How to Get Your Blog in Google’s Position 0 in 2022, 5 Free, Easy Ways

Do you dream of your blog post being Google’s feature article example and getting to Position 0?

Sitting on top of Google’s Search Engine Results Page is a blogging dream due to the mass traffic the visibility generates. Ranking on Google can bring you traffic for years to come. Imagine your posts sitting above the posts that rank the best. This is known as Position 0.

According to 2021 data, the first 5 positions on Page 1 of Google account for 67.60%. This data includes paid ads.

There are many types of SERP (Search Engine Results Page) features. For instance, your article could make Google’s Image Pack, Top Stories, People Also Ask, Featured Snippets, and Site Links.

This guide explains how to have your post be Google’s feature article example for Top Stories, Featured Snippets, and People Also Ask. In other words, this guide explains how to get your post to Position 0 at Google.

In order to illustrate how to make your blog post be chosen for Google’s feature article example for a searcher’s query, we will examine the content that is not in this blog’s niche. This way you see these strategies apply to any blogging niche. The feature article example this post uses to share SEO strategies is content centering on auto loans.

By reading this guide, you discover the steps you need to take to increase the probability that Google will choose your post as the feature article example for your keyword in the SERP features.

This article offers empirical evidence in the form of screenshots that these methods work to get your blog posts to Position 0.

Let’s get started learning how to be picked as the feature article example in Top Stories and Featured Snippets. Position 0, here we come!

Before we start, let’s see if my blog posts have been chosen as the feature article example for Top Stories.

Have my posts ever been chosen for Position 0?

Yes!

Look:

Each week, Ahrefs sends you a notification if your posts were chosen as the feature article example for each of your keywords. Hearing you ranked that week for Position 0 is exciting news. My posts ranked in Position 0 for each of these keywords.

On the left side of the screenshot, you see the keywords. On the right side of the screenshot, you see the SERP features each of my keywords ranked in Position 0.

Going straight down, I don’t purchase Google ads, but when I searched MozBar, my article is near the top where the ads sit.

Position 0 SERP Features

Link: Sitelinks

According to Ahrefs,

“This feature (Sitelinks) represents other relevant links within your website that appear for queries involving your exact domain or brand name, helping users get to main pages they want to see directly from the SERPs.”

?: The question mark stands for People Also Ask.

“This feature represents algorithmically-generated questions that Google believes might relate to your search query. Each question typically represents a Featured snippet that expands in an accordion-style dropdown. Related questions are mixed into organic results and can take different locations in the SERP.”

Paper Icon: Top Stories

“Top stories is a block of news articles relevant to a query that appears in the top half of the SERP and includes time stamps and publisher names.”

“: Quotation Marks Stand for Featured Snippets

“This feature is designed to give specific answers to search queries using information extracted from a third-party website, which is displayed in a box typically at the top of a SERP with a link to the website the information was pulled from. “

How to Be Chosen As the Feature Article Example and Reach Position 0 in Top Stories

What would I do if I wanted Google to choose my blog post to be the feature article example for Top Stories?

Step 1: Use a keyword research tool.

This way you can make sure there is interest in your content and you can beat the competition. Writing blog posts always starts with this step.

Here you will find a review of Ubersuggest, a popular keyword tool. Ubersuggest is a paid tool. Here you will find a free Ubersuggest alternative.

Let’s say the keyword we choose is “auto loan,” what do we do next to get chosen as the feature article example and reach Position 0 for this keyword?

Step 2: Define your terms.

Defining your terms is important for several reasons.

First, to be chosen as the feature article example for Top Stories, your post needs to be thorough. You need to cover all aspects of the topic.

Writing a blog post about a concept you don’t explain would be a serious omission.

Next, your readability is improved when you define your terms since your visitors understand your post. Google prioritizes the User Experience. When your visitors are happy, Google is happy and rewards you with high rankings.

Let’s look at an example using content about auto loans.

Feature Article Example: Auto Loans

What is an auto loan and how does it work?

If you’ve been looking into buying a new car, the chances are that you’ve noticed that a lot of car dealerships will offer auto loans. An auto loan allows you to buy a car that you couldn’t necessarily afford otherwise, which is certainly a tempting offer.

However, like any loan, auto loans need to be paid back, and it’s important that you consider whether you can really afford it before committing. You should also weigh up auto loans against other types of loans, so you can be sure you choose the option that is the best value for you.

Why this works:

“An auto loan allows…”

When people Google, “What is an auto loan?” Your post could get chosen as the feature article example to answer the question.

Secured loan

While a personal loan is an unsecured loan, meaning that it is based on your credit score and your predicted ability to repay the loan amount, an auto loan is a secured loan. A secured loan is a loan that has something put up as collateral that can be seized in the event that the loan payments are not met, such as a house or in the case of auto loans, a car. 

Secured loans carry a risk that you may lose whatever has been put up as collateral. This does make you seem like less of a risky loan prospect to the loan provider, however, which usually means that secured loans come with a lower rate of interest.

Why this works:

Are you ever stuck for blog post ideas?

“Versus” posts are a popular format. This section discusses a Personal Loan vs a Secured Loan.

