My LinkedIn blog post as a Google Featured Snippet

Steven Rich, MBA — Google Featured Snippets

[Note: I published this article so potential employers and clients can see that my online writings earned a valued Google Featured Snippet 23 times.]

Here are all of my Googled Featured Snippets:

[Click on the images below to make them larger]

1. My “Clean Coal Handling Practices” Bigger Pockets blogpost. You can see my name on the 3rd line.

But, the above example is a copy of an exact title Google Featured Snippet!!!

Yes, but only 12.29% of all Google SERPs contain a Google Featured Snippet. Google uses snippets to present the best answer to a user’s search query. If Google likes an exact title to a search query, it becomes the featured snippet.

Google’s support web pages “Create good titles” and “Create descriptive page titles” explains the importance of “high-quality titles”. Google states “Titles are critical to giving users a quick insight into the content of a result and why it’s relevant to their query. It’s often the primary piece of information used to decide which result to click on, so it’s important to use high-quality titles on your web pages.” Source

Therefore, Google seeks “high-quality titles” as the example above demonstrates.

With over 20 of my Google Featured Snippets to show you, I divided them into important keywords that Google favors for its snippets.

HOW

Begin a title or header with “How”. See an example from my Drillers blog post titled, How the Spindletop Oil Discovery Changed Texas and U.S. History:

As you see, not only did Google reward my Drillers blog post as a Featured Snippet, it also ranked it #1 Google SERPs.

My We Lease Blog post titled How to Make Millions with Rental Properties published in July 2019 and still a featured snippet over a year later:

Here’s another example of my using “How” in the title in my Transaction Monster Blog post titled: How Transaction Coordinators Can Prevent Lawsuits

As you see, the above blog post published on November 2, 2018, still appears as a Google Featured Snippet on October 10, 2020.

It’s unusual for Google Featured Snippets to remain after two years.

HOW as a Google Featured Snippet and #1 SERP ranking

Not every #1 Google SERP becomes a featured snippet. All of the Google Top 10 SERPs become candidates as a featured snippet.

The best for SEO is when Google ranks content both as #1 Google SERP and as a featured snippet. Here’s an example from my blog post How to Avoid Clouding Title:

LISTS

Google loves lists. A good example exists in my blog post for the Transaction Monster Blog titled How Transaction Coordinators can Prevent Lawsuits:

Google favors long lists over short ones. My blog post for Big Block Realty: San Diego Real Estate Closing Costs listed 14 of them:

Again, Google rewarded me with the #1 SERP and the Google Featured Snippet.

Twice is better than Once

Google created a 2nd featured snippet for the same keyword phrase used above:

Three is Better than Twice

The same blog post above got selected for a 3rd Google Featured Snippet using a different keyword phrase:

TIPS

Beginning with the word “Tips” in your title is another Google favorite for its snippets. Here’s an example of my Tips for Effective Open House Advertising article:

Google Featured Snippet with an Image

Getting your featured snippet with an image attracts more attention than mere words. The image jumps out at viewers.

The above example earned a 2nd Google Featured Snippet with an image for better viewing. See how much better this 2nd snippet stands out from the example above:

TAXES

Tax-savings tips do well with Google. I wrote the following Google Featured Snippet for the Smart Agents Real Estate Marketing blog as the ghostwriter for Joe Nickelson. Titled, Last-Minute Tax Savings for 2017:

Notice that I originally published this blog post in November 2017. It’s still a Google Featured Snippet on October 12, 2020.

A second example, my Open Escrow Blog post titled Tax-Savings Tips for Real Estate Investors 2019:

HOT TOPICS

Current trends, controversies, scandals, newest fashions, the latest movies, and famous peoples’ lives remain hot topics.

In the 2010s through 2020, Bitcoin remains a hot topic. My Open Escrow Blog post in October 2018 remains a Google Featured Snippet as of October 27, 2020.

Remaining a Google Featured Snippet for Many Years

Many of my featured snippets remain on top for over four years.

My Real Estate Express Blog post: Tips for Effective Open House Advertising. The blog post got published on April 21, 2016. Notice below that my screenshot was taken on October 10, 2020, still appearing as a Google Featured Snippet:

Getting into a Google Featured Snippet Fast

New web pages and blog posts must wait for Google’s spider to crawl through a website to begin indexing for SERPs. It may take up to six months.

My McKissock Real Estate Learning Blog post of August 5, 2020, titled: FSBO Ethics: What to Consider when working with FSBOs appeared as a Google Featured Snippet in two months. Notice the screenshot date of October 9, 2020.

A recent web page I wrote for the Lowenthal & Lowenthal law firm in Hawaii got selected as a featured snippet in four months.

I wrote Moped Accident Attorneys in Maui in June 2020. On October 9, 2020, I searched for “moped accident attorney maui”. It took less than four months to appear as a Google Featured Snippet:

Six weeks later (November 19, 2020), this same keyword phrase remains a Google Featured Snippet and Google adds their web page about Scooter Accidents as the #2 SERP:

Multiple Google Featured Snippets for Same Blog Post

Imagine getting multiple Google Featured Snippets for the same blog post simultaneously? That happened to me.

See my LinkedIn blog post: U.S. Companies can Legally Hire Foreigners Living in other Countries. I published it on January 4, 2016, and as of October 8, 2020, it remains on top for three different keyword phrases:

1. “Can U.S. Company Hire a Foreigner”

2. “Can U.S. companies hire foreigners”

3. “U.S. companies hiring foreigners in other countries”

Even a LinkedIn Blog Post may become a Google Featured Snippet

LinkedIn doesn’t provide SEO features like meta tags, a meta description, keyword tools, or a Yoast SEO like tool.

But, I managed to get some as a Google Featured Snippet. Check out my How to Avoid Copyright and Plagiarism post:

Google Featured Snippets and Top 3 SERPs

Finally, sometimes Google rewards quality content by including different web pages from the same website as the featured snippet and Top 3 SERPs. An example includes web pages I wrote for a Panama immigration law firm’s website and their 2nd website:

Conclusion

My 23 Google Featured Snippets shown here cover many keyword phrases and topics.

If you are viewing this, it’s because I sent you the link when applying for a job as a content writer with your company.

Ask the other job applicants: “How many of your writings became Google Featured Snippets?”

I doubt any of them can claim as many as me.

Steven Rich, MBA

Copyright © 2020 — Steven Rich, MBA