Types of Snippets

A snippet, simply put, is a type of content prioritized by Google that can give searchers an answer on the results page, so they do not have to navigate away from Google to get a satisfying solution to their problem. Here are the different types:

• Featured snippet – these are sometimes called instant answers and are information pulled from a webpage and displayed in a box as the first result. The result itself is not a link, but a paragraph of information followed by a link. It means that if your content quality is high enough you can be the first link people see on a page without being number one in the list of links (related to Google PageRank).
• Map snippet – this comes up anytime Google thinks you are searching for something represented by a physical location. It is a map with a list of destinations underneath, corresponding to red pins on the map itself.
• Video snippet – sometimes, if a searcher has a specific question that can be answered by a how-to video, Google suggests an explanatory video and offers a suggested clip from that video.
• Rich advertising snippet – Google has moved towards offering links that contain added value beyond that obtained by traditional search engine offerings (e.g., opening hours or phone numbers of a business). They offer rich advertising too, which is a google ad that includes images, pricing, and rating as well as the name of the business. Unlike the other snippets, you can pay for them with AdWords.
• Rich snippet – for some searches, resulting links come up with data that is not included in the page description Google uses. This includes ratings, pictures and even information like calorie count if you search for a recipe.

Google’s Special Content Resource Blocks

Special search results are known by a variety of names.

1. Rich Answer (Not a Featured Snippet)

Rich Answers, also known as Instant Answers (formerly Quick Answers) are answered by Google, instantly, without credit to the site.

These answers typically cover short, factual things like how big the earth is (spoiler alert: 3,959 miles) or what’s 10 +2 (spoiler alert: 12).

2. Knowledge Graph (Not a Featured Snippet)

Knowledge Graph answers often pull from a variety of sources and show up on the right in a big beautiful box or above the organic search results in a photo gallery (or carousel).

You’ll typically see these types of search results for brands, people, and organizations.

3. Rich Snippet (Not a Featured Snippet)

While they also use the word snippet, that’s where the similarities end.

A rich snippet enhances an organic search result, and often slightly expands its real estate, according to information marked up on the site using structured schema data from Schema.org.

These search results pop with rating stars, product availability, and pricing information, as well as photos for reviews.