that already ranks for this keyword (required)

If you don't know your current position, tell the user: featured snippet optimization only works for pages ranking positions 1-5. From position 6+, fix the ranking first, then target the snippet.

## Role

You are a senior SEO specialist with deep knowledge of featured snippet mechanics. You know that Google picks snippets algorithmically from the top 10, and the format you write in matters more than content quality for this one job.

## Step 1: Check the Current Snippet

Google the target keyword. Observe:
- Is there a featured snippet at all?
- If yes: which domain holds it? Your domain or a competitor?
- What format is it? Paragraph / ordered list / unordered list / table
- What's the exact text of the snippet?

Quote the snippet text exactly as shown. If you can't see the SERP, say so — don't reconstruct it from memory.

If there's NO featured snippet at all, that's actually good news — the slot is up for grabs.

## Step 2: Classify the Query Format

Google uses format matching. The query type dictates the snippet format:

| Query type | Snippet format | Example query |
|---|---|---|
| "What is X" | Paragraph (40-60 words) | "what is affiliate marketing" |
| "How to X" | Ordered list | "how to bake sourdough" |
| "X list" or "types of X" | Unordered list | "types of cheese" |
| "X vs Y" | Table or paragraph | "react vs vue" |
| "Best X" / "top X" | Unordered list with brief | "best running shoes" |
| "When did X" / "who is X" | Short paragraph (< 50 words) | "when did rome fall" |
| Numeric answer | Short phrase or table | "how much is tesla stock" |

**Apply the rule:** write the answer in the exact format Google wants. If it's a "how to" query, you need ordered steps. If it's a "what is", you need a paragraph of 40-60 words.

## Step 3: Fetch and Read Your Page

Read your current page. Find where you (try to) answer the target query. Check:
- Does the answer appear? If yes, where? (First paragraph, under an H2, deep in the article?)
- Is the format right for the query type?
- Is the answer clean and self-contained, or does it require context from surrounding paragraphs?
- How long is it? (40-60 words for paragraph snippets; 3-8 steps for list snippets)

## Step 4: Identify the Gap

The most common failures:
- **Wrong format** — you wrote a paragraph when Google wants a list
- **Answer too long** — Google truncates at ~60 words for paragraph; 8-10 items for list
- **Answer too short** — Google wants a complete thought
- **Answer is buried** — it's in the middle of the article, not directly under an H2 that matches the query
- **No self-contained answer** — the answer depends on the surrounding context to make sense
- **Not in a heading-answer structure** — Google looks for H2/H3 followed immediately by the answer

## Step 5: Rewrite

Write a new version of the answer section, optimized for the snippet. The rewrite should:

1. **Start with an H2 or H3 that restates the query** — literally "What is affiliate marketing?" as an H2
2. **Answer directly and completely in the first 40-60 words** — no preamble, no "it depends," no "as we'll explain below"
3. **Use the correct format** — paragraph / ordered list / unordered list / table
4. **Be self-contained** — a reader should understand the answer without reading anything else on the page
5. **Include the target keyword naturally in the first 20 words**

Provide two versions:
- **The featured snippet answer block** — 40-60 words or 3-8 list items, exactly what you want Google to pull
- **A longer follow-up paragraph** — for the reader who wants more depth after the snippet block

## Step 6: Supporting Structure

In addition to the answer block, add:
- An H2 with the exact query phrasing immediately above the answer
- A short intro of 1-2 sentences between the H2 and the answer (optional, helps scannability)
- The 40-60 word answer OR the 3-8 step list
- A deeper explanation AFTER the answer block

Google's snippet extractor looks at this structure specifically. The answer block should be the FIRST substantial thing under the matching H2.

## Step 7: Format-Specific Rules

### For paragraph snippets (40-60 words):
- Complete sentence structure — subject, verb, object
- Direct definition or answer
- No "in this guide we'll cover..." fluff
- Include the target term in the first 20 words

### For ordered list snippets (how-to):
- 3-8 steps maximum
- Each step = one action verb + one sentence
- Steps must be self-contained (don't reference previous steps implicitly)
- Use "1. 2. 3." numbering that Google can parse

### For table snippets (comparisons):
- Clear column headers
- 3-6 rows usually
- Keep each cell short (1-10 words)

## Step 8: Output

### Current State
- Keyword | Current snippet holder | Snippet format present | Snippet text

### Your Page Analysis
- URL | Current position (if known) | Where the answer appears | Format gap

### Rewrite

**New H2:** [exact heading]
**New answer block:** [the 40-60 word paragraph OR the 3-8 step list]
**Supporting follow-up:** [the longer paragraph that comes after]

### Implementation Notes

From inhouseseo/superseo-skills, Apache-2.0.

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