How I Dominated Google’s Featured Snippets & Zero-Click Searches for a Brand in 2024
Amrita Karmakar
Sales and Business Development Manager at Seven Design | Creative Content Writer | Idea Illuminator | Logophile | Strategist | Influencer Manager
In the fast-paced world of SEO, staying ahead means playing by Google’s ever-changing rules. In 2024, that meant optimizing for featured snippets and zero-click searches - where users get instant answers without clicking through to a website. While many saw this as a traffic killer, I turned it into a brand visibility machine.
The Challenge: From Invisible to Irresistible
A client approached me with a problem - despite ranking well, they weren’t seeing the engagement they expected. The culprit? Their competitors had secured prime real estate in featured snippets, voice search results, and knowledge panels, stealing attention without clicks.
I knew we needed to rewrite our SEO playbook - focusing not just on rankings, but on winning position zero and maximizing brand impact in a zero-click world.
The Strategy That Worked
1. Answering Questions Better Than Anyone Else
I conducted a deep dive using Google’s “People Also Ask” (PAA) feature, competitor analysis, and tools like SEMrush & AnswerThePublic. Then, I created highly structured, clear, and concise answers targeting: Direct, 40-60 word responses for featured snippets, Bullet-point lists & tables for better scannability, FAQ-style content optimized for voice search.
2. Optimizing for Different Snippet Formats
Google favors different snippet types:
By analyzing which snippet types appeared most frequently for our target queries, I formatted content accordingly, increasing our chances of getting picked up.
3. Schema Markup & Structured Data Magic
I implemented FAQ schema, How-To schema, and Speakable schema (for voice search dominance). This helped Google better understand our content and increased our snippet appearances.
4. Owning Branded & High-Intent Searches
To maintain visibility in zero-click searches, I made sure our brand name was always included in snippet-friendly answers. That way, even if users didn’t click, they still saw the brand prominently - boosting recognition and trust.
5. Featured Snippet Refreshing & CTR Boosting
I didn’t stop at just winning snippets - I worked on optimizing them for engagement:
Adding compelling follow-up CTAs
Monitoring snippet rankings and refining answers
Tracking PAA trends and updating content accordingly
The Results: More Visibility, More Clicks (Even in a Zero-Click World!)
Within three months, my client saw:
112% increase in featured snippet wins
32% boost in organic CTR (yes, even for zero-click searches!)
Stronger brand recall and authority in their niche
Optimizing for Google’s evolving SERP isn’t about fighting zero-click searches - it’s about leveraging them to your advantage. By understanding Google’s preferences and tailoring content accordingly, you can own the top spot and make your brand unmissable.
Want to discuss SEO strategies tailored for your brand? Reach out at [email protected].