Rich snippets: how to stand out from the competition?

What is a rich snippet?

A rich snippet is a short piece of text that appears under a search result on a search engine results page. It is meant to give the searcher more information about what they can expect to find on your website. For this purpose, they use structural data, i.e. microdata supporting the work of search engine robots. They are marked with:

• products,
• events (dates and places),
• local companies (contact details),
• books,
• music,
• movies,
• persons,
• instructions.

They are often displayed in the form of a numbered know-how list, as if in the form of instructions. They are faster for users and more intuitive. It is also easy to compare certain functions. Rich snippets most often use websites with mobile applications containing a lot of original content.

Remember that rich snippets are a kind of dynamic function that changes over time. One day your piece may be on top, and the next day it may fall. This is due to the high competition on the web. So you have to be vigilant all the time! Additionally, they can be removed if they have already been shown and will be considered spam or link manipulation.

Schema.org

Microdata is added to the HTML code content on the page. Thanks to them, each administrator can use uniform tag definitions for different search engines. In the context of positioning, many specialists believe that they are useful in persuading users to use the site, can increase the click-through rate (CTR) and affect the traffic on the site.

Featured snippets

Rich snippets are often confused with the latter type of snippet. Structured data is not used for Featured snippets. Here, Google chooses the best answer to the query at its discretion and automatically highlights the related fragment.

What type of content can be enhanced with rich snippets?

Rich snippets can be used to enhance the following types of content:

• rating stars,
• price,
• availability,
• form of delivery,
• breadcrumb menu,
• structured data for articles,
• carousel in search results,
• culinary recipes,
• extended fragments regarding events (name, date, price),
• FAQ.

By adding extra information to your content, you can help it stand out from the competition and give users the information they need at a glance. Plus, rich snippets can help your content appear higher in search results, making it more likely that users will see and click on your listing.

Step 1: Prepare your metadata

If you want your website to appear in Google’s search results with rich snippets, you need to make sure your metadata is in order. This means having accurate and up-to-date titles, descriptions, and images for your pages. You can also add structured data markup to your website to help Google understand your content better.

Step 2: Check your website for consistency

When creating or updating your website, it’s important to check for consistency across all of your pages. This includes making sure that your NAP is up-to-date and identical on every page, as well as ensuring that your business hours are accurate. Inconsistencies can be confusing for customers and can lead them to believe that you’re not a credible source of information.

Step 3: Choose your format

When it comes to rich snippets, there are a few different formats you can choose from. The most common are lists, tables, and ratings. But which one is right for you?

Step 4: Apply for sitelinks

One way to make your site stand out in search results is by applying for sitelinks. Sitelinks are links to specific pages on your site that appear beneath your main listing. Google says that sitelinks can be useful in helping users navigate your site.

Step 5: Finalize your markups

Once you have your markups in place, it’s time to finalize them. This means making sure they’re error-free and accurate. Check your markups against Google’s structured data testing tool to ensure there are no errors. You should also test your markups on different browsers and devices to make sure they appear correctly. After you’ve done all this, you’re ready to publish your markups.

How to implement them?

First you need to define the contextual characteristic data and then mark it (it can be price, date, customer rating – everything). Microdata Markup is used for marking. And that’s it, everything is displayed in the search engine.

The second option is to implement rich snippets in Google Search Console. The Data Highlighter is used for this. To use it, go to your panel and select the “Start award” tab. Then select the correct URL and the type of information you selected, then select the “Publish” section.

The data can also be implemented in the HTML code of the page. This is the manual work of adding markup. Here’s a tip: an org file will come in handy in this context to help you select tags. Note, however, that for data implemented in code, we cannot be sure that rich snippets will appear in the search results.

The last option is to use the potential of a plugin, for example Yoast or Rank Math, if you are using WordPress. To verify the correctness of the implemented data, it is recommended to use the Rich Results Test tool from Google.

Summary

If you want to draw attention to your business, product or service on the web and stand out from the competition, you need to learn how to implement Rich Snippets in your web content strategy. They make it easier for users to quickly understand your search result, allowing them to quickly gauge whether they want to click on it or not.

Rich snippets are a great way to make your site stand out from the competition. By providing additional information about your content, you can give users a better idea of what your site has to offer. Plus, rich snippets can help improve your click-through rate, which can lead to more traffic and conversions. So if you’re looking for a way to get ahead of the competition, rich snippets are a great option.