When it comes to SEO, your website and company deserve every opportunity to optimize and rank as highly as possible in search engine results. This brings us to the topic of rich snippets. There are no ‘poor’ snippets. There are only rich snippets. A rich snippet is a type of structured data markup that developers can add to a page’s HTML code.
Rich snippets add content directly to search engine results so that users can determine how relevant the content is to their purposes. Google does not rank rich snippets, but having them can greatly increase your click-through rates.
Rich snippets can add a great deal of visual context for users. They also help Google’s search algorithm better understand the meaning behind a web page. To Google, your efforts to provide additional information to the user as well as Google’s algorithm is a good thing. Google likes to reward efforts that can enhance the user’s experience.
Benefits of Using Google Rich Snippets
As a company that offers superior services, we feel that marketers and site owners can benefit from using rich snippets. There is no direct SEO benefit, but there is an indirect benefit for applying them. Consider the following benefits.
- Since rich snippets rely on structured data, they are easy to index. Google prefers structured data.
- Google rich snippets can provide a powerful representation of visual information, thus results can more easily stand out from more traditional listings.
- Anytime your website information can show relevancy to users, it receives a pat on the back from Google. Google likes it whenever you can enhance the user’s experience.
Click-Through Rate and Rich Snippets
A higher click-through rate is always desirable with respect to SEO efforts. It is almost a given that your website will receive more traffic when it appears at the top of search results. Rich snippets may not get your website to the top of Google right away, but they can help improve your ranking over time by attracting more users to click through your site. This is especially true if your on-page content provides the information that people are looking for.
Schema Markup
You can make a generic snippet richer by using the schema markup testing tool. Schema is the perfect tool for telling search engines what your page is all about. It also hints at what the site owner is hoping to accomplish when people arrive on his or her page.
Schema markup testing tool is an online vocabulary that utilizes tags, keywords, specific microformats, and HTML code to impact on-page content.
Optimizing Your Rich Snippets
Keep in mind that not every web page offers an opportunity for rich snippet optimization.
Google rich snippets work well for transactional pages that promote online services and physical products. These types of pages can include product guides, commentary pages, pages for reviews, and content with heavy imagery.
To fully optimize rich snippets, you will need the following:
- A sound understanding of what you want users to experience on each landing page. You will also need to understand the queries that people use to drive traffic.
- As much content and relevant information as possible. This is information that complements everything you want users to find on your landing page.
- Schema markup tool to format pages that contain relevant and useful microdata.
Making Google Rich Snippets Work for You
First, identify those details you want Google to pay attention to and show in search results. This information can include articles, events pages, product pages, and reviews.
With articles, you can include information about the author, publishing date, images, and more. For a restaurant you can include food items and prices, food images, and more. For an event, add information about the place and time, scheduled speakers, and other relevant details. These are just a few examples. You can play around with different ideas of the kinds of information you can include.
Google also has a helper tool for structured data markup. This can help you to better define your web page and create new HTML codes for the page. When you use Google’s testing tools, it only makes sense that Google wants to set your site up for success.
It only makes good business sense to work with a website developer who can examine and address every SEO opportunity to put your website on the map.
SEO is in a constant state of change. Much of the knowledge required for websites to rank is beyond that of the average individual. Businesses with an online presence usually turn to SEO agencies.
Advanced Digital Media Services, a website development service provider, can enable your company to remain focused on your bottom line—running the business.
