Article by Hori Tran from SecomApp

You might find that schema snippets are complex when you start doing SEO.  We promise you, your mind will be changed after reading this article. We’re going to break the post into 4 main parts:

• Snippets definition
• Why they’re important
• How to add
• Tips to use

So, keep on reading to know more about rich snippets or jump ahead to the section that interests you most.

What are schema snippets?

Normal Google search results with additional information presented are known as "Schema Snippets" (sometimes known as “Rich snippets” or "Rich Results"). Typically, to extract this additional information, we need to use the HTML of a page’s structured metadata. Review, collection, recipe, and event categories of Schema Snippets are common.

There are hundreds of rich snippets across the world. However, many of them (such as flight information and books) are only applicable to a certain sort of website.

Reviews: Shows a star rating (out of 5). It might be a single reviewer or an aggregate of user reviews.

• Recipes: A subset of Structured Data that is solely applicable to recipes. Recipe markup provides information such as cooking time, reviews, and recipe photos.
• Music: This section gives Google info on music, like album release dates.
• Product markup: Gives search engines information about the price and image of a specific product
• Organization: Assists Google with comprehending important information about an organization (such as a business), such as the address, logo, and contact details.
• Top Stories: Allows a site to appear in the search results "Top Stories" box. This only applies to websites that Google News has approved.
• Videos: Videos on your page cannot be "seen" by search engines. As a result, video markup assists search engines in understanding what your video content is all about.

The importance of schema snippets for E-commerce:

Structured data, according to Google experts, does not immediately correspond to a higher ranking in the SERPS. However, they did agree that involvement as a consequence of structured data might influence your placement. In other words, an increase in search results (and organic traffic) is a byproduct of schema markup rather than a direct cause. The idea is that you can increase your organic reach by offering extensive information about your products or services to potential buyers via schema snippets.

What’s next? The drop-down menu shows a piece of a response together with a link to the webpage where the answer was written. However, even adding schema markup to your website will not guarantee you one of these slots. You must enhance your website's speed and efficiency, particularly for mobile devices. It is also critical to include the question and response in the structured data page's text.  Respond in a genuine, conversational tone, and you might be able to answer your potential buyer's queries before they even visit your eCommerce site. This kind of helpful behavior generally results in more users visiting your website and, ideally, becoming customers.

Rich snippets may also help you attract more voice search traffic to your website when it comes to conversational content. When consumers want to learn more about a company or buy something online, they utilize voice search on many of their favorite gadgets. Google recognizes this and ranks results in a unique way for smart speakers such as Amazon's Alexa and voice-powered technology such as the iPhone's Siri. A staggering 62% of smart speaker owners claim they've used their device to make an online purchase, so you can bet your target audience is looking for your product or service.

Businesses and marketing teams understand that before they take out their credit card, customers want to see high-quality photographs and videos showcasing a product. The obvious solution was to put images or videos of product demos on each product page. This method works well, but it is no longer sufficient. Consider adding structured data to photographs and graphics on your product landing pages to increase your reach. Do you notice how some of the objects have price tags with stickers? If you look toward the center, you'll notice a picture with a green "In stock" indicator. These additional functionalities are the consequence of firms incorporating schema markup into their product pages.

The simple opportunity to see an item before accessing a website may significantly increase traffic and conversion rates. This is yet another use for product-rich snippets in your online store.

Building trust with your audience is one of the most crucial things you can do with schema snippets. Unless they see social evidence, most individuals will not shop with a new firm. Social proof demonstrates that your product or service meets or exceeds current consumers' expectations.

User ratings and reviews are the most often used type of social proof. An amazing 83% of customers believe verified reviews are more trustworthy than advertising. In our first example, we demonstrated how structured data may help you display Google reviews and star ratings. This feature is known as a "review snippet," and it should be displayed whenever a consumer visits one of your product pages. Shoppers are significantly more inclined to visit your website if they notice that thousands of other people believe in and respect your brand. The fascinating aspect of this functionality is that it can be used for more than just physical things.

• Digital books
• Events
• Recipes
• Software

And much more !

Now that you understand the advantages of obtaining featured rich snippets, let us demonstrate how to use structured markup on your website.

How to add schema snippets to your Shopify store:

Add schema snippets manually:

You can use HowTo structured data to clearly inform Google that your content is a guide. A tutorial will show the user how to perform a set of steps to complete a task and can include video, images, and text. For example, "How to Tie a Tie" or "How to Wall the Kitchen." If your tutorial includes multiple steps and each step must be read in sequence, there's a good chance that HowTo structured data could help your content. HowTo-structured data is appropriate only when the main content on the page is tutorial content. Incorrectly typed instruction pages may be eligible to show as rich results on the search and as actions on Google Assistant. As a result, your website can reach the right users.

Add Scheme snippets automatically:

To save you time and add schema snippets easily, we recommend you utilize a comprehensive SEO tool like SearchPie. With SearchPie, you can automatically add entire important snippets to your online business including Breadcrumb, Product, Collection, Blog & Blog Post, Store, Local Business, Sitelinks, and FAQ. All you need to do is install the app, go to the schema & snippets option, enable the button, and game on!

Besides snippets, you will dive into many other helpful features to optimize SEO in the way Google prefers for better rankings such as meta & alt tags, image compressing, broken link fixed, and keyword research,...

They always have 24/7 helpful live chat to support you when SEO-ing. So, don’t worry if you’re just a beginner. You’ll be an SEO expert soon with SearchPie app.

Tips for using schema snippets:

When you create or edit a script, you choose where to run it, namely only in the online store or in both the online store and the following apps:

• Custom apps developed using the Storefront API, Buy SDK for JavaScript, Buy SDK for mobile devices (Android and iOS)
• Custom app with payment feature
• Tapcart, Blobal Apps, and Vajro Mobile App Development Tools

For the snippet to work, the site must have built-in shopping cart functionality, and the snippet cannot be used with the Buy button, Facebook, or wholesale sales funnel.

You can use the code snippet to create a discount offer that applies to the cart based on the items in the cart as well as other cart attributes. You can also use the snippet to customize shipping and payment options for your customers.

You write code using the Shopify Snippet API with a limited version of the Ruby programming language. You can write, edit, manage, and publish code snippets using the Script Editor application. The Script Editor application provides templates for you to write code and a debugger to help you test it.

Once you've posted the code, you can update the Liquid template file so that the online store responds to the change the code makes.

Final thoughts

By adding schema snippets, you can increase your search visibility, bring more traffics, and in turn, conversions and sales.

And SearchPie will be by your side 24/7 in the way you add the snippets and also become an expert in SEO.

＊SecomApp is a global SaaS brand, serving 500,000+ stores on Shopify since 2014. They developed SearchPie app, which works as the TOP SEO app on Shopify.

About Ship&co

Ship&co is a global shipping platform designed by and for e-commerce sellers. Created by the team behind Bento&co, who have been selling on Shopify since 2008, Ship&co provides a simple and easy-to-use web dashboard and shipping API. Ship&co helps online sellers ship packages faster by automatically syncing orders and creating shipping labels and invoices in minutes. With Ship&co, you can create shipping labels for FedEx, UPS, DHL, NinjaVan, Yamato, Sagawa, and more, with just two clicks to complete the process and mark your orders as shipped. For more information on Ship&co, visit shipandco.com or reach out to us via hello@shipandco.com !