Do Rich Snippets Help SEO?
Everybody wants to have an edge when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO). Rich snippets are considered one of the most discussed characteristics of the past several years. Do they, however, benefit your SEO? The short answer is yes. In more ways than you would imagine.
This article will deconstruct the meaning of rich snippets, the impact of rich snippets on search engine optimization and how you can leverage the rich snippets to make your site perform better in search engines such as Google.
What Are Rich Snippets?
Enhanced search results are known as rich snippets which provide supplementary information on top of the common title, URL and meta description. This additional information is dragged off of organised information markup on your web site.
Examples of Rich Snippets:
- Star ratings for reviews.
- Prices and availability of the products.
- Event dates and locations.
- Cooking time and ingredients of recipe.
- FAQs and How-To steps.
These additional details will assist the search engines to learn more about your content- and they will assist the user decide whether to come to your link or not.
How Rich Snippets Work
Rich snippets are based upon what is known as structured data otherwise referred to as schema markup. It is a kind of code you place on your web pages to provide more background information to the search engine on what is on your web pages.
To use an example, when you post a recipe on a food blog and use schema markup on the post, Google will be able to show the cooking time, calorie content and user ratings in the search-result.
Do Rich Snippets Affect SEO Rankings?
This is where it is interesting. Rich snippets do not directly enhance your rankings as Google says.
But they do affect things that are important to SEO, including:
Increased Click-Through Rates
When your item has stars, pictures or elaborate content, people will be more inclined to get a click. Increased CTR informs search engines that your content is relevant and useful which will indirectly increase your rankings.
Example:
When two websites are ranked with the same keyword, and one has rich snippets and the other does not, there is a high probability that the user will be inclined to use the one that has the improved snippets.
Better User Experience
Rich snippets give a preview of what you have to offer to users and they can find what they require quicker. This implies that the traffic that you have is more qualified- individuals that click have high chances of remaining, interacting, and converting.
Lower Bounce Rates
Users are less likely to bounce back to the search results since they know more on what to expect prior to clicking. The bounce rate is lower, which can be a good indicator in the long run of SEO.
Benefits of Rich Snippets for American Businesses
Provided that you target an American audience, rich snippets may provide you with competitive advantage in the saturated markets such as e-commerce, food blogging, legal services, and healthcare.
Examples:
- Shoppers can be further motivated to click on a product page containing pricing and availability.
- A law firm having FAQ rich snippets can provide immediate response to frequent legal related questions and this can form trust.
- An event listing in the area and date with ticket information enables users to act fast.
Rich snippets enhance credibility and trust in the U.S. where users are demanding quick and relevant results.
Types of Rich Snippets You Can Use
There Are Many Types of Schema Markup That You Can Exploit Depending On Your Niche:
Review Snippets
Display star ratings and number of reviews of products, services or content.
Product Snippets
Show product name, price, brand, availability and review.
Recipe Snippets
Add cooking time, ingredients, calories and star ratings.
FAQ Snippets
Include a list of questions and answers which appear in the search results directly.
How-To Snippets
Display step-by-step diagrams with illustrations and directions.
Event Snippets
Mark events, venues, and availability of tickets of local or virtual events.
How to Add Rich Snippets to Your Website
In order to have rich snippets, you must include structured data markup involving formats such as JSON-LD (favored by Google), Microdata, or RDFa.
Actions to Take to Add Rich Snippets:
Choose the Right Schema Type
Visit schema.org to identify the most useful markup to your content.
Add the Code to Your Web Page
Insert the organized data in the HTML of the page with the help of the JSON-LD format.
Test with Google’s Tools
Use the Rich Results Test to verify whether your page is rich snippet eligible.
Submit Updated Pages to Google
Indexing of new pages can be requested using Google Search Console.
Best Practices on How to use Rich Snippets
In order to take the advantage of rich snippets to the fullest, the following best practices should be observed:
Make Accurate and Honest Markup
Do not attempt to defraud Google with spurious reviews or spurious data.
Keep Your Content Updated
The old information will damage your credibility and search engine optimization.
Focus on User Intent
Add markup which is actually useful to the users, not just what looks flashy.
Follow Google’s Guidelines
Breaking the rich results policies of Google may lead to a manual penalty or de-enhanced listings.
Are There Any Downsides to Rich Snippets?
Although Rich Snippets are Generally Useful, One Can Distinguish Several Possible Disadvantages:
No Guaranteed Display
Although you have perfect structured data your page may not have rich snippets shown by Google.
Increased Competition
When everybody in your niche is using rich snippets, then you will have to work a little harder to be noticed.
Potential Zero Click Searches
Other users can obtain all the information they require on the snippet and not even make a visit to your website. This is more prevalent in FAQ or How-To material.
The cons are usually not as numerous as the pros, however, unless you produce quality and useful content.
Bill Yeager, Co-Owner of High Point SEO & Marketing in CT
