SEO 101: Rich Snippets & Structured Data

What is a rich snippet? What is structured data? 

Both of these terms, which refer to the what and how, respectively, of search results, should be self evident to SEOs and digital marketers. However, when researching the topic, beginners often confront complex definitions. One of the top results for the search "what is structured data SEO", a Moz article by Bridget Randolph, admits its own complexity five paragraphs in, urging readers to click to a cheat sheet.

When researching SEO terms, it's important to discover the best explanation for your knowledge level. Most top results refer to articles written for SEOs. This is certainly the case when Moz appears on the SERP. We think Moz is a wonderful resource. However, beginners may need to look elsewhere. 

So here is our latest SEO 101, a streamlined definition of rich snippets and structured data.

What is a Rich Snippet? 

A "snippet" is the part of a search result that describes the content of a page.

A snippet often includes the basic facts: On Google, the "title" of the web page is blue and the "page address" is green. The snippet is the date and simple description. 

A snippet is old school search--it is not an example of a rich snippet. 

A "rich snippet" is an enhanced search engine result. A rich snippet provides more information or context than a simple snippet. Rich snippets are common for e-commerce sites, and the "enhanced" features may include product ratings and extra text. The advantage of these "enhanced" features is obvious. On a SERP (search engine results page), rich snippets stand out from regular snippets, and may attract more clicks.

So how do you make sure your website's pages reveal "rich snippets"?

You must "mark up" your site with "structured data."

What is Structured Data?

Structured data is a type of code applied to your website that enables search engines to provide a richer representation of your content in search results.

Structured Data refers "to any data that resides in a fixed field within a record or file" (Source). The purpose of  this universal "structured data" is to simplify the process of coding: "Structured data has the advantage of being easily entered, stored, queried and analyzed" (Source).

"When you use structured data to mark up content," Google says, "you help Google better understand its context for display in Search, and you achieve better distribution of your content to users from Search."

The "mark up" Google refers to here is a standardized code "vocabulary" developed by the major search engines, including Google, Yahoo, and Bing, to enable a website to add structured data to its pages. All of the structured data vocabulary supported by the major search engines can be found on a joint project called Schema.org.

What is Schema.org?

Schema.org is often referred to as "the future of SEO" for a simple reason: It offers a structured set of codes that, when used appropriately, enable the major search engines, including Google, Yahoo, and Bing, to offer a richer portrait of your content in search results.

This Google-led initiative is yet another example of how Google tries to partner with website owners and content producers.

The "schema" on Schema.org simplify the work of producing content for the search engines, which helps both the search engines and you. The benefit of this project is the variety of "content types" supported by the vocabulary. For each type, a webmaster uses a specific mark up to enhance  search results. As Google notes:

"A variety of content types qualify to appear in rich results. CreativeWork is a schema.org type definition that applies to qualifying content produced for reading, viewing, listening or other consumption, such as news articles, recipes, and videos. Other content types, such as products and local business listings, belong to the commerce category, which is a custom category we use to describe schema.org types generally intended for retail purposes."

The operative word in Google's above quote is "rich." Creating a structured data markup for any of the above content categories will help your own web pages qualify to appear as "rich snippets." 

Right now, structured data is available to mark up twelve different types of content on Google's Structured Data Markup Helper, including:

• Articles 
• Events
• Movies
• Software Applications
• Book Reviews 
• Job Postings 
• Products
• TV Episodes
• Datasets
• Question & Answer Page
• Local Businesses
• Restaurants 

SEO Sparta, a Philadelphia-area SEO firm, combines traditional marketing methods and organic SEO--with an emphasis on natural website optimization--to design thoughtful, inspiring, and effective digital marketing campaigns. Our SEOs understand how to use structured data to benefit your specific content type. For more information, call today: 215-900-9398.

(Cover photo source)

If you are interested in transforming your website into a money-making tool or are interested in exploring opportunities to outperform your competition, we encourage you to contact SEO SPARTA.

We combine traditional marketing methods and organic SEO--emphasizing natural website optimization--to design thoughtful, inspiring, and effective marketing campaigns.

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