Do Rich Snippets Help SEO?

It is a common belief that rich snippets are a significant part of an overall SEO strategy. Why, then, does Google say they won’t boost your rankings?

The key here isn’t to take one standalone factor as the be-all and end-all.

We know that SEO is complex, layered, and multi-faceted. Learning technical SEO is only one of the first steps, so having a couple of decent rich snippets might not be a catchall solution to boost you to page one.

Or might it…

Here, we’ll explore these conflicting schools of thought and explain why ignoring rich snippets will not do you any favors.

Why Rich Snippets Matter for SEO

The crux of the question, do rich snippets help SEO, is the word "help." In a word, yes, they do indeed help.

Let’s remember that data structure is part of the bigger picture.

Creating some helpful, relevant, high-value content is always going to be beneficial.

While a rich snippet by itself won’t immediately provide a ranking boost, it does help Google understand your content better.

The issue here is that many businesses might need to take that nugget of wisdom at face value, discard their drive to make rich snippets part of their brand guide, and devalue their content.

Google doesn’t rely on structured data to understand where to place you in its search results, but it is a vital puzzle piece in the technical SEO landscape.

In essence, rich snippets do help SEO, but they’re not going to transform your visibility if you’re not putting effort into everything else.

What is the Value of a Google Rich Snippet?

Here’s a fun little test.

Google ‘how to roast a chicken’ (or replace it with your favorite snack; it doesn’t matter).

Those enhanced rich snippets you see at the top of the page? They’re golden!

Because they aren’t paid-for ads, they don’t have the off-putting ‘AD’ badge – which isn’t a deal-breaker but can deter some customers.

Rich snippets look nice, and they’ve got a cute little thumbnail image.

You get a review rating to enhance authenticity and ultimately carve out a piece of high-value real estate on the search engine results page (SERP).

Now, getting a rich snippet isn’t just a case of uploading your grandma’s roast chicken recipe with a hunger-inducing image.

To be easily understood by the search engine, you need to look at the data structure and whether your code is written in the correct format.

After all, bots can’t recreate your spice mix, but they can read code.

How to Get a Google Rich Snippet

Structured data covers a ton of different types of content, but it’s always a code format.

Even if you have structured data, you aren’t guaranteed a rich snippet, but you vastly improve your chances of having Google crawl your website.

If you’re not sure where to start, Schema.org is lesson one.

It’s basically a massive collection of code and shows you all the structured data markups the big search engines, including our friends at Google, support.

Schema shows you the vocabulary and structure you need as an essential entry requirement to be indexed as a potential rich snippet result.

For example, you can find structures for:

• Real estate property listings
• Books, music, magazines, and recipes
• Medical information
• Reviews and rating posts

The data structure is crucial because it standardizes the way you construct a piece of information.

Consistent data structures help Google and the other search engines recognize instantly what your content is all about and match it to inquiries from the customers they serve.

Rich Snippet vs. Rich Result

To complicate things, you’ve also got rich results. They’re pretty much the same thing, so a search engine page will show:

• Rich results: pieces of information on the SERP page generated from structured data. They could be an answer from a FAQ page.
• Rich snippets: this is a rich result that pops up next to a search listing. Common snippets are things like review ratings and cooking instructions (which are both rich snippets and rich results).
• SERP features: other helpful search results that aren’t your basic listing, so image carousels, knowledge graphs, and anything else the search engine feels answer your question.

These elements are useful for SEO because your page will be more visible, offer a greater breadth of information, and increase the number of visitors to your site.

That’s the beauty of a rich snippet – it connects your website with your target audience and provides valuable information to provide the information they’re after.

And, aside from a bit of time structuring the content, it doesn’t cost a cent.

How Rich Snippets Impact Click-Through Rate (CTR)?

Rich snippets are a powerful tool for increasing visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs), and while they may not directly improve your rankings, they can significantly impact your click-through rate (CTR). CTR refers to the percentage of people who click on your website’s listing after seeing it in the search results. A well-optimized rich snippet can make your content stand out from the crowd, leading to more clicks, even if your page isn’t in the top position.

Let’s explore how rich snippets influence CTR:

1. Increased Visibility and Eye-Catching Appeal

Rich snippets stand out from traditional search results because they include extra information like ratings, images, prices, and other details beyond the standard title, URL, and meta description. These visual enhancements grab users' attention more effectively than plain text results.

• Why it matters: In a sea of blue links, a visually distinct listing is more likely to catch the user’s eye, making them more inclined to click your result over a competitor’s. Features like star ratings or images immediately tell users that the listing is relevant and engaging, which increases CTR.

2. Providing More Information Upfront

Rich snippets often provide key details right within the search result, such as product reviews, pricing, recipe ingredients, or FAQ answers. This extra information helps users make quicker decisions, as they can see if your page answers their query without having to click through to the site.

• Why it matters: Users appreciate having additional information at their fingertips. When they see a rich snippet that directly addresses their search query, they’re more likely to click because they feel confident that your page is exactly what they’re looking for.

3. Increased Trust and Credibility

Rich snippets often include elements like review ratings, testimonials, or author information that add trust signals to your search result. Users are more likely to trust a listing that displays a 4.5-star rating over one that has no ratings at all.

• Why it matters: Trust is a crucial factor in driving CTR. When users see that others have rated your content or product positively, they are more likely to click, as they feel reassured by the experiences of previous users. This builds credibility and authority, leading to higher engagement.

4. Higher Engagement with FAQ and How-To Snippets

Structured data for FAQs or how-to snippets gives users immediate answers or step-by-step instructions directly on the SERP. These types of snippets are particularly engaging because they directly solve the searcher’s query without additional clicks.

• Why it matters: If your rich snippet includes an FAQ or how-to section, users are more likely to click through to see the full context or additional steps. These snippets not only satisfy user intent faster but also increase curiosity about what else your content might offer.

5. Outperforming Higher-Ranked Results

Even if your page is not ranked at the top of the SERP, rich snippets can help you outperform competitors that rank higher but lack structured data. The extra information provided by rich snippets can compensate for a lower ranking by making your listing more attractive and relevant to users.

• Why it matters: This is particularly beneficial for websites that are trying to compete with top-ranking giants in their industry. A rich snippet can lead to more clicks and traffic, even when your website isn’t in the number one position on Google.

6. Improving Mobile Search Engagement

Mobile users tend to make faster decisions due to smaller screens and shorter attention spans. Rich snippets present key information right at the top of the SERP, which is especially advantageous for mobile searches.

• Why it matters: The convenience of having enhanced snippets available without needing to click through multiple listings is highly valued by mobile users. This ease of access to relevant information can significantly boost CTR for mobile searchers.

7. Enhanced User Intent Matching

Rich snippets provide search engines with structured data that helps them better understand and align your content with user intent. This increases the likelihood that your snippet will appear for relevant queries, ensuring that your listing reaches the right audience.

• Why it matters: When your content matches user intent more precisely, searchers are more likely to click your result because they feel it addresses their specific needs or questions. This creates a positive feedback loop: the more relevant your content appears in rich snippets, the higher the CTR, which can further improve your SEO efforts.

Conclusion

In summary, rich snippets do help SEO, but they are just one piece of a much larger puzzle. They enhance visibility, build trust, and demonstrate your expertise and authoritativeness. By incorporating rich snippets into a broader, well-rounded SEO strategy, you can significantly improve your website's performance and user engagement.