How auto loans work

When taking out an auto loan, a few criteria will be considered:

• Your credit history. Although it’s usually possible to get an auto loan with poor credit history, you will be able to borrow more and at a better rate with a better credit history.
• Your down payment. Being able to make a sizeable down payment usually means that you can borrow more. 
• Your employment history. Being in a steady job makes you a more desirable loan candidate, and usually means a better rate of interest and/or a higher loan amount.

Why this works:

Maybe you have an idea for a topic but don’t know how to expand on the idea in order to thoroughly cover the topic.

People use Google to discover “How” things are done so they can do them too.

Also, the content links to an external source. You need both internal and external links in your blog post.

Personal loan vs auto loan

When comparing personal loans and car loans there are a few things to consider. 

• Personal loans are unsecured, and so usually come with a higher rate of interest than auto loans. They can also be harder to obtain because you generally need a reasonably good credit rating to obtain an unsecured loan. On the plus side, if you can get a personal loan then you can spend it however you wish. Repayment options are often more flexible with personal loans too, allowing room for negotiation on repayment duration and amounts.
• Auto loans are secured against the car that you are buying. This means that you will usually be charged a lower rate of interest, however, if you miss a repayment, then your car is at risk. Because they are a secured loan they are often easier to obtain than personal loans, however, you will have to adhere to the strict repayment criteria as set out in the loan agreement, and you will only be able to spend the money on the car.

Why this works: This post again contrasts auto loans to a different type of loan, car loans.

Also, the post includes a list. Google loves structured content that a list provides.

How to Be the Feature Article Example and Reach Position 0 in Featured Snippets

There are various ways to get chosen as the feature article example and be rewarded with the Featured Snippets spot.

One way is with a list. Google loves to put lists in Position 0 at the top of Page 1 of the SERPs.

How to Add a List in WordPress

In the upper left hand corner of your WordPress screen, you should see a Plus Sign.

Click the Plus Sign and choose List.

Did you notice the previous section contained a bulleted list?

As you see from the screenshot, depending on the Gutenberg block plugin you install, you have your choice of list styles.

How to Be the Feature Article Example and Reach Position 0 in People Also Ask

Add an FAQ (Frequently Ask Question) Box.

Try to add between two and four questions. That way, when people Google your questions, your answers will appear.

How to Add an FAQ Box in WordPress

Step 1: Google your keyword term.

Using the auto loan example, I Googled “auto loan.”

Look:

FAQ stands for “Frequently Asked Questions.” You can also call this “People Also Ask.”

Click the Plus Sign in your WordPress draft to bring in a new block. Choose FAQ.

Type the question you find in the People Also Ask Section at Google and answer the question.

Feature Story Topics

Now you know how to get your feature article to be the feature article example for Google’s Featured Snippets.

However, before you can implement these methods, you need to have an idea for feature story topics.

What will you write about?

These are lucrative feature story topics:

• Fashion
• Food
• Beauty
• Finance
• Health
• Fitness
• Marketing

Source

Check Website Ranking on Google

What if Google doesn’t choose your post to be the feature article example for any of these SERP features?

Is it too late?

No!

Continue to check your post’s website ranking on Google after publication. when you see your post ranking, update the post with fresh content. You can use SERPRobot or other SERP checking tools to check your keywords post publication.

Let’s examine my SERP features screenshot once again:

Many of these posts weren’t written recently. I continue to update my posts like MozBar and Tumblr with fresh content. In fact, if you example the MozBar post, you’ll see the post was written in 2019 and continually updated with fresh content.

How to Reach Position 0: FAQ

How Do You Write a Feature Article?

Make sure there is interest in your topic. Make sure your article is thorough. Cover all areas of the topic. End with a People Also Ask (FAQ) section.

What is An Example of a Google Search Result That Can Be Found in Position 0?

Top Stories, People Also Ask, Featured Snippets, and Image Pack

Wrapping Up: How Your Post Can Be the Feature Article Example and Reach Position 0 at Google

Let’s recap:

To boost the chances of getting to be a Google feature article example and reaching Position 0:

• Use a keyword research tool.
• Cover all areas of your topic.
• Include a list.
• Add an FAQ box.
• After publication, update your content.

In closing, this guide to getting your post in the Featured Snippets box and realizing the other SERP features took an unrelated niche, auto loans, to show how anyone can follow these simple tips so have their posts rank high on Google and get massive search engine traffic.

After reading this guide, I hope you can see that blogging helps SEO. Businesses need blogs. Everyone wanting more search engine traffic should follow these strategies.

These tips were free, quick, and easy. If you can get your post to be the feature article example for these SERP features, you could generate mass traffic for years.

Most bloggers dream of ranking well in Google’s Search Engine Results Pages. Making the Featured Snippets box and getting rewarded with these other SERP features is better than ranking well.

Follow these strategies to rank above the bloggers who rank well.

Please share so bloggers who dream of making Google Featured Snippets can see their dream come true.

I look forward to your answers in the comments section. Have you made the Featured Snippets Box? Do you have additional strategies you can add?

Authors: A Contributing Author and Janice Wald

This post was made possible by the support of our readers.