Introduction to Rich Snippets
In the world of SEO, enhancing your website’s visibility is crucial, and one way to achieve this is through rich snippets. Rich snippets are a type of structured data markup that website operators can add to their existing HTML. These snippets allow search engines to better understand the content on web pages, which can be reflected in the search engine results pages (SERPs). This enhanced understanding can lead to more informative and attractive search results, featuring additional data like star ratings, images, and more.
The image above shows a rich snippet result we got for a client recently. As you can see, the article displays both as a rich snippet recipe and regular article (both highlighted in red).
Why Rich Snippets Are Important for SEO
Rich snippets are invaluable for SEO for several reasons. Primarily, they can significantly improve the click-through rates (CTRs) from the search results to your website. By providing potential visitors with more concise and relevant information directly in the search results, rich snippets can make your listing more attractive compared to others that lack such information. Additionally, rich snippets can help your site stand out by adding visual appeal, such as images or ratings, thus drawing more attention and potentially increasing traffic.
Obtaining Rich Snippets Through Schema Markup
To take advantage of rich snippets, you must utilize schema markup. Schema markup is a code that you put on your website to help the search engines return more informative results for users. It acts as a signal to search engines, telling them how to interpret the content and how to display it in the SERPs. If you’re not familiar with coding, don’t worry. You can use tools like the MERKLE Schema Markup Generator, which simplifies creating this code. Here’s where you can access this free tool: MERKLE Schema Markup Generator.
How to Add Schema Markup on Different Platforms
Adding schema markup varies slightly depending on the website platform you use. Below are methods tailored for WordPress, Webflow, and Wix Studio.
How To Add Schema Markup in WordPress
To add schema markup to a WordPress site, you can use plugins such as Yoast SEO or RankMath Pro. Install your chosen plugin, navigate to the plugin settings, and follow the instructions to add the desired schema types to your web pages.
For the image shown at the beginning of this article, we used RankMath Pro, which allows you to change and even stack multiple schemas on pages, as well as articles and even custom post types. Out of the three platforms, this is probably the easiest method, as the plugin guides you from beginning to end on how to setup a particular schema (i.e. FAQs, recipes, etc.).
How To Add Schema Markup to Webflow
In Webflow, adding schema markup involves manually adding custom code to your site’s header or individual pages. Navigate to your project settings, find the custom code section, and paste your schema markup in the appropriate fields before publishing your changes.
In the image shown above, you will need to add the schema markup to the the ‘Custom Code’ field in one of your CMS collection pages. Unlike WordPress, in Webflow, you need to add the markup to the template for the post, not the post (collection item) itself. In other words, if you need to add schema markup for recipes, you need to have a collection for recipes.
How To Add Schema Markup to Wix Studio
For Wix Studio, the process involves using Wix’s built-in SEO tools. In the Editor, select the page you want to enhance, click on the three (3) dots to the right of the page title and click on ‘SEO Basics’. A new sidebar will appear, which has four (4) tabs: Page Info, Permissions, SEO Basics and Advanced SEO. You want to click on Advanced SEO, where you’ll be presented with three (3) additional options: Structured data markup, Robots meta tag, Additional tag.
Click on Structured data markup, then click on the plus sign next to ‘Add New Markup’. A field will open up for you to enter the schema markup, which you’ll need to get from the schema markup generator I mentioned before. Once you obtain the code, paste into the field, give it a name and save it. That’s it, you are done! You can test it using Google’s Rich Results Test tool.
Important Note: Wix Studio’s posts can also have specific schema markup added to them, just like in WordPress. Every time you start a post, one of the tools available in the left sidebar is ‘SEO’, where you can access the Advanced tab. There, you’ll see the article schema added already. However, just like in WordPress, you can add another schema (i.e. FAQs).
Conclusion
Rich snippets are a powerful tool for improving SEO and enhancing the visibility of your web content in Google’s search results. By using schema markup, you can provide Google with the information it needs to better showcase your content in searches, potentially leading to higher engagement and more traffic. Take the time to implement schema on your site and watch as your digital presence grows.