Google’s Featured Snippet Now Includes Blue Highlighted Text
Last month, Google rolled out a new update to featured snippets: blue highlighted text containing the specific information that answers the search query. Additionally, the font size of the featured snippets with the highlighted text is larger than those without the highlighted text. While not all featured snippets have the highlighted text now, it appears that many do.
This update comes after many months of Google testing the highlighted text. First appearing in September of last year, the highlighted text was tested in both blue and yellow, while some featured snippets showed up with no highlights at all. It now appears that Google has decided on the blue highlight.
Why This Matters
Since the featured snippet first launched in 2014, the feature has undergone much change, with Google testing out several different formats and layouts over the years. These various changes have affected the way we format our content for SEO purposes. For example, Google officially launched the web page content highlight feature back in 2020. This allowed searchers to click on featured snippets, leading them to the text on the web page shown in the featured snippet. Since searchers could now skip past any ads or call to actions to get to the relevant content, this update had many SEO professionals wondering how to format their content to cater to the new feature.
While many see the featured snippet as an overall positive tool, others believe it could potentially hurt traffic. Many wonder whether the highlighted text will increase or decrease the click-through rate from a typical featured snippet. If you have any featured snippets from your site, you may want to audit them to see if you notice changes in traffic.
Stay Informed On All of Google’s Updates
Google is constantly updating and changing features like the featured snippet that could affect traffic, rankings, and conversion rates. It’s essential to stay up-to-date on all the changes and trends to maintain traffic and keep your business ranking high. Our team at BluShark Digital strives to keep you informed on all the latest updates and trends in the SEO industry so you can be ready and prepared for any changes that may affect your business. Reach out to us today to learn more.