Featured Snippet Statistics for 2026: CTR, Prevalence, Format Breakdown, Voice Search, and AI Overview Impact

In 2026, featured snippets occupy one of the most contested positions in search. Known as “position zero,” these blocks of extracted content appear above the traditional first organic result and have, since their introduction in 2014, reshaped how publishers, marketers, and SEO practitioners approach content structure and search visibility.

The data tells a story of two overlapping forces. On one side, featured snippets remain one of the highest click-through-rate placements on a Google search results page, with independently verified studies showing click-through rates approaching 43%. On the other, the rapid expansion of AI Overviews throughout 2025 has caused featured snippet prevalence to decline sharply - with one large-scale Ahrefs analysis recording a 64% drop in featured snippet visibility between January and June 2025 alone.

Featured snippets appear across paragraph, list, table, and video formats. They are most frequently triggered by question-based queries - particularly those beginning with “why” and “how” - and carry especially high significance for voice search, where 40.7% of all voice answers are pulled directly from featured snippet positions. Their intersection with structured content, domain authority, query length, and content freshness is now documented across dozens of institutional studies and platform datasets.

This article compiles over 70 featured snippet statistics for 2026, drawn from more than 30 distinct primary sources. Data is organized across 10 thematic sections covering adoption and usage, format types, audience behavior, channel performance, conversion trends, trust and authority signals, revenue implications, B2B and B2C patterns, industry-specific findings, and geographic context. All figures are drawn from publicly available data published within the last two years.

Scope and Methodology

Includes only publicly available featured snippet statistics relevant for 2026.
Based on the latest figures published within the last two years.
Sources include primary research, first-party platform data, institutional studies, and industry reports.
Each statistic is listed separately with its original source and study context.
No estimates, forecasts, interpretations, or recommendations are included.

Key Featured Snippet Statistics for 2026

Featured snippets, when present on a SERP, absorb approximately 42.9% of total clicks, representing the highest click-through rate of any element on a Google search results page, based on a 2025 study by First Page Sage.
Featured snippet SERP visibility declined by 64% between January and June 2025, falling from 15.41% to 5.53% of all U.S. desktop search queries, based on a 2025 analysis of 1,000,000 randomly selected SERPs by Ahrefs.
40.7% of all voice search answers are pulled directly from a featured snippet on Google, based on research from Backlinko’s study of 10,000 Google Home queries cited by Digital Silk.
Featured snippets appeared in 19% of all U.S. mobile SERPs, based on a study of 1 million mobile data SERPs by Brado and Semrush cited by MyCodelessWebsite.
Queries yielding featured snippets on one tracked domain fell 35% between September 2024 and March 2025 (from 1.3 million to 839,000 queries), based on a 2025 site-level analysis using Ahrefs data reported by GSQI.
On a second tracked domain, queries yielding featured snippets fell 57% between September 2024 and March 2025 (from 307,000 to 132,000 queries), based on a 2025 site-level analysis by GSQI.
Featured snippets and knowledge panels together capture 42% of all clicks on a search results page, based on research from MyCodelessWebsite cited by SEO Sherpa.
99.58% of featured snippets already rank in organic positions 1 through 10 on Google, based on a large-scale study by Ahrefs cited by Backlinko.
When a featured snippet is present in a SERP, the click-through rate of the position one organic result drops by 5.3%, based on analysis of U.S. SERP data by Sistrix cited by Smart Insights.
8.6% of all clicks on a given search results page go to the featured snippet result, based on a 2024 study of 2 million featured snippets by Ahrefs cited by Kinsta.

