SEO · Updated June 2026
A featured snippet is the highlighted answer box at the top of Google results, extracted from a ranking page. Winning it requires directly answering the query in a concise, self-contained paragraph, list, or table near a matching heading.
A SERP is the page of results a search engine returns for a query. Modern SERPs mix organic listings with ads, shopping carousels, featured snippets, People Also Ask boxes, and AI Overviews — so visibility now means winning placements, not just rank #1.
Answer engine optimization (AEO) is structuring content to directly answer questions so it gets selected by answer engines — featured snippets, voice assistants, and AI chat. Core pattern: a question as a heading, then a complete 40–60 word answer in the first paragraph.