Google Tests Dropping The Featured Snippet Result From Core Results?

May 15, 2017 - 8:54 am 21 by

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Jennifer Slegg wrote this morning that Google has dropped the second version of the listing for sites that are in the featured snippet. Meaning, if you have a URL in the featured snippet at the top of the page, Google won't show it again on that page, even in the core 10 web results.

Jen wrote:

Google has officially dropped the regular organic result from a page that has already been shown as the featured snippet for the query. Now, the featured snippet is the only result for a page for the particular query.

This came as a hat tip from @RossHudgens who saw it earlier.

Honestly, I cannot replicate it, neither can every other person I asked. I've personally tried dozens of browsers and PCs and tons of other people tried and failed to replicate it as well.

Jennifer did send me a screen shot. So this is what I see:

Google Featured Snippet And Core Results

Jennifer's screen shot shows the featured snippet URL no where on the first page:

Google Featured Snippet And Core Results Missing

She shared another example but I cannot replicate any of them. Like I said, most people cannot including @AndyNRodgers, @bhartzer, @glenngabe, @dr_pete, @pedrodias or @stefanie_wirth.

Maybe this was a bug? Maybe it is something Google is testing? Maybe there is a weird browser plugin messing with the tests? I don't know.

Either way, I wonder how big of a loss it would be if this would happen. The featured snippet takes up most of the screen. If you don't get a second listing on the page, will your click through be impacted all that much?

Do you see this?

Forum discussion at Twitter.

Update: Google sent us this statement: "we're always experimenting with ways to create the best possible experience for our users but have nothing to announce at this time."

 

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