Google's 'Quick Answer' Box in Organic Search Results

How Brands Can Stay Ahead with Google’s Quick Answer Box

Google’s quick answer box is quickly transforming how brands approach SEO. You’ve probably seen one.  It’s the highly-visible text snippet served up at the top of Google SERPs to answer a question posed by the search query.  And they’re having a huge impact on search results.  

Google pulls this information from high-ranking, reputable sites appearing in the organic search results.  Also known as Quick Answer boxes, Rich Answers, Featured Snippets, and Google Answers, these text snippets are changing user behavior and impacting the success of many websites.  

Why Brands Must Engage Quick Answers

Right now, Quick Answers appear for about 40% of all searches.  Where they appear they’re boosting traffic.  Research so far shows a Quick Answer with a high-ranking search results significantly increases traffic compared to a high-ranking alone.  

But the effects go beyond traffic alone.  In one case study, a company that optimized keywords to earn a Quick Answer Box experienced a revenue jump of 600% from an organic search result after the Quick Answer appeared.  Even with the optimization and revenue success, the site never ranked higher than number four on the SERP.  

Simply stated, Quick Answers add credibility to a high-ranking search result.  It supports a site’s expertise on a subject and their ability to deliver a user what they’re searching for.  As the research shows so far, this social proof (served up by Google) has a big impact on clicks and revenue.

And Google plans to expand the number of results with Quick Answers beyond the current 40%.  

The dramatic results Quick Answers have delivered with their limited exposure makes it essential for brands to employ strategies to earn Quick Answer Boxes.  Brands must continue to evolve their search strategies as the search landscape continues to change.

To help, our partner BrightEdge produced a whitepaper called “The What, Why and How of Getting Quick Answer Boxes” to help.  

How to Get Google Answer Box

BrightEdge’s whitepaper explains in detail what Quick Answers are, why they are important and then provides 20 tactics a brand can use to boost organic traffic to earn a Quick Answer Box.  These tactics include:

• 3 Steps for Getting Quick Answers
• 4 Key Factors that Matter
• Why a Brand MUST be a Top 5 SERP
• How a Brand Can Quickly Find the Best Quick Answer Opportunities
• 7 Top Techniques for On-Page Quick Answer Optimization
• 4 Techniques for Off-Page Optimization
• 3 Essential Elements of Technical SEO

These techniques and strategies can help a brand earn a Quick Answer or possible even capture one currently controlled by the competition.  Research shows a 55% turnover on Quick Answers.  Even if you’re not their today, the strategies contained in the whitepaper can help you gain that valuable Quick Answer Box and recommend ways you can monitor and track your organic SEO to keep it.