Have you ever heard of position 0 on Google ? If not, don’t worry! This article deals specifically with this topic. For 5 years, the internet giant has updated its SERP (Search Engine Result Page) by adding a new position above the first, that of the zero position. Companies and e-merchants are increasingly interested in it in order to increase traffic to their sites. Here’s everything you need to know about the intricacies of position 0 and the best practices to get it in a very short time.
But by the way, what is position 0?
Simply put, position 0 is the first result that appears on a SERP page on Google. It is above the first position without being a paying result. Indeed, it is displayed above a fold in front of all natural results, hence the name « zero position ».
Concretely, it is a direct answer or a short and simple answer to a request from a user. It is called » Featured Snippet » in English. Which literally means in French, « the featured excerpt ». Compared to the other results, the text snippet on position 0 is much longer, almost a paragraph. Generally, it corresponds to optimized and well-positioned content on Google, being among the top 10.
Position zero therefore represents the holy grail of SEO. But, it is displayed differently on the SERP according to the different requests.
The different forms of zero position display
Classic text accounts for about 82% of 0 positions. Accompanied by an image, the display is presented with an excerpt containing the keywords. Most often, it is a definition. But position 0 is displayed in more than one way. Google’s goal is indeed to respond to queries as well as possible. Thus, it can offer a tutorial video to answer a question. For example, « How do I install a ceiling light? »
Then it is quite common to see bulleted or numbered lists on the zero position. This type of extract represents a total of 11% of Featured Snippets. The information is presented online or is presented as steps to be taken. The most concrete example of a query is that of a top list. For example, « Top 10 movies to see in 2022 ».
Finally, there are the tables that represent about 7% of positions 0. They usually display price lists or a comparison of several products. Of course, for Google to display this type of position zero, it is necessary that the queries of Internet users contain specific keywords: price, comparison, best product, etc.
Good reasons to covet this position
The habits of Internet users on search engines, including Google, are no longer a secret. They favor the first positions, but especially the first. And since position 0 is above all, it goes without saying that companies have every interest in coveting this place. The resulting benefits are numerous:
- acquisition of quality organic traffic,
- improvement of e-notoriety,
- Increased visibility.
At the same time, it is possible to increase your sales or the number of subscribers to your newsletter. The most incredible thing about position 0 is that Google chooses the results to display organically. In other words, it is quite possible to reach this position for free by performing a few optimizations. The key is to understand how Google deems content eligible for position zero.
Reaching position 0: actions to be taken
Before knowing the actions to be taken to climb to the top of a Google SERP, it is necessary to understand how the algorithm selects content. You already have to meet a few criteria to hope for a chance. Indeed, the page must be among the top 10 positions, that is to say in the first page of Google. Then, the subject must answer a question directly. Then, the text or content must be well structured and easy to read both for Internet users and for the algorithm in question. As a result, the actions to be implemented concern more the content than the container or the site itself.
On-site optimization
The long road to accessing the Holy Grail of SEO starts with on-page or on-site optimization. In this sense, it is necessary to work the different tags, namely the meta title, the descriptions, all the Hn (H1, H2, H3, etc.) Alt tags should also not be omitted from images. Indeed, it is interesting to add relevant keywords in the descriptions.
Give clear answers
To be displayed on position 0, there is nothing better than to answer a question clearly. This is the kind of content that Google appreciates the most. But it is necessary to give answers to several types of questions to bait the search engine. The ideal would be to have several answers in the same content. The questions will be put on the H2 or H3.
Add the right keywords and adopt a good writing style
It is clear that to have a good positioning on Google, you must already know the keywords most used by Internet users. It is important to add the most relevant ones without overoptimizing content. The most difficult thing is to integrate them in a natural way while giving a direct answer.
To do this, there is no better than the technique of the inverted pyramid. Google’s reading algorithms will greatly appreciate that important information is in the first 150 words. In addition, it is also necessary to offer different types of content to hope to be displayed on position 0.
In summary, reaching position 0 is not an easy task, it takes time and strategies. But it is not an unattainable goal either, quite the contrary. However, there is one detail to be noted about the zero position. The latter can promote the « Zero click » trend. And for good reason, if the answer you give is too explicit, Internet users may not click on the link to have more information. So it’s up to you to play well on the words to invite them to click.
