Advanced snippets: What are they and how to get them?

You probably already know about the existence of the concept of “extended snippets”. SEO specialists seem to think that everyone knows exactly what it is. But for SEO newbies, rich snippet is a very vague term. What they are, why they are important for SEO, and how you can get them for your site.

What are rich snippets?

Enhanced Snippets (also known as “enhanced results”) are regular Google search results with additional data displayed on the page. This additional data is obtained from the structured data contained in the HTML code of the page. Common types of rich snippets include reviews, recipes, events, and others. The vast majority of Google search results display 3 main components of data:

• URL address
• Title tag
• Meta Description

Advanced Snippets take a regular Snippet… and add to it:

As you might expect, rich snippet results get more attention than regular search results, which can lead to a higher CTR. Google derives rich snippet data from structured markup (such as Schema) in the HTML code of your page:

Although some believe that using structured data can improve your search engine rankings, Google has stated that the use of structured data is not a ranking signal:

So, at least for now, the main benefit of Rich Snippets is to increase the number of clicks.

Advanced Snippet Types

Enhanced snippets are displayed only for pages with a certain type of information and may change on different devices. There are a wide variety of advanced result types available, depending on your site and ensuring users understand your content. Here are some common types of rich snippets:

Recipes

Recipe markup displays features such as cooking time, ingredients, number of reviews, and average rating.

Lists of companies

Business listings can help you showcase your business in brand searches. This allows you to occupy more visual space in search results and provide relevant information to searchers.

Products

Rich results give shoppers all the key product information they might need, right in the search results. They can be easily added using the Product Schema markup:

Knowledge panels

Knowledge panels and knowledge charts help Google quickly present the information a user is looking for. This can help with informational searches.

Local 3-Pack

The Local 3-pack appears in local search results and is a valuable local SEO tactic for small businesses. When users search for a nearby business or a specific type of business. To get into the local 3-pack, you need to create a Google My Business listing.

Featured Snippets

Topic snippets are most often found in search results for long-tail keywords. They provide the user with a direct answer to their question or search query. They can only be obtained by creating high-quality content that is directly related to the search query, which makes them highly desirable in search engines.

Video

Videos are becoming more prominent in Google search results. Structured video data markup helps Google understand what your video is about and helps it rank for relevant queries that potential viewers are looking for. Make sure you detail any additional information your videos need to optimize their chances of becoming an enhanced snippet.

Advanced Snippets and SEO

Targeting advanced snippets for your SEO strategy is a great way to increase your site’s page rankings in search results. Although the placement of these rich snippets can have a significant impact on click-through rates, organic traffic, and user experience. So, while this is a great method of getting traffic from organic search through search results, it won’t affect your SEO strategy – just yet.

How to create rich snippets

Advanced snippets can be obtained in a number of ways. The main way is Schema markup. The first step in creating a rich snippet is to determine what part of the landing page you want to focus on. Will this be a review? FAQ section? Upcoming event? Whatever it is, find the right structured data type you want to focus on – there are tons of options for creating Rich Snippets, so you’re almost guaranteed to find one that works for your site’s landing page:

• Product
• Response
• Recipe
• Local business
• Organization
• Man
• Video
• Event
• News Article
• Blog
• FAQ
• and more.

You can find a complete list of Schema markup types by link.

Once you have identified the appropriate schema, you should fill in all the required structured data markup fields as completely as possible. One of the easiest ways to do this is to use generator of markup schemes. It makes it quick and easy to fill in all the necessary parts for your chosen scheme, then simply copy the JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) code and add it to the HTML code of your page.

If you’re not a programmer, don’t worry! There are several plugins that can help you simplify adding JSON code to your web pages.

Keep in mind that quality results are not guaranteed, no matter how carefully you fill in the micromarks. Also, if you’ve been able to receive rich snippets for a while, you may find that your search results – and the rich results that appear in it – change.

Validation of advanced snippets

Google has made it easier for site owners to test and verify micromarkup and advanced results with the help of a tool testing advanced results. Just type in the URL you want to test and it will show all associated micro-markups and advanced results that qualify for inclusion in the snippet.

You can even check your JSON before applying to make sure you’ve filled in all the required fields and haven’t missed anything. It’s a very user-friendly tool for checking advanced results, which is great for those new to sites.

Conclusion

Enhanced snippets can make your site stand out on the Google search results page, attracting more clicks and traffic. You can create rich snippets using structured data markup.

You don’t need to be a coding expert to write structured data snippets – you can also use plugins. In any case, you can test your settings using Google Search Console or Google’s structured data testing tool.

Oleksandr Romanenko

Head of SEO

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