Have you ever searched for something on Google, maybe a recipe or a new toy, and noticed some results just look… better? Like, they have star ratings, cool pictures, or even prices right there in the search list?
These special results happen because of Structured Data and Rich Snippets. It sounds a bit complicated, but it’s basically a way website owners help Google understand what’s on their page so Google can show you more helpful info right away.
Let’s go ahead and figure out what these things are and why they’re important for making websites easier to find online!
What is the Point of Structured Data?
Imagine you’re trying to tell a robot exactly what’s in a picture. You wouldn’t just say “rock,” right? You’d say, “A piece of land we removed large boulders and rocks from for an excavation project in Akron, OH” Structured data is kind of like that, but for websites talking to search engines like Google. Structured data is similar to how writing image alt text works.
It’s basically special code that website owners add to their pages just like how headers work for a webpage. This code isn’t usually seen by visitors, but it speaks the language of Google’s search crawlers. These code additions clearly label and explain what the different parts of the page are about. Instead of Google just guessing that text is a recipe name or a price, structured data points it out directly.
How does it do this? It uses specific formats called “JSON-LD” or “Microdata,” to organize the information. Look at it as filling out a form about your webpage content. And where do the “words” for this form come from?
There’s a huge shared list, almost like a dictionary, called Schema.org that provides all the standard terms (like “recipe,” “rating,” “price,” “event date”) that Google understands. Using this special code helps Google know exactly what your content is, not just what it says.
Here is What Structured Data is
So, what is structured data, really? Think of it as adding detailed labels or tags to the information on your webpage. This isn’t code that changes how your page looks to visitors. Instead, it’s hidden code that works behind the front-end. Its whole job is to clearly tell search engines like Google, “Hey, this specific piece of text is our product name!” or “This number is the price!” or “These steps are how you cook this recipe!” It translates your human-readable content into a format that search engine robots can easily understand.
Using Formats like JSON-LD and Microdata
So how do you add JSON-LD or Microdata to your website? Website creators use specific ways, or “formats,” to write this structured data code.
Two common ways are called JSON-LD and Microdata. JSON-LD is often preferred by Google because it’s usually added as one block of code, putting it all in one place for the search crawlers to see. Microdata involves adding special tags directly within the existing website code. Either way, these formats provide a standard structure so Google knows how to read the labels correctly.
The Reason to Use Schema.org to Make Structured Data
So you have the labels (structured data) and a way to write them (like JSON-LD). But what code do you use for the labels so Google understands? That’s where Schema.org comes in! Imagine Schema.org as a big dictionary created by search engines (like Google, Bing, etc.). It contains global schema types and properties that you can use in your structured data code.
For example, it has words for “Recipe,” “ingredients,” “cookTime,” “Product,” “price,” “ratingValue,” “Event,” “startDate,” and a lot more. Using the words from this shared Schema.org information hub, everyone makes sure search engines understand the labels the same way.
What are Rich Snippets?
So, now it’s time to talk about Rich Snippets! Have you ever noticed some search results just pop out more than others? Maybe they have yellow stars, a little picture, or extra info like cooking times? Those aren’t regular search results; those are Rich Snippets (sometimes Google calls them “Rich Results”). They are basically fancier, more detailed listings right on the Google search page.
Understanding Rich Snippets for Your Google Listings
So, what exactly is a Rich Snippet? It’s a Google search result that shows more than just the standard blue link title, the green web address (URL), and the short black description text. Think of it as an “upgraded” version of a normal search result. Google enhances these listings with extra visual or text information to give searchers a better idea of what the page is about before they even click.
Types of Additional Rich Snippets
Most search results are pretty plain: title, link, description. That’s it. But Rich Snippets allows you to make your page or product more visible! They can include details like:
- Star ratings
- Pictures or thumbnails
- Specific information like cooking times or calorie counts for recipes
- Prices and whether a product is in stock
- Dates and locations for events
- Quick answers to questions (in FAQ snippets)
This extra stuff makes the search result much more informative at a glance.
How Structured Data Creates Rich Snippets
Where does Google get all this extra information to show in Rich Snippets? It gets it directly from the structured data code that the website owner added. Remember those secret notes we talked about?
Google reads those notes (the structured data using Schema.org types and properties) and understands things like, “Okay, the rating is 4.7 stars,” or “This recipe takes 35 minutes.” Then, if Google thinks it’s helpful, it will use that specific information to create the fancy Rich Snippet you see in the search results. No structured data? Usually, no rich snippets!
Why Structured Data and Rich Snippets Matter in SEO
Okay, so we know what structured data and rich snippets are, but why should website owners care about them?
Why are they important for getting found on Google, which is what SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is all about? They do actually help a lot.
Make Search Engines Understand Your Content Better
Structured data does that for Google. Without it, Google has to guess what your page is about just by reading the words which means a longer time for Google to process your page or product.
Structured data gives Google clear labels. This helps Search Engines understand your content correctly and match it to the right searches people are doing. When Google understands better, it can show your page to the people who are actually looking for it.
It Helps Increase Visibility in the Search Results
Imagine a crowded bookshelf where all the books look the same. Now imagine one book has a shiny cover and big letters. Which one catches your eye? Rich Snippets do that for search results! Because they have stars, pictures, or other extra details, they stand out from the plain blue links around them. This makes your website’s listing more noticeable on a busy search results page. More visibility means a better chance someone will see your link.
