Even casual Google users have probably noticed how much the Search Engine Results Pages (SERP) have changed over the past couple of decades. The iconic blue link, green URL and black description text have gone from the only thing in the search results to the most basic thing, with a lot of other ingredients tossed into the salad as well. From maps previews to local business boxes to booking widgets and more, the Google SERP is a rich place full of features designed to serve user needs as quickly as possible.

These changes can be a challenge for publishers across all verticals, including DMO websites, as Google often repackages our information and give it to users without ever sending them to our websites. Nonetheless, Google gets to do what it wants much of the time whether we like it or not, and it's up to us to adapt and take advantage of any opportunities we can find.

That being said, one of the most important SERP features to take advantage of is the Featured Snippet. This feature is a segment of your content that Google may pull out and present to users like a block quote, along with a prominent mention of your brand and a link to the source of the info. This snippet, as it appears at the very top of the SERP, is one of the best ways to reach users on high-traffic keywords. Getting into that position requires some careful and subtle adjustments to your site, both in content and in code.

To learn how your destination can capture a featured snippet and win invaluable real estate for high-value tourism search topics, download our the latest edition of our State of DMO SEO report.