Structured Snippets: The Low-hanging Fruit of SEO

Google often combines structured and rich snippets when it encounters both on a web page. This example shows the structured snippet about the rich snippet.
Structured snippets provide additional information in organic listings. Google extracts the info from on-page tabular data — i.e., data marked up within <table> HTML tags.

Structured Snippets

And here’s the on-page table that Google used to extract the info.

Screenshot of a structured data snippet in Google search results

All of those details make a snippet “shoppable,” in that it conveys expectations for the page and otherwise match buying intent, ensuring that whoever clicks on the listing is interested in the product.

Rich snippets and structure snippets are easily confused. Both stand out in organic search listings. But rich snippets come from structured data such as Schema.org, whereas structured snippets come from an HTML table.
Structured snippets provide additional factual information in organic listings. Google extracts the info from on-page tabular data.
And here’s the on-page table (below) that generated the structured snippet above. It’s an excellent example of the uncertainty surrounding which part of the table Google will choose to extract. The good news is Google often combines structured and rich snippets when it encounters both on a web page.

Screenshot of a Google search listing from Moosejaw showing a strutured and rich snippt.

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Examples

Experiment with various HTML table formats, such as comparisons and feature summaries. Implement tables via manual code (using an HTML widget, for example) or via plugins or custom apps from your content management or ecommerce platform. Many platforms support tabular data for product and category pages.
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Screenshot of an organic listing showing a product details via a structured snippet

These two organic search listings for Healthline contain structured snippets extracted from a table on Healthline’s website.

I’ll address structured snippets in this post.
I’ll address structured snippets in this post.
I’ll address structured snippets in this post.
I’ll address structured snippets in this post.
HTML tables typically organize numeric data, which Google views as factual. Yet, in reality, structured snippets extend beyond numbers. They can display a product’s specifications, benefits, and even pricing.

Screenshot of a organic search listing from Bing showing a structured snippet containing product details for tents.

Structured snippets are less predictable than rich snippets as Google may ignore an HTML table and thus the snippet. Google almost generates a rich snippet if the on-page markup is correct.

No Investment

Google first announced structured organic snippets in 2014. However, they differ from structured snippets in ad extensions, which are managed via the ad setup process.
“Shoppable” structured snippets provide additional product details.