How to write a comparison table Google will lift

For comparison questions, "conventional vs FHA," "Sofwave vs Ultherapy," "10x10 vs 10x15 storage unit," Google often shows a table in the answer box. It lifts tables that are real HTML tables, have a header row, compare the same few factors for each option, and sit under a heading worded as the comparison. Three to six rows, two to four columns, plain cell text.

The rules

Use a real table, not an image or a styled list.
Put the options across the top and the factors down the side, or the reverse, but be consistent.
Keep cells short: a number, a word, a short phrase.
Put the heading right above it, worded like the search: "FHA vs conventional loan."
Add one sentence above the table that states the main difference, for the snippet fallback.

An example

Heading: "Conventional vs FHA loan." Sentence: "FHA loans allow a lower credit score and a 3.5% down payment; conventional loans need a higher score but drop mortgage insurance once you have 20% equity." Table: rows for minimum down payment, minimum credit score, mortgage insurance, loan limits; columns for FHA and conventional. That is the box for that question in your state.

Where it goes

On the service page that sells one of the options, or on a guide page that links to both. Not in a blog post about the history of mortgages.

Questions people ask

Do page builders make real tables?

Most do, with a table block. Avoid the ones that build a table from divs; Google cannot read those as a table.

Can I compare my business to competitors?

Compare options, not competitors by name. A table that says the other guy is worse is not lifted and not trusted.

How many comparisons per page?

One, matching the page’s question.

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