What happened the last time you took to Google for instructions on how to make the perfect hard-boiled egg? The average temperature for Florida in May? Or even, “How do I get ‘Hamilton’ tickets?”
Chances are, you were presented with a quick answer to your query on Google’s search engine results page (SERP) — such as the one below — and then you put down your phone or iPad, and threw some water on the stovetop.
That handy snippet of information you received on Google is called a rich answer, which allowed you to more easily find what you were looking for without ever clicking into a website. If you did click through, it was likely because you already evaluated the quality of the answer provided and chose to dig deeper.
Rich answers aren’t just a handy tool for when you need step-by-step directions. They offer new opportunities for search engine optimizers in higher education.
Let’s dive into rich answers and consider how higher education marketers can benefit.
An answer to a search query in Google, often extracted from a webpage, that does not require the searcher to click through to a website.
Rich answers include:
Rich answer results are on the rise, as shown in research from Stone Temple. In 2015, the company measured more than an 8 percent increase in rich answers over a six-month time period. We can safely assume this number has continued to increase over time, even though an update to the research isn’t available.
Rich answers are a game-changer for colleges and universities. They don’t play by the same SEO rules (site authority isn’t a factor) and they offer an opportunity for your institution to be featured at the top of search results. If you’ve struggled to land your program pages in that coveted top position, rich answers provide a way to leapfrog organic search results.
Research shows the importance of the top position in SERPs, because it generally receives anywhere from 30 to 40 percent of clicks. However, rich answers are specifically designed to attract the user’s attention, according to Google, and they push down the regular search results. Therefore, rich answers are likely to attract an even higher percentage of clicks in “position zero.” Some estimate that featured snippets will command 40 to 50 percent of clicks.
We can thank voice search, the fastest-growing form of search, and mobile devices for the increased demand for immediate access to accurate content.
A deep dive into voice search and its effect on your SEO strategy is a topic for another blog post. Forbes predicts 2017 will be the year of voice search. With more than half of U.S. teens using voice search daily, higher ed can’t ignore its growing importance.
It’s important to understand where strategies for voice search and rich answers overlap:
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Think of all the questions a prospective student might have during his or her admissions journey, including:
Wouldn’t you like the displayed featured snippet on these queries to be from your institution?
While there’s no surefire way to get your content featured as a rich answer, there are three steps you can take to increase your odds:
1. Research questions that people are asking.
2. Optimize your content for the rich answer box.
3. Make your content eligible for rich answers with schema markup.
In summary, Google’s demonstrated commitment to rich answers is changing the SEO game, and higher education has a terrific opportunity to benefit.
If nothing else, start paying attention to your own voice searches and when rich answers are displayed for your search queries. Notice when the featured snippet is from a lower-ranking site. And as you start to plan content for the next admissions cycle, test a few of these strategies to see if your institution gets the newly coveted “position zero.”
If you’re looking for ways to become a better storyteller and extend the reach and impact of communications that you already produce, check out our free webinar, Digital Storytelling 101.