Now, if you’re interested in how the snippet is derived and curious as to why the snippet is important, continue on with me here.

Anatomy Of A Google Snippet

The snippet is actually just the short sentence (of a max of 156 characters) after the title and before the URL in the listings of search engine result pages. However, in my breakdown, I’d like to touch on all aspects of the listing:

• SEO Title
• Slug
• Meta Description

Just so we’re clear, this article isn’t about how to get your snippet (search result) ranked higher on the list. It’s about the actual excerpt itself.

Let’s dig into the different pieces I’ve outlined above.

But first, you’re probably asking – what is a Google snippet and where does it come from? Well, according to Google:

“A description of or an excerpt from the web page.” -Google

Great, thanks Google. Very helpful. Let’s try and break apart the snippet so we can better determine how Google gets the information.

SEO Title

In short, the colorful blue link that you click on to go to the full article.

It’s best practice to include your focus or keyword as close to the beginning of the title as possible.

But, in addition, you should make sure your title is eye-catching and thought provoking. Be as specific and descriptive as possible so people will know what they’re getting into even before they click.

Slug

No, not the slimy mass that Pumba and Timone eat in the Lion King (or was that grubs? I think it was grubs…)

Think of the slug as the URL – what someone would type into the browser address bar to get to your page. Why is that important? Make it real words, simple to remember and very on topic.

That way if someone decides not to click on your link right now, they may remember or recognize it in the future. More exposure, more traffic.

Meta Description (the Snippet)

The famous meta description. Though meta tags have been widely disregarded, meta descriptions are still quite important. As you can see – they determine what goes into the snippet for that particular page.

Every page should have a unique meta description, if for no other reason than viewable search engine results. Do not ignore, do not skip, do not pass Go. Meta descriptions are a must.

For a full break down, you can learn from Google themselves in this video by their engineer Matt Cutts.

Rich Snippets

To get into the rich snippets game, you’ll need to know some markup, as many templates or plugins still don’t offer this option.

I go into the coding in another post soon, but in the meantime take a look at microformats and RFDa. Would love to hear your input for the next article on this stuff.

Or, if you’re looking for some one-on-one coaching, reply in the comments below or contact me directly.

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Occasional exceptions and the medium to which you offer some content aside, here’s what I strive to include in all my pieces of content:

• Headline
• First Sentence
• Sub-Headlines
• Main Copy
• Summary
• Call To Action

Headline

No surprise here, you need a good headline. Spend time on this, it matters.

Not only should the headline catch your eye, but it should also make you think. Why? Thinking inspires curiosity, which leads to discovery – a la reading your article.

First Sentence

Kapow! Hit em hard, create mystery… find a way to build the (undoubtedly amazing) headline that managed to pique the reader’s interest initially.

The first sentence of your content often gets pulled into the “snippet” that readers will see on search engine results before they even open the blog. Be sure to reference your headline and continue to incite curiosity so the reader has no choice but to open the full article.

Sub-Headlines

We’re all skimmers at heart. Honestly, if I feel like I can get what I need out of an article just by reading the headers, then I will. And that’s okay! Just make sure you write accordingly.

Reading online is very different than classical “real life” reading. With the ability to easily scroll ahead, sub-headlines become scanning target points.

So make sure each headline properly outlines the content below it in a concise and clear manner. The sub-headlines should tell a story all by themselves.

Main Content, the Copy

You hear this all the time these days – copy is king. And that is still true. If you want to be found, you need to write proper, thoughtful and long copy. I’m talking at least 300 words (preferably 500-600) per article.

That said, if that copy isn’t interesting to read – ain’t nobody got time for that. Make it fun, find a voice, share it and people will read it.

Summary

Remember earlier when I said you need to write at least 300 words? Well, our attention spans are tiny today and our memory just isn’t what it used to be. Reviewing the bullet points is a must.

This is for the kids who sat in the back of the room during school. I know you spent hours pining over each sentence, each phrase… and you should be proud, this is necessary! But most readers won’t care, they just want the hard facts.

For instance, review the 6 components again:

• Headline
• First Sentence
• Sub-Headlines
• Main Copy
• Summary
• Call To Action

Just hit em with the highlights and they’ll thank you for it by coming back for more.

Call To Action

Don’t go through all this effort without asking your reader for something. It doesn’t have to be complicated or funnel them anywhere. Often times a simple – “What’s your take?” – question gets them thinking and ushers them into a response.

However, there are definitely times when you want to include heavier call to actions that would include a click, share or even (gasp) a purchase! Don’t be afraid to ask.

With that notion in mind – need some help brainstorming or planning out your content? Contact me now, I’m more than happy to help build great content with you.

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