How proper SEO and the Drupal CMS helped my article be a Google featured snippet

Proper search engine optimization (SEO) techniques and the use of Drupal 10 played a significant role in making my article a Google search featured snippet for the keyword "Solid Principles Drupal". In this article, we will explore how these factors contributed to the success and visibility of the article.

I've been meaning to try this experiment (of deliberate things I can do to improve the page ranking) and I choose this particular topic because a lot of people are confused around it, there is limited information and it is also quite frequently googled. I am trying to also do the same for the keywords "Drupal design patterns" and have written articles about it for the same here and here. The sole purpose of this paragraph is to increase the page ranking of that page. :) Fingers crossed!

1. SEO Best Practices:
   To attain a featured snippet, it's crucial to follow SEO best practices. Here are some key aspects that helped optimize the article for search engines:
   1. Keyword Research: The article focused on a specific keyword, "Solid Principles Drupal." Thorough keyword research helped identify this relevant and specific keyword with a reasonable search volume. You can use Yoast SEO which is an excellent module to help you focus your keyword and write content accordingly.
   2. On-Page Optimization: The article incorporated the target keyword strategically throughout the content, including in the url-slug, title, headings, and body. It also included relevant subheadings, bullet points, and informative content that answered the user's query.
   3. Meta Tags: Proper meta tags, including meta title and meta description, were optimized to include the target keyword and provide a concise summary of the article's content. This optimization helps search engines understand the relevance and value of the article. Drupal's metatag module helped me greatly in this.
   4. High-Quality Content: The article provided detailed information about SOLID principles in Drupal, explaining each principle with examples. It was well-structured, easy to read, and provided value to readers.
   5. Internal and External Linking: The article incorporated internal links to related content within the website and external links to reputable sources, where relevant. This linking strategy improves the overall user experience and helps search engines determine the article's credibility. To be very honest, this is not done as well as I'd wanted it to be. But it was enough. This goes to show you can miss a few things if you make sure you hit at least 90% of the items on your SEO checklist.
   6. Mobile-Friendly Design: The article and the website were optimized for mobile devices (using the Olivero theme), ensuring a positive user experience across different screen sizes. Mobile-friendliness is an essential ranking factor, considering the increasing number of mobile users. 
2. Drupal CMS Features:
   The choice of Drupal CMS contributed to the success of achieving the featured snippet. Here are some Drupal features that played a role:
   1. SEO-Friendly Architecture: Drupal CMS is known for its built-in SEO features. It offers clean URLs, customizable meta tags, XML sitemap generation, and easy content management, allowing for effective SEO implementation.
   2. Custom Content Types: Drupal enables the creation of custom content types, making it easier to organize and structure content based on specific needs. Properly structured content helps search engines understand the information hierarchy and enhances the chances of being featured in search results. I've created a new content type called "Shorts" for quick read short articles that just addresses a single problem.
   3. SEO Modules: Drupal offers various contributed modules focused on SEO. Modules like Metatag, Pathauto, and Redirect help optimize meta tags, generate search engine-friendly URLs, and manage redirects, respectively. These modules empower website administrators to enhance the SEO aspects of the website easily.
   4. Responsive Design: Drupal CMS provides responsive themes and allows website builders to create mobile-friendly designs. Responsive design is crucial for SEO, as it ensures a seamless user experience across different devices and improves search engine rankings.

A combination of proper SEO techniques and the use of Drupal CMS contributed to the achievement of a Google search featured snippet for the keyword "Solid Principles Drupal." The implementation of SEO best practices, the creation of high-quality content, and the flexibility and SEO-friendly features of Drupal CMS all played a role in ensuring the article's visibility and prominence in search engine results.