Featured Snippet
Search BehaviorA featured snippet is a search result format used by traditional search engines—most notably Google—to display a concise, extracted answer at the top of the results page, above standard organic listings. The snippet pulls key information from a webpage and presents it directly on the SERP, often in paragraph, list, table, or definition form. Featured snippets were an early precursor to answer-engine behavior, reducing the need for users to click through to external sites by providing the answer immediately.
Overview
Featured snippets are designed to anticipate user intent by giving a direct answer to a query. They are algorithmically selected based on clarity, structure, and relevance, often drawing from pages that use clean definitions, headings, and tightly scoped explanations. Although snippets appear as citations of existing webpages, they significantly alter user behavior by collapsing the search interaction into a single on-page answer.
Why It Matters
Featured snippets marked a major shift in how information is surfaced, setting the stage for modern answer engines and AI-generated overviews. For content creators, appearing in a snippet historically meant high visibility but potentially fewer clicks, since users often got the needed information without leaving the SERP. Understanding how snippets work—and how AI systems have expanded on the same principles—helps clarify the evolution from traditional search to AI-driven answer environments.