A featured snippet is a box near the top of Google's results that quotes a direct answer from one page, as a paragraph, list or table, with a link to the source.
Why it matters
It puts your page above the regular results. For some searches it brings more clicks; for quick facts, people may get the answer without clicking. Either way, it shows your brand as the source.
Example
For "cold brew ratio", Google might show "Use 1 part coffee to 4 parts water for a concentrate…" quoted from one recipe page.
What to do
Answer the question clearly and early, right under a heading that matches it, in a short paragraph, list or table. Then expand with detail below.