Rich results

The key word is eligible. Adding structured data makes a page eligible for a rich result; Google decides whether to show one, and often does not. Rich results differ from a featured snippet, which needs no markup and quotes text, and from ads, which are paid.

The set of supported types changes. Google has added types over the years and retired or restricted others, so a feature that once worked for a site may no longer appear, and guides written a few years ago can be out of date.

How it works

A developer adds schema markup, usually as JSON-LD in the page code, describing facts the page already shows: a product's price and stock, an event's date and venue, a recipe's cooking time. Google reads it when it crawls the page and, if the markup is valid, matches the visible content and meets its guidelines, may use it to build an enhanced listing.

Google's Rich Results Test checks a single URL or code snippet for supported markup and errors, and the enhancement reports in Search Console show which pages carry valid markup across the site.

Rich results come in many forms, and each type has its own required and recommended properties in Google's documentation. Some apply to the site as a whole rather than one page, such as the site name and logo Google may show. Google also limits some types to certain kinds of sites or retires them entirely. So the sensible approach is to start from the types that fit what your pages genuinely contain, such as products, events, local business details or articles, rather than switching on every type a plugin offers.

Example

An online shop selling handmade candles adds product markup with price, availability and review ratings that match what each product page shows. After Google recrawls the pages, some listings begin showing price and stock under the title. Shoppers can see that a candle is in stock and what it costs before they click, so more of the visits that arrive are from people ready to buy.

The shop's blog also has an FAQ section on every post, and an old plugin added FAQ markup to each one. No FAQ results ever appear in search for those posts. Checking Google's documentation, the developer finds that Google has withdrawn FAQ rich results from Search altogether, and the Rich Results Test no longer checks that type. She keeps the visible FAQs for readers and stops spending time on markup that cannot produce a rich result.

Why it matters for your business

A rich result takes up more space and answers a shopper's first questions in the results, which can raise click-through rate for the right queries. Adding markup is a one-off development task for most page templates. It will not lift rankings, it carries no guarantee, and markup that misrepresents the page can lead to a manual action from Google. Keeping markup in the page templates, rather than adding it to pages by hand, means new products and events get it automatically and it stays in step with the visible content.

Common mistakes

• Marking up content that is not visible on the page, such as reviews that exist only in the code.
• Adding self-written review stars to a business's own homepage, a use Google does not show stars for.
• Assuming that valid markup guarantees a rich result.
• Following an old guide for a rich result type Google has since retired or restricted.

Questions people ask

Do rich results improve rankings?

No. Structured data and rich results are not a ranking boost. They change how a listing looks, which can make it more attractive to click. A page still has to rank on its own merits before any enhanced display can appear.

How do I test for rich results?

Paste a URL or code into Google's Rich Results Test, which shows which rich result types the page is eligible for and lists any errors or warnings. Once the site is live, the enhancement reports in Google Search Console track valid and invalid markup across all pages.

Why is my rich result not showing?

Valid markup only makes a page eligible. Google may decide not to show a rich result because of the query, the device or the quality of the page, or because the markup does not match the visible content or its guidelines. Check for errors first, then give Google time to recrawl.