Anytime someone searches for a product online, they are taken to a Search Engine Results Page (SERP). Google will display each website related to the initial search as a snippet. If you’re in charge of marketing for a brand, odds are you’ve spent weeks, months, maybe even years fighting to get on the first page of Google SERPs. But the reality is, figuring out how to rank on the first page is only half the battle.
In the ecommerce industry, most of our time is spent figuring out how to get your customers to click on your link instead of your competitor’s. One of the best ways to increase your click-through rate is by leveraging rich snippets.
Understanding Rich Snippets
Rich snippets are search results with enhanced information between the URL (in green) and the description (in black). Below you can see a comparison between a traditional Google search result snippet and a rich snippet.
Traditional Snippet:
Rich Snippet:
These rich snippets are generated from structured data markup on your website called schema. This code allows search engines to organize and understand your information.
Why Rich Snippets Benefit Your Business
Rich snippets are one of the best ways to visually stand out in SERPs and get an edge over your competitors. Rich snippets provide more information. They provide additional context to your link, such as price, product availability and even a star rating based on reviews. By pulling this information into the search result, you are removing a barrier for your customer. User click behavior research shows people favors images and colors. Providing a stronger visual representation of relevant information will help your listing stand out.
In addition to increased click-through rates, rich snippets can also impact SEO. As your rich snippets generate more clicks, Google’s RankBrain algorithm will reassess your page’s value to its users. The more clicks you generate the more likely it is that your organic ranking will increase in search. In this manner, optimizing your listing for rich snippets is a form of search engine optimization.
How to Implement Rich Snippets
In order to display your products as a rich snippet experience, you must first implement the structured data on your pages. Schema.org is the most popular structured data markup on the web. It is a collaborative effort between Google, Bing, Yandex and Yahoo! to provide better search results for customers.
Schema.org has a full list of all the structured data markup that is supported by the search engines. You can view a full list of common data types at Schema.org. For ecommerce sites, you may want to focus on Product Schema, Aggregate Rating Schema, Price and Product Availability. You can test your structured data using Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool or Google Rich Results Test. These tools will even allow you to preview your rich snippet.
While there is no shortage of information on Rich Snippets, navigating the tools and resources can be cumbersome if you’re responsible for managing other marketing efforts for your brand. If you’d like some help implementing Rich Snippets and improving your ecommerce click-through rate, we can help.
