Stole 4 featured snippets last month with one rule: match the format of the current winner.

Stole 4 featured snippets last month with one rule: match the format of the current winner.

Not the content — the FORMAT.

If the snippet's a numbered list, you need a cleaner numbered list. If it's a paragraph, a paragraph won't beat it with a table. Google picks the format it already chose, then swaps in whoever does it best.

My flow:

— Screenshot the live snippet
— Match its exact shape (list/table/40-word para)
— Make mine tighter and put it right under the H2

4 for 7 attempts. The 3 misses? I tried to win a list snippet with prose. Format first, quality second. Go match one.