Adoption and Usage Statistics

Featured snippets were launched by Google in 2014 and dominated 12.29% of total search queries, representing 14 million out of 112 million total queries analyzed, based on a 2021 dataset examined by Ahrefs cited by MyCodelessWebsite.
A 2020 Semrush study involving 160 million desktop keywords and 46.1 million mobile keywords found that featured snippets appeared 99% of the time for top organic search results, based on findings reported by MyCodelessWebsite.
Semrush reports that 19% of keywords in Google have a featured snippet, based on Semrush platform data cited by SitePoint.
In a contrasting estimate, 12.3% of search queries display a featured snippet, based on an Ahrefs study of 2 million featured snippets cited by Erik Emanuelli.
Semrush reported 4.77% of all queries have a featured snippet in a separate analysis, based on platform data cited by Backlinko.
By June 2025, only 5.53% of SERPs showed a featured snippet, down from approximately 15% in January 2025, based on an Ahrefs analysis cited by Keywords Everywhere.
Google cut featured snippets by approximately 35% between late 2024 and early 2025, coinciding with the expansion of AI-powered answer features, based on site-level tracking reported by GSQI cited by SEO Sherpa.
Double-featured snippets appear in 7.3% of U.S. mobile data SERPs, and GetStat estimates this translates to approximately 605,000 SERPs using featured snippets, based on research by Brado and Semrush cited by MyCodelessWebsite.
The highest number of times a single page has been listed in the featured snippet position (position zero) recorded in the Ahrefs database was 4,658 times, based on a large-scale analysis by Ahrefs cited by Zeo.
28% of the keywords with featured snippets changed their snippet content within any given four-month period, based on a 10,000-keyword analysis across U.S. queries by Ahrefs cited by Zeo.

Audience and Behavioral Statistics

22.1% of Google Search users report that they read featured snippets, and the same percentage said they consider the featured snippet content before clicking the link, based on a 2024 survey cited by Go-Beyond.
Around 30% of people surveyed in a 2022 EngineScout study clicked on featured snippets because they found them informative, based on an EngineScout survey of approximately 3,500 regular Google users cited by Embryo.
Approximately 15% of users clicked on a featured snippet because it was the most noticeable search result, and just over 13% clicked because it appeared in the top position, based on the 2022 EngineScout survey cited by Embryo.
Featured snippets received more than 35% of total click-share on SERPs where they appeared, based on an EngineScout survey of 3,500+ regular Google users cited by SitePoint.
Double-featured snippets combined with a knowledge panel picked up 42% of total clicks, outperforming regular search listings, based on an EngineScout study cited by Embryo.
More than 50% of mobile screens in the U.S. are occupied by a featured snippet when one is present, based on a Semrush study on 10,000 SERPs scaled to iPhone X and Google Pixel screen sizes, cited by SitePoint.
The optimum number of words in a search query for triggering a featured snippet is 10, with 55.5% of 10-word queries generating a featured snippet, based on Semrush research cited by Embryo.
Only 4.3% of single-word searches trigger a featured snippet, compared to 55.5% for 10-word queries, based on Semrush research cited by Embryo.
54% of featured snippets come from long-tail searches with fewer than 50 searches per month, based on a Backlinko study cited by Embryo.

Channel Performance Statistics

When a featured snippet is present, organic click-through rates for position one fall from an average of 39.8% to between 38.9% and 42.9% depending on device and layout, based on a 2025 study by First Page Sage.
The top-ranking organic result achieves an average CTR of 39.8% when no featured snippet or AI Overview is present, versus 42.9% when a featured snippet is present and the same page holds the snippet, based on a 2025 analysis by First Page Sage cited by AIOSEO.
Organic CTR on mobile is approximately 50% lower than on desktop overall, and web pages in featured snippets achieve nearly 44% CTR on desktop, based on research from Keystaragency.
The first organic listing on mobile receives 6.74% of clicks, compared to 8.17% on desktop, based on SEOClarity data cited by Backlinko.
Featured snippets’ SERP visibility declined alongside the growth of AI Overviews, which increased 598% between January and June 2025, based on a 2025 analysis of 1 million U.S. desktop SERPs by Ahrefs.
Sitelinks increased by 906% between January and June 2025 in the same analysis, becoming one of the fastest-growing SERP features as featured snippets declined, based on a 2025 analysis of 1 million U.S. desktop SERPs by Ahrefs.
People Also Ask (PAA) boxes now appear in approximately 64.9% of all searches, based on Semrush data cited by SEO Sherpa.

Conversion and Acquisition Statistics

99.2357% of featured snippets are found in position one organic search results, based on a Semrush study of 1 million mobile data SERPs cited by Embryo.
Approximately 70% of featured snippets are sourced from web pages ranking in positions 2 through 10 in organic results, based on research cited by Niumatrix.
Domain authority plays a significant role in featured snippet selection; when two pages have similar characteristics, Semrush data indicates that domain authority becomes a deciding factor, based on Semrush research cited by Zeo.
The average definition featured snippet is between 40 and 60 words long, based on a Semrush analysis of snippet text length cited by Backlinko.
Paragraph featured snippets display an optimal word count of between 40 and 50 words, where 50-word snippets appear in 20% of SERPs and 40-word snippets appear in 19.27% of SERPs, based on research cited by MyCodelessWebsite.
Using 55 words for paragraph snippets drops appearance rate to 8%, while 35-word snippets appear in 12.73% of cases, based on research cited by MyCodelessWebsite.
41.59% of all queries that have featured snippets can be classified as questions, based on Semrush research cited by Zeo.

