Recently, you may have noticed a slight change in the way web pages look when you visit them from Google’s search results page. As of early June 2020, Google has started highlighting relevant content in bright yellow directly on the website you navigate to from Google’s featured snippets. 

This is a feature that Google has been testing since 2018, and this summer it was pushed live for all featured snippets. But what exactly does this look like, and what does it mean for your company’s website?

How to Find This Google Update

If you haven’t noticed this update, it’s fairly easy to locate. Just type a simple question into Google, like “can dogs eat blueberries”. At the very top of the results page, there will likely be a short blurb that clearly answers your question. These blurbs are typically from webpages that Google has deemed a trustworthy, relevant source. This is what’s known as a featured snippet.

To see Google’s new update, simply click the link on this featured snippet. You’ll be directed to the webpage, away from Google - but the relevant text that Google picked out for the featured snippet will be highlighted in bright yellow. And most likely, the page will automatically scroll down to where this text is located.

What Do Highlighted Snippets Mean For SEO?

In the case of “can dogs eat blueberries,” the featured snippet text is the very first paragraph on the page, so the auto-scroll that Google does only cuts off part of the first image. But in other cases, this snippet text might be located further down on the page.

This is worth looking into if a page on your website is ranking for a featured snippet. When users land on your website from the snippet, Google is automatically scrolling visitors to the featured snippet text. If you have important content higher up on this page, people coming from Google might miss it. You may end up deciding to reorganize these pages so those users don't miss your call-to-actions or other important information. 

 

Get Started with Ecreative Digital Marketing Services

This update could affect bounce rate, time spent on page, engagement, and more. At Ecreative, we help our clients monitor their website traffic and activity and help with ongoing SEO and website maintenance with every Google update.

For regular digital marketing tips and news about Google updates like this, feel free to subscribe to our newsletter. If you have questions about how to optimize your site for Google updates, contact us at Ecreative and we can help.