If you’re a newcomer to the SEO world, you might have seen the words ‘rich snippets’ floating around. The reason for this is simple: they’re a significant part of any online marketing efforts.
However, what even is a rich snippet? How does it function? What role does it play in SEO? Thankfully this guide has all of the answers. You don’t have to wait any longer to see how rich snippets can benefit your business.
What are rich snippets?
First of all, let’s cover the snippets side of things. A snippet is displayed following a search query in Google. A user will generally be faced with multiple snippets, with standard ones featuring these details:
- URL
- Title tag
- Meta description
To demonstrate this more effectively, this is a normal snippet that shows up after searching “easy pancake recipe” in Google:
If you frequent Google, you’ll have seen plenty of these in the past. This is because the vast majority of search queries are made with standard snippets. However, rich snippets are becoming a more frequent occurrence. Taking the regular snippet template, the ‘richness’ is found in the various extra details that are included. Following the same “easy pancake recipe” query, here’s a rich snippet example:
When you compare the two together, it’s easy to understand why Google rich snippets receive so much attention from an SEO point of view. With the addition of an image, rating score, and other details, rich snippets stand out from the crowd.
Rich snippets and their SEO importance
Rich snippets are the turbocharged member of the snippet family. As well as being much more aesthetically pleasing, a rich snippet delivers valuable extra data – a luxury when space is a premium on Google. Going back to the pancakes example, viewers can instantly see the recipe rating, how long it takes to finish, and the calories it features.
With these added details, users gain a greater insight into what Preppy Kitchen has to offer – and they’ll be more inclined to visit their website as a result. With more people clicking on the link, the site gains a greater organic click-through rate thanks to the rich snippet.
Any SEO strategy labels a higher CTR as a priority. First of all, you gain the added traffic boost that a rich snippet supplies. Yet the long-term benefits should be the focus. Google will notice your webpage receiving more attention than others, and this will prompt them to move your site further up the search rankings.
Rich snippets examples
Did you know there are numerous rich snippet types available? The bad news is the majority are only applicable to certain industries. For example, music album details can be upgraded to a rich snippet – yet only a minimal number of websites feature this type of information.
Here’s a sample of the different rich snippets:
- Reviews: Reviews feature a rating system. Aggregate scores are allowed, as are individual reviews (alongside the reviewer’s name).
- Recipes: As noted previously, recipe snippets include details like a rating, cooking time, and a picture.
- Product mark-up: When a product is for sale, this rich snippet includes the price, stock status, and rating.
- Music: When a rich snippet covers an album or song, information such as the genre, producer(s), release date, and track length are spotlighted.
- Events: When an event is given the rich snippet treatment, it displays details like the date, time, and location.
- Organization: When searching for a prominent organization, extra info is displayed beside the usual search results. This info tends to include a brief Wikipedia description, social media profiles, the date it was founded, etc.
Understanding the rich snippets basics
Right now, you likely want to know how to create rich snippets. The benefits are there for all to see. Yet actually taking a regular snippet and giving it the ‘rich’ treatment is far from a straightforward task.
To achieve the rich snippet goal, structured data is required. Structured data opens the door for Google to better understand your content, and this is necessary for it to pull those additional details to form a rich snippet.
As an example, say you want to populate your food blog with your own pancake recipe. If you fail to use structured data, Google’s going to seriously struggle to understand:
- The steps involved in the cooking process
- The required time for the recipe
- Number of calories
- The correct recipe image
When structured data is in place, however, Google begins to understand those types of details. It will read the structured data’s code, pick out the relevant info, and craft a rich snippet for the recipe post.
So how do you incorporate structured data code? Fortunately, there are various ways to do this without too much effort. For instance, WordPress has numerous plugins that allow you to structure your data efficiently.
When crafting rich snippets, remember the same rules apply when producing a normal snippet. This means your content writing needs to remain on point, with compelling titles and descriptions.
If you feel your structured data is complete, it’s important to test your setup, so you know it’s functioning correctly. To do this, the Google rich snippet checker is highly recommended.
The Google rich snippet testing tool
The good news is the Google rich snippets testing tool isn’t just effective, but it is also simple to use.
To run a test, locate the “Test your structured data” section and add your rich snippets test URL. Alternatively, you have the choice to copy and paste the relevant HTML code into the rich snippet testing tool.
When you add the URL/code to the Google rich snippet tool, press the “Run Test” button. Once the rich snippet test has finished, it will show your page’s current structured data. Additionally, the rich snippet previous tool displays any errors that may exist.
Just remember: even if you have perfectly set up your structured data, there’s no guarantee it will appear as a rich snippet on Google.
At Click Intelligence, we realize that optimizing Google SEO rich snippets is a daunting task. Thankfully you don’t have to go it alone. With our managed SEO campaigns, our team of experts will work tirelessly to acquire those rich snippets and enhance your marketing efforts.