Trust, Influence, and Perception Statistics

29% of queries that trigger a featured snippet start with question-based words such as “why,” “can,” or “do,” with “why” triggering the most at 77.6% prevalence, based on Semrush and Brado research on 1 million mobile SERPs cited by Embryo.
“Why” questions generate paragraph-format featured snippets 99.96% of the time, the highest occurrence rate of any question type, based on a study by Ghergich & Co and Semrush cited by MyCodelessWebsite.
“How” questions trigger list-format featured snippets 46.91% of the time, the highest list snippet prevalence of any question type, based on a study by Ghergich & Co and Semrush cited by MyCodelessWebsite.
“Have” questions trigger list-format featured snippets at a rate of 17.71%, making them the second-highest trigger for list snippets after “How,” based on a study by Ghergich & Co and Semrush cited by MyCodelessWebsite.
“Are,” “Was,” “Will,” and “Does” question types generate list-format featured snippets at 0.00%, making them exclusively paragraph-format snippet triggers, based on a study by Ghergich & Co and Semrush cited by MyCodelessWebsite.
89% of pages appearing in featured snippets have higher-than-average social interactions, based on Semrush research cited by Zeo.
70% of articles featured in snippets were published within the last three years, and this pattern was observed for 80.4% of websites with one to three URL subfolders, based on Semrush and Brado research cited by MyCodelessWebsite.
53% of featured snippet content remained unchanged over a four-month analysis period, while 11% changed four times during the same window, based on a keyword analysis by Ahrefs cited by Zeo.

Customer Value and Retention Statistics

Only 0.4% of featured snippets link to a homepage with no subfolders, while 37% feature a URL with two subfolders, indicating Google strongly favors deep-linking over root domain links for featured snippets, based on Semrush research cited by Embryo.
91% of keywords in the Brado and Semrush dataset had featured snippets appearing on both mobile and desktop, demonstrating consistency across device types, based on research cited by Embryo.
A featured snippet appearing in position zero can drive more clicks than the traditional position one result for the same query, making snippet ownership more valuable than a standard top organic ranking for certain keyword types, based on analysis in the Ahrefs study of 2 million featured snippets cited by Kinsta.
Pages with schema markup are 33% more likely to appear in voice search results, where featured snippets supply 40.7% of answers, based on research cited by Marketing LTB.
92.36% of AI Overview citations come from domains ranking in the top 10 organic results — the same pool from which featured snippets are drawn — based on 2025 research cited by Dataslayer.

Revenue and Business Impact Statistics

Brands cited in AI Overviews, which are displacing featured snippets, earn 35% more organic clicks and 91% more paid clicks compared to those not cited, based on a 2025 analysis by Seer Interactive cited by SuperPrompt.
Organic CTR for informational queries with AI Overviews present has declined 61% since June 2024, while organic CTR for queries without AI Overviews has declined 25–41% over the same period, based on a 2025 analysis of 25.1 million impressions by Seer Interactive.
The Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) services market, which includes optimization strategies previously applied to featured snippets, was valued at $886 million in 2024, based on 2025 market data cited by Onely.
AI Overviews peaked at appearing for 24.61% of all queries in July 2025 before stabilizing at approximately 15 to 16% — a threshold at which featured snippet displacement is most pronounced — based on Semrush analysis of 10 million+ keywords cited by ALM Corp.
In April 2025, AI Overviews reduced clicks to top-ranking content (the same pages most likely to hold featured snippets) by 34.5%, and by December 2025 that figure had grown to 58%, based on an updated Ahrefs study of 300,000 keywords published by Ahrefs.

