Position Zero (Featured Snippet): Definition, challenges, and explanations

Position Zero, also known as Featured Snippet, refers to a featured excerpt displayed by Google at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs). This space is reserved for a direct and concise answer to a specific query, often extracted from a web page deemed relevant.

This block comes in various forms: paragraph, list, table, or video. It aims to quickly answer the user's question without them having to click on a link.

Position Zero is a major element of search engine optimization (SEO) because it significantly increases visibility without going through traditional results.

Achieving Position Zero offers a significant competitive advantage to websites by improving their visibility above traditional organic results.

This privileged position generates increased traffic because it captures the user's attention by providing an immediate, high-quality response.

It also boosts the credibility and authority of the source site in the eyes of Google and visitors, which can lead to better overall rankings.

Google automatically selects a relevant snippet from indexed web pages that clearly and concisely answers a specific query.

Algorithms analyze content, its format, structure, and relevance to decide which passage will be highlighted in Position Zero.

Content optimized for this position generally favors the use of short answers, bulleted lists, or well-structured tables to facilitate quick comprehension by the user.

The benefits of Position Zero include:

• Increased visibility at the top of Google results.
• More targeted traffic thanks to immediate response.
• An improvement in the site's reputation and trustworthiness.

The disadvantages include:

• The risk of traffic cannibalization if the user finds the answer without clicking.
• Limited control over the content displayed, which depends on Google's algorithms.
• The need for rigorous and continuous optimization to maintain this position.

A recipe website can achieve Position Zero by displaying a clear list of ingredients or preparation steps.

An SEO blog could target frequently asked questions such as "How do I optimize a website for Position Zero?" and provide a direct answer.

Local businesses benefit from Position Zero to display their opening hours or contact details in a format that is easy to read quickly.

• Backlinko: Complete guide to featured snippets and how to optimize them.
• Site123: Tutorial on mastering Featured Snippets and improving your ranking.
• ReputationDefender: Explanations on how Featured Snippets work and tips on how to access them.
• Logical Position: Quick training to understand and optimize Position Zero.
• Alliai: SEO glossary detailing Position Zero and its challenges.