A key area of brand journalism that KWSM focuses on is thought leadership, establishing our clients as authorities in their field, which spans industries, from professional services and manufacturing to direct-to-consumer and non-government organizations. The best way to establish that credibility in search results is in highlighted sections on Google SERP called AI Overviews (AIO) and Featured Snippets. To earn a place in this valuable online real estate, your content needs high information density sections, semantic keyword optimization, and new concepts for information gain. Google featured snippets, and AIOs show concise answers that provide a valuable overview of the search intent. If your content doesn’t have sections with concise information-dense copy, then the content has nothing optimized for a featured snippet or AIO.
For lower-competition keywords, you may be able to get a snippet or AIO spot with just information-dense answers, but for medium to high-competition keywords, you also need a semantically-optimized piece of content. This is best practice regardless of competitiveness but is imperative for any remotely competitive keywords.
Of course these are foundational elements for SEO. Once they are included, KWSM’s copywriters add in interviews and case studies to supply specific information related to the article. This can help expand on content already ranking high in the SERP. Our copywriters look at what is included in the current AIO and add value and additional credibility pieces to the content. This is a big contributor in earning AIOs based on EEAT.
Beyond traditional SEO tactics, an approach called Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is emerging. GEO focuses on structuring content in a way that AI models can easily understand and utilize to generate responses. This involves even more precise semantic structuring and data organization to align with how AI interprets and synthesizes information.
The top of the SERP is dominated by the AIO, and even the featured snippet is less prominent than it used to be. This makes optimizing for these SERP placements more important than ever for businesses that want to bring in visitors from organic search.
How to Use Information Density for Featured Snippets & AIO Optimization
Featured snippets are what Google considers the best 1-2 sentences on the given keyword, and AIOs are the best collection of sentences from the first page of search for that keyword. To rank in these SERP features, you need sections of your content with the most valuable and concise copy on the SERP.
KWSM always writes for humans first. We never want our articles reading like a textbook, so we create sections that provide quick, bite-sized answers. KWSM’s brand journalists write information-dense optimized copy under each heading, especially after keyword rich headings.
How to Format Content for Snippet Optimization
Each heading is the opportunity to grab a snippet. When writing the first 1-2 sentences under each heading, provide a concise, valuable answer to the intent or question provided in that heading.
The basic formula throughout the article should be: heading, concise answer, expand, and then repeat. Some headings may be less keyword-rich and more focused on brand journalism, which is also very important.
When writing these concise answers using straightforward declarative sentences is very effective.
How to Write Concise Declarative Sentences for SEO
A declarative sentence makes a direct statement to convey information. An declarative sentence for SEO cuts out as much fluff as possible to provide as much value as possible.
One goal that KWSM’s copywriters have is to eliminate any unnecessary distance between the subject, question, and answer by reducing the number of cognitive jumps the user and search engines have to make. In writing, this is referred to as reducing the intervening elements, which is about creating a more direct connection between ideas.
By creating this more direct connection between ideas it is more clear for users and search engines since search engines use connections between Natural Language Processing (NLP) keywords to understand the meaning of content. By reducing the distance between these NLP keywords, we make it easier for search engine crawlers to understand the meaning and value of the content.
In the following examples, both sentences answer the question, “What is SEO?” However, the first example is a much more direct and clear example of a declarative sentence.
Good Example of Declarative Sentence:
“SEO is the practice of optimizing website content and structure to improve its visibility in search engine results.”
Pour Example of a Declarative Sentence:
“SEO involves the strategic application of various techniques, including keyword optimization and technical adjustments, designed to enhance a website’s perceived relevance and authority within the complex, ever-evolving landscape of search engine algorithms, thus fostering increased organic traffic and potential for online visibility.”
How Semantic SEO Helps You Rank
Semantic SEO means not just covering the main keyword but also the semantic or synonym keywords that have the same intent. In other words, cover the topic, not just a keyword. This makes your content more comprehensive, which displays more expertise on the topic. To understand the importance of comprehensive content in today’s search landscape, it’s essential to consider the evolving role of AI. For more on this, check out our insights on Google vs. Bing vs. AI Search & SEO Strategies.
The first ranking result for any given keyword is what the search engine is saying is the best page on the internet for that keyword. A great way to become a top-ranking page is to create the most comprehensive and robust content which semantic SEO helps you to do.
What Keywords to Target
When doing semantic SEO, it can be easy to go overboard by trying to be the most comprehensive. Instead, keep the related keywords surrounding the same search intent. If the search intent is different, it is best to have two pages or posts for that keyword. One way to tell if the search intent is different is to try searching for the two keywords in Google and see how similar the search results are.
We keep our articles narrow to each intent. Then, we strategically interlink the article, helping create topical authority. Keeping them as separate articles helps target the individual intent better in search engines.
Additionally, finding keywords that the search intent is tied to your business goals should always be the priority.
How Semantic SEO Helps You Rank in Featured Snippets & AIOs Placements
To be eligible to get a featured snippet, you need to rank on page one, and to rank on page one you cover for the keyword’s search intent. The best way to do that is to cover all the related keywords with the same search intent.
Essentially, semantic SEO helps you get to page one and the declarative sentences helps you place in the AIO and featured snippet SERP features. To maximize your SEO efforts in the age of AI, consider how high-intent content is the future of SEO
If you are already ranking in the top 3-5 and don’t have a good declarative sentence that answers the question at the top of your piece, adding that can help you grab the top spot.
Add New Value to The SERP to Get SERP Features
Once we have created an optimized piece of content that covers the topic through semantic SEO and has information-dense sections then find ways to add our clients’ expertise. Google’s crawlers recognize this first-hand information and better SERP experience, giving our clients the best chance to show up on AIO.
This is why we often conduct client interviews and speak with our clients’ clients, to develop authentic articles. This is the “experience” and “expertise” on a topic can help you rank higher in search through optimizing for EEAT.
Don’t Disagree with the General Consensus on The Topic
Google doesn’t want to show potentially false information, so it checks snippets against the consensus or general option on the topic. This means in the information-dense sections that we optimize for snippets and AIOs ensure we are not straying too far from the consensus on the topic.
This doesn’t mean you can’t have contrarian ideas, because that is a big part of becoming a thought leader, but sections optimized for featured snippets aren’t the best place for that.
This Also Helps With Ranking in People Also Asked
If a piece of content is related to a broader, more competitive term by writing sections with concise answers, an article can also rank in the People Also Asked (PAA) section for that SERP.
For example, this article we wrote and optimized for a client on, How Much Does a Bookkeeper Cost in California has the featured snippet for its targeted keyword but also has the first People Also Asked for “Bookkeeping Services California” which is a higher volume term that gains the client more search real estate and search volume. To expand your online presence further, explore various SEO inbound marketing tactics.
AIOs Are Being Introduced Into People Also Asked
For some PAA, we are seeing Google introducing AIO answers directly in the PAA accordion. This shows what you would see in the AIO if you were to search that question in the PAA. This further shows the need for optimizing AIO, since it will continue to show up in new parts of the SERP.
How Are You Ranking in The AI Overviews & Featured Snippets?
If you aren’t ranking at the top of search results in the AI Overview and feature snippet placements it will be harder to attract new clients from search than ever before. If you aren’t ranking in these placements or want to improve your overall digital presence online and in search contact us below to learn about how our SEO services can help. Let’s ensure your content is primed for success in today’s AI-driven search landscape.
