Definition:
Rich snippets are pieces of information in HTML code that can include a wide variety of data and are embedded in a website to provide a greater impact or display of a particular link in search engines. These fragments are articulated through structured data markup or Schema and are displayed in the three most important search engines: Google, Bing and Yahoo.
They provide more complete information about this result making it more visible and increasing the probability of receiving more clicks, which translates into more traffic for the website.
Types of Rich Snippets
Rich Snippets are a very important resource for organic positioning. organic or natural due to the visual impact they have. These are the types of rich formats that currently exist, since Google includes or eliminates these types of formats depending on your interests or trends:
- Featured Rich Snippet: The featured snippet is displayed in a top box in which part of the content is included, inserting an image and the destination URL of the result. To qualify for the featured rich snippet Google has to consider that the content of this result is the most interesting for the user.
- Of events: These are very useful for websites that work with calendars and scheduled events.
They show in the search results the place, date and time when the event the user wants to attend will take place. - Business: These are the ones that show the information of a business in the search results and are displayed on the right side of the screen in desktop searches. It usually indicates the contact details of the company, shows photos of it and the reviews that customers have made of the business. All this data comes from Google’s business directory called Google My Business.
- Music and movies: Displays the complete information of the search also on the right side of the screen. It occupies a prominent place, more visual, since it includes photos and other information.
- From products..: These rich snippets displayed information about online store products such as photo, price, description, availability, etc. However, when Google created Google Shopping this type of rich format disappeared.
- Of recipes: They are closely linked to the featured rich snippets since any search for a cooking recipe always shows one.
- Reviews: Product reviews still retain the essence of the original rich snippet, which includes star ratings, the date and even the name of the author of the review or analysis. This makes the result stand out and they are important for online stores. Buyers take into account the opinions of other customers and expert reviews about the products or services they are interested in.
- Other types of rich snippets: We can mention video snippets, news snippets, geolocation, professional or contact snippets…
Benefits of Rich Snippets
Rich snippets offer multiple benefits for both users and website owners. First, they improve visibility in search results, which can result in a significant increase in traffic to the website.
By providing more detailed and engaging information, rich snippets help to capture users’ attention, which increases the likelihood of clicks.
In addition, these rich snippets can contribute to a better user experience by providing relevant information in a quick and accessible way. By making it easier for users to find what they are looking for, it reduces bounce rate and improves time spent on the site, which can positively influence organic ranking. Finally, rich snippets can help establish a website’s authority and credibility, as results that include these rich formats are often perceived as more trustworthy.
How to Implement Rich Snippets
Implementing rich snippets on a website involves the use of structured data markup, which can be done through Schema.org. To begin, it is important to identify which type of rich snippet is most relevant to the site’s content. Once determined, the HTML code corresponding to the structured markup should be added to the relevant web pages.
After implementing the markup, it is advisable to use Google’ s rich results testing tool to verify that the code has been implemented correctly and that Google can read it. In addition, it is critical to monitor the performance of rich snippets over time, as Google may update its algorithms and policies on what types of rich snippets are displayed. Keeping up with these updates will ensure that the website remains competitive in search results.