What is position zero on the SERPS

Since the start of digital marketing SEO experts have had to constantly keep up to date with the ever evolving search engine optimization changes, additions and constraints. When it comes to search engine results the main objective of all SEO strategies is to be positioned at number 1, or is it?

Is there a better position than number 1? Could position 0 be the optimal goal?

For a while now Google has adding ‘featured snippets' to their search results page, which is aimed at answering the searchers question straight away. Another term for Google's featured snippets is ‘answer' boxes. And you definitely want your business to be right there as appearing in a featured snippet or an answer box means additional branding exposure for your business.

It's extremely hard to keep track and up to date with all of the latest SEO and digital marketing tips and techniques, so with these constant changes in mind it's essential to complete a digital marketing course to make sure your brand and SEO techniques are up to date. Google is constantly tolling out changes to its algorithms so keeping on top of new SEO practices is vital to ensure you get good value from your digital marketing strategy.

What is SERPS

Basically, SERPS is the search engine results page that is generated when an online search engine user enters a request. It's a basic function of all the search engines, yet it's extremely tough to get your brand to appear on the first page. Competition is tough and increases daily. To climb your way to the top of a search engine results page, a standard listing just isn't good enough anymore.

Here are a few points to keep in mind when trying to feature on a search engine results page:

• Influence snippets – Rich snippets are a great new tool from Google which can greatly benefit your search listings.
• Don't ignore full meta descriptions – Often times, meta descriptions are ignored, this is a definite SEO mistake. A keyword rich meta data description can play a significant role.
• Dual ranking – This means the same site can appear on the same SERP or on the first SERP page and then on the second. This dramatically increases your click through rate.
• Sitelinks – Google is quite strict when it comes to sitelinks and will only display your sitelinks if it thinks they are important to the user. It really is helpful to the user to immediately see your sitelinks as then they can directly click on what is useful to them.

Position zero explained

Position zero, or position 0, as it's commonly known, is Google's latest change. Google understands its users wants answers and they want them at the top of the page. This newest Google change puts more focus on position 0 or a ‘featured snippet', than ever before.

An SEO and digital marketing strategy that includes focus on position 0 can turn your website into a lead generating engine.

Position 0 on the SERPS is the place every single brand wants to be – above the top result on the first page. There's just no other position more important in SEO.

Benefits of position 0

So, what's all the fuss about? Why should your brand aim for position 0?

The scramble to land up on the first page of the search engine results is not a new thing, but your website will draw so many more visitors if you are at position 0 on Google ranking.

Featured snippets, or position 0, are the way to go and it's also extremely mobile friendly, which when your users are always on the go, is fantastic.

But the fact that should be kept in mind is that your site could be ranked as position 0 one week and then not the next. It's a constant aspect of SEO that must be remembered. This is why it's so important to always track your SEO performance.

Here are a few points to consider when aiming for position 0:

• It's ideal to use landscape images which are used in snippets.
• Content should be written in list format, which makes it show up in an answer box.
• Use phrases as they work well when a user is searching.
• Keep paragraphs short, so Google can extract answers easily.