Rich snippet definition: what is a rich result?
A rich snippet (or enriched result) is a Google search result that displays information additional compared to a classic blue link: stars reviews, price, product image, breadcrumbs, FAQ, carousel, etc.
This additional information is generated from the structured data present in the code of your page, often in JSON-LD format, based on vocabulary schema.org. You describe your content in a standardized way so that Google understands precisely what speaks the page and can display it in the form of rich results.
Why use rich snippets in your SEO strategy?
Rich snippets do not directly increase your position in the SERP, but they greatly improve visibility and the attractiveness of your results. Concretely, they allow:
- to increase your click-through rate (CTR): a result with stars, prices, FAQ or image stands out much more on the page;
- to better qualify traffic: the Internet user has more information before clicking and knows better what to expect;
- to structure your brand presence in Google: logo, breadcrumbs, local business details, profile page, etc. ;
- to open access to certain advanced features such as carousels, product results, FAQs, videos or events.
Ultimately, structured data acts as a overlay of readability for Google: they allow it to better interpret your content and present it in the most useful form possible for the user.
Types of features using structured data
Google offers many rich results features based on structured data. Here are the main types of features which we find most often.
Editorial content and navigation
- Article: current content, blog articles, news.
- Breadcrumbs: display of the page hierarchy in the SERPs.
- Carousel: set of results displayed as a horizontal list.
- Discussion forum: topics and answers for community platforms.
- Questions / Answers on education: structured educational content.
Brand, company and local
- Local establishment: address, hours, telephone, contact details.
- Organization: name, logo, official website, social networks.
- Profile page: official page of a person or brand.
- Job offer: job advertisements visible in the dedicated module.
- Overall employer rating: reviews given to a company.
Products and e-commerce
- Product: product sheet with price, availability, reviews.
- Product extract: basic information about a product.
- Merchant record: data linked to the merchant.
- Variants: variations of the same product.
- Merchant return conditions: return policy.
- Merchant's delivery conditions: deadlines, costs, shipping methods.
- Loyalty program: benefits or points associated with purchases.
Education and practical content
- List of courses: training catalogs or online courses.
- Practical problem: exercises, quizzes, interactive cases.
- Questions / Answers: structured Q/A blocks.
- Mathematical solver: problem-solving oriented content.
Recipes, reviews and consumer content
- Recipe: recipes with time, ingredients, calories.
- Review extract: aggregated ratings and stars.
- Software application: application sheet with rating, price, platform.
- Element that can be spoken: content optimized for voice reading.
Images, videos and media
- Image metadata: information on the rights, the creator or the visual.
- Film carousel: enhanced display of films.
- Video: duration, chapters, preview, video data.
Access to content and hosting
- Content subject to a paywall or accessible by subscription: indication of restricted access.
- Holiday rental: seasonal rental ads with prices and availability.
All these formats are based on structured data types specific. By following Google's guidelines, you increase your chances to appear in these different enriched results.
How to implement structured data on your site?
To enable rich snippets, you must integrate
structured data in the code of your pages. Today,
Google widely recommends the JSON-LD format, inserted in
a tag.
The main stages:
- identify relevant rich result types for your activity: product, article, FAQ, event, local business, video, etc. ;
- consult the official documentation to verify the properties mandatory and recommended;
- implement the appropriate schema.org markup in your models, templates or CMS sheets;
- validate your implementation with a dedicated testing tool;
- monitor the proper consideration of data in the Google Search Console.
The goal is not to overload your pages with markup, but add structured data that accurately reflects the actual content visible to the user.
Test and track your rich snippets
Two Google tools are essential to work correctly on your structured data and your rich snippets.
1. Testing rich results
The Enriched results test allows:
- parse a URL or code snippet containing JSON-LD;
- detect errors and warnings in your markup;
- to see what types of rich results are eligible for the page tested.
2. Google Search Console
The Google Search Console is the central interface for tracking the health of your site in Google search.
On the rich snippets side, it allows:
- consult dedicated reports to certain types of structured data;
- identify valid pages, errors and possible improvements;
- track clicks, impressions and CTR of rich results;
- to request a correction validation after resolving a problem.
By combining page-by-page testing and Search Console for global vision, you secure the implementation of your structured data.
Best practices and mistakes to avoid
As with the rest of SEO, rich snippets can be used cleanly or in a risky way. Here are some recommendations.
Align structured data with actual content
The information in your markup must match exactly what the user sees on the page.
- no invented advice notes;
- no different prices between the code and the interface;
- no hidden FAQs just to generate an enriched display.
Follow Google’s guidelines
Google strictly regulates the use of certain types of data structured. Failure to follow these rules may result in deactivation of your rich results.
Do not over-optimize
No need to try to enable every possible format on every page. Focus on:
- pages with high potential;
- natural formats for your business;
- content that is really useful for the user.
Monitor reports regularly
A redesign, theme change or plugin update may break structured data without you seeing it immediately. Hence the interest in:
- regularly check your pages with the enriched results test;
- monitor Search Console reports for errors.
FAQ: rich snippets and structured data
What is a rich snippet in SEO?A rich snippet is an enriched search result by additional visual elements such as stars, images, prices, FAQs or reviews, generated using structured data present in the code of the page.
What is the difference between rich snippet and structured data?Structured data is the technical markup added to a page to describe its content. The rich snippet is the visual result in Google that can result from this. The data structured are the technical basis, the rich snippet is the possible display.
Do rich snippets improve natural SEO?Rich snippets do not directly increase the position of a page, but they can strongly improve CTR. At equal position, an enriched result is more eye-catching and often generates more clicks.
How to add structured data to your site?
The recommended way is to use JSON-LD based
on schema.org, integrated into a tag
.
Markup can be added manually, via plugins,
or by custom development.
You can use the Rich results test to analyze a URL or code snippet, then view the Google Search Console to track errors, warnings, valid pages and CTR evolution.
Should all pages be marked with structured data?It is better to start with the strategic pages: best content, main products, local pages, priority FAQs. Not all pages are necessarily suitable for an enriched result.
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