It Can Increase CTR (Click-through-rate) Giving More Room for Your Webpage or Product
When your search result stands out and gives people helpful info right away, they might be more likely to click on it. This is called the Click-Through Rate (CTR). It’s the percentage of how often people click your link when they see it.
If someone is looking for a recipe and your result shows a great picture and a 5-star rating, they might click yours instead of a plain one below it. Rich Snippets can make your result look more attractive and trustworthy, potentially leading to more website visitors.
Rich Snippets Provide Quick Info for the End-User
Rich Snippets are good for the website owner and for the person searching! Imagine you’re looking for event tickets. Seeing the date and time right in the search results saves you from clicking on five different links just to find out the event has already passed. You would be pissed right? Rich Snippets give users useful information upfront, making their search faster and easier.
How it Indirectly Impacts Your Search Rankings
Google has said that just using structured data isn’t like a magic button that automatically pushes your site higher in the rankings. It’s not a direct ranking factor. However Blue Sky Advertisement does not consider this true. No product schema on your product page? Good luck getting any clicks to make sales. You need rich snippets to show up in various places on the search results page to get your page or product noticed. Here is a guide on how to write schema mark-up for your webpages.
Common Examples of Rich Snippets You Can Use
What do rich Snippets actually look like when you’re searching on Google you may ask? They can appear for many different types of content. Here are some of the most common examples you might see (and that website owners can try to get by using structured data):
Recipe Snippets (Images, Ratings, Cook Time)
Have you ever searched for how to bake cookies? Recipe snippets often show photos, star ratings from people who made it, how long it takes to cook or bake, and maybe even the calorie count. This helps you quickly decide if it’s the right recipe for you.
Product Snippets (Price, Availability, Reviews)
When you search for something to buy, like a new video game or pair of shoes, you might see Rich Snippets for products. These can show the price, whether the item is in stock or out of stock, and star ratings based on customer reviews. It makes comparing products much easier directly from the search results.
Review/Rating Snippets (Star Ratings)
Sometimes, the main point of a page is a review like maybe for a movie, a book, or a local restaurant . For these, Google can show a star rating (like 4.5 out of 5 stars) right under the title in the search results. This gives you an instant idea of how good (or bad) people think it is helping the end-user out.
Event Snippets (Dates, Times, Locations)
If you’re looking for concerts, festivals, or workshops happening near you, Event Snippets are super awesome to have. They can list the dates, start times, and the location of the event directly in the search results. This saves you time figuring out when and where things are happening.
FAQ Snippets (Dropdown Questions & Answers)
Sometimes, search results have little dropdown arrows next to common questions related to your search. If you click the arrow FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) snippets will appear. They provide quick answers to related questions without you needing to visit the page first.
Article Snippets (Images, Author, Dates)
For news articles or blog posts, Google might show an Article Snippet. This can include a headline, sometimes a small image related to the article, the name of the person or organization that wrote it (the author), and the date it was published.
The article snippet and webpage schema type is the most commonly used.
How to Apply Structured Data to Get Rich Snippets
Alright, so you understand what structured data and rich snippets can create. Now, how do you actually do it? How do you add this special code to your website?
Here are the basic steps:
Step 1: Identify the Right Schema Types for Your Content
First, you need to figure out what kind of information is on your page. Is it a recipe? A product for sale? An event announcement? A review?
Once you know the main topic of your page, you need to find the matching “type” in the big Schema.org dictionary we talked about earlier.
Go to the Schema.org website and look for the type that best describes your content (like Recipe, Product, Event, Review, FAQPage, etc.). This tells you what specific labels you can use.
Step 2: Add Structured Data Code in JSON-LD
Now that you know what type of schema to use, you need to actually add the code to your website. There are a few ways to do this, but the method Google prefers and often finds easiest is called JSON-LD.
This usually involves putting a block of script code (that contains all your structured data labels and information) into the <head> section of your page’s HTML.
Please remember to add this code at the start of your schema so it doesn’t show on your website.
<script type=”application/ld+json”>
Now, add this code after your schema to stop the script
</script>
Other methods like Microdata exist, where you add tags directly into your main HTML, but JSON-LD keeps things cleaner.
If you use a website platform like WordPress, there are also plugins that can help you add structured data without needing to code it all yourself.
Note: You can also manually input them on every page by activating schema types in the post article editor by clicking the 3 dots and turning on “custom”
Step 3: Validate Your Code with Google’s Rich Results Test
Before you just assume your code is perfect, you need to check it. Google provides a free tool called the Rich Results Test. You can paste your code directly into the tool or give it the URL of your webpage. This tool will then tell you if Google can understand your structured data and if it’s eligible for Rich Snippets. It will also point out any errors or warnings you need to fix.
Always test your code!
Step 4: Follow Google’s Structured Data Guidelines
Now for the last step! Google has specific guidelines about how to use structured data.
The most important rules are: make sure the information in your code accurately matches the information visitors see on the page, don’t hide structured data about things that aren’t actually on the page, and don’t use it in a spammy or misleading way.
Following the guidelines helps you don’t get penalized and gives you the best chance of earning those Rich Snippets.
The number one rule of SEO is to NOT get penalized! We hope this has been helpful and you understand rich snippets and structured data better.
