This week, the digital marketing landscape took a bit of a tumble as Google’s public search liaison, Danny Sullivan, announced a significant update that’s got SEOs buzzing. The feature we all loved to hate—or hated to love—has changed the game yet again.
Originally spotted by Mark Barrera, this seismic shift means that sites ranking for featured snippets will no longer appear on the first page of organic search results. Yep, you heard that right. This update rolled out globally on January 22nd, and it's already making waves.
What Is a Featured Snippet?
First things first—let's break down what a featured snippet actually is. Sometimes referred to as an “answer box,” a featured snippet is Google’s way of delivering information directly to users in a bite-sized format. Think of it as a digital concierge, presenting a concise answer to a user’s query before they even scroll down.
Google describes featured snippets as “special boxes where the format of regular listings is reversed, showing the descriptive snippet first.” These snippets come in various formats—paragraphs, lists, images, you name it. They’re often dubbed “position zero” because they appear at the very top of Google’s search results, above the organic listings. But post-update, we might need to rethink that title.
What Does the Update Mean?
In short, if your site is currently rocking a featured snippet, it won’t also appear in the main body of search results. Previously, it was common for sites to claim both the coveted #1 spot and a featured snippet. Now, it’s a one-or-the-other situation.
As Sullivan confirmed via Twitter, “the exact URL of the featured snippet will no longer repeat in the web results on the first page.” What does this mean for you? It means that if you’re holding onto a featured snippet, you’re effectively trading your traditional organic ranking for that feature. It’s a classic case of “you can’t have your cake and eat it too.”
What This Doesn't Mean
Let’s clear up some misconceptions: this change doesn’t completely eliminate your chances of ranking on the first page of SERPs. It just means that the URL ranking for the featured snippet won’t also appear in that top 10 list. You could still occupy a featured snippet while ranking for another URL in positions 3 or 4.
As Danny Sullivan puts it, “No, it doesn’t mean that. It just means the exact URL of the featured snippet will no longer repeat.” And if an image from a different site is used, it won't affect that site's ranking either.
How Does This Affect SEOs?
So, what does this mean for your SEO strategy? The data suggests it might be time to rethink the pursuit of featured snippets. A study by Ahrefs revealed that featured snippets receive just 8.6% of clicks. In contrast, the #1 organic result grabs a whopping 19.6%. Why settle for a smaller slice of the pie when you could go for the whole thing?
With this update making it less likely to optimize for featured snippets, businesses may pivot back to focusing on organic rankings, where the click-through rate is significantly higher. If you had to choose between an 8.6% CTR and a 19.6% CTR, which would you pick? Yeah, I thought so.
What About Local Businesses?
Now, for local businesses, this update might not mean much. Sure, you can compete for featured snippets, but the chances are slim, especially if you’re in a saturated market. For instance, if you run a pest control company and have a blog titled “How to Check Your House for Signs of Mice,” you might snag a featured snippet. But if that snippet is answering a query from someone across the country, how much business is that really going to drive your way?
In a nutshell, local businesses probably won’t feel the impact of this update too harshly. If you’re an agency, it might just mean you should tone down the emphasis on featured snippets for your local clients. And just to clarify, this change doesn’t affect local pack rankings at all.
What Are SEOs Saying?
The SEO community's reaction? Let’s just say it's been less than positive. Many are even asking if they can opt-out of being considered for featured snippets (spoiler alert: you can). In a world where traffic is king, Danny Sullivan emphasizes the benefits: “Featured snippets drive a lot of traffic. That’s why people often optimize for them.” And he’s not wrong. If you were on page one and suddenly get a featured snippet, that’s still a win.
But if you’re already ranking high, you might want to think twice about aiming for that featured snippet. As Tim Soulo, CMO at Ahrefs, puts it, “Check your ‘real’ ranking if you didn’t qualify for a featured snippet.”
What’s Next?
So, what’s the takeaway from this? The conversation has turned to whether other rich results might see similar changes. As Danny Sullivan noted, there are currently no plans for this functionality to roll out elsewhere. But stay vigilant—changes are the only constant in digital marketing.
We’ll keep our eyes peeled for new developments and update this blog as needed. Meanwhile, we’d love to hear your thoughts. What’s your take on this featured snippet shakeup?
In a digital world where visibility is everything, GMB Fox ensures your business isn’t just online—it’s the first choice customers make. Let us handle the complexities of digital marketing, so you can focus on what truly matters: growing your business.
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