B2B vs B2C Statistics

Featured snippets and AI Overview citations both overwhelmingly favor informational queries, with 88.1% of AI Overview appearances triggered by informational content — the same query type most likely to generate a featured snippet — based on a 2025 study of 10 million+ keywords by Semrush.
In January 2025, 91.3% of queries triggering AI Overviews were informational; by October 2025 that share had declined to 57.1% as AI expanded to commercial queries, creating new competition for featured snippet territory in transactional SERPs, based on a 2025 Semrush study cited by Semrush.
Featured snippets appear together with the “People Also Ask” box 73% of the time when a query is 10 words long, and 71% of the time when a query is 9 words long, based on Semrush research cited by MyCodelessWebsite.
Voice search queries average 29 words in length compared to 3 to 4 words for text searches, and 40.7% of all voice answers are drawn from featured snippet positions, meaning featured snippet content is disproportionately served to voice users who search with longer, conversational queries, based on Backlinko research cited by Sci-Tech Today.

Industry-Specific Statistics

In the Computer and Electronics and Travel industries, 62% of search queries analyzed from a Brado and Semrush study of 1 million mobile SERPs triggered featured snippets, making them the highest-prevalence industries for this SERP feature, based on research cited by MyCodelessWebsite.
In the Arts and Entertainment industry, 59% of search queries generated featured snippets in the same Brado and Semrush dataset, based on research cited by MyCodelessWebsite.
In the Science industry, 54% of search queries triggered featured snippets in the Brado and Semrush analysis, based on research cited by MyCodelessWebsite.
Only 11% of keywords in the Real Estate category prompt featured snippets to appear on U.S. mobile SERPs, the lowest prevalence of tracked industries, based on STAT Search Analytics data cited by MyCodelessWebsite.
In the food and drink industry, AI Overviews replacing featured snippets increased by 7.25 percentage points between March and November 2025, the largest increase of any tracked sector in a 2025 analysis of 11,000 domains by Semrush cited by ALM Corp.
Science-related queries consistently show the highest AI Overview prevalence among all tracked industries, representing a category where featured snippet displacement is most advanced, based on a 2025 analysis of 11,000 domains by Semrush cited by ALM Corp.

Regional or Geographic Statistics

Paragraph-format featured snippets appear at a rate of 70.5% on mobile SERPs compared to 69.6% on desktop SERPs in the U.S., based on STAT Search Analytics data cited by MyCodelessWebsite.
Table-format featured snippets appear 5.0% of the time on mobile and 3.7% on desktop in U.S. SERPs, based on STAT Search Analytics data cited by MyCodelessWebsite.
Video-format featured snippets appear at a rate of 3.6% on mobile and 2.0% on desktop in U.S. SERPs, based on STAT Search Analytics data cited by MyCodelessWebsite.
List-format featured snippets are the only format appearing more often on desktop (24.7%) than on mobile (20.8%) in U.S. SERPs, based on STAT Search Analytics data cited by MyCodelessWebsite.
In the U.S., Google holds 88.9% of the overall search market share as of recently published data, meaning featured snippet strategies are primarily applicable to a U.S.-dominated Google ecosystem, based on 2025 data cited by Coozmoo.
Google controls over 94% of global mobile search market share, meaning featured snippet optimization applies to the dominant mobile search platform in virtually all major geographic markets, based on 2025 data cited by AllOutSEO.

Format Breakdown Statistics

70% of all featured snippets appear in paragraph format, based on a Semrush study of 10 million SERPs cited by MyCodelessWebsite.
19.1% of all featured snippets appear in list format, with the average list snippet containing 44 words across 6 items, based on Semrush research cited by Embryo.
6.3% of featured snippets appear in table format, with the average table snippet containing 5 rows and 2 columns, based on Semrush research cited by Embryo.
4.6% of featured snippets appear in video format, with an average duration of 6 minutes and 35 seconds, based on Semrush research cited by MyCodelessWebsite.
Ahrefs research shows approximately 7.3% of featured snippets use the table format, noting that fewer websites correctly set up table markup, creating a relative gap that makes table snippets achievable for structured data publishers, based on Ahrefs data cited by Niumatrix.
Paragraph snippets are most commonly triggered by “what” and “why” queries, while list snippets are most commonly triggered by “how” queries, based on research by Ghergich & Co and Semrush cited by SitePoint.
The average voice search result page contains 2,312 words, and 40.7% of those voice results are drawn from featured snippet content, meaning featured snippet source pages are substantially longer than the snippet text itself, based on Backlinko research of 10,000 Google Home queries cited by Sci-Tech Today.

References

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