Google’s John Mueller outlines four crucial factors for securing more product-rich results. During an SEO Office Hours podcast, John Mueller responded to a query on enhancing product-rich results in search listings. He identified four critical elements for achieving these rich results for product listings.

Product Rich Results

Product search queries can trigger rich results that present products visually engagingly, which Google refers to as Search Experiences. These Google product search experiences can include:

• Product snippets featuring ratings, reviews, prices, and availability information.
• Visual representations of products.
• Knowledge panels showcasing vendors and products.
• Product images in Google Images search results.
• Result enhancements, such as reviews and shipping information.

John Mueller Answers Questions About Product Rich Results

In a recent discussion, a user asked how to increase the number of “product snippets in Search Console,” which puzzled John Mueller because product snippets are displayed in the search results, not in Search Console. Mueller addressed the question in the context of search results.

Here’s the question posed:

“How do you increase the number of product snippets in Search Console?”

John Mueller explained that four key factors must be right to qualify for product-rich results.

Mueller responded:

“It’s not clear to me what exactly you mean… If you’re asking about product-rich results, these are tied to the pages that are indexed for your site. And that’s not something you can change by force.

It requires that the page be indexed, that it has valid structured data, and that our systems have determined that it’s worth showing this structured data.”

According to John Mueller, these are the four crucial elements to qualify for product rich results:

1. Page Indexing

For some search queries, getting a page indexed (and ranked) can be challenging. Content quality issues are often the culprit, stemming from outdated SEO strategies like mimicking existing top-ranking content without offering meaningful differentiation. High-quality content on both the page and site levels is essential. Focus on unique, valuable content, such as better images, helpful graphs, or concise information, rather than just keywords and entities.

2. Valid Structured Data

Structured data is critical for rich results. Google frequently updates its structured data guidelines, and while most structured data plugins adapt, some may need to. If rich results are missing, use Google’s Rich Results Test tool to diagnose the issue. It’s important to note that correct structured data doesn’t guarantee rich results, but it makes the page eligible for them.

3. Google’s Evaluation Criteria

Google’s decision to display rich results involves factors they don’t fully disclose. Familiarizing yourself with review systems, quality guidelines, Google’s SEO starter guide, and the Search Quality Raters Guidelines can help. Consider content quality comprehensively, including images, and evaluate how the content appears in search results. Ensure images and other elements look good as thumbnails and are distinctive, helpful, and valuable.

4. Merchant Feed

Submitting a product feed to your merchant center account is another way to enhance product visibility in Google’s rich results. This process has distinct requirements, often handled by your CMS or platform, making it more accessible.

Mueller added:

“You can also submit a feed to your merchant center account to show products there. This is somewhat separate and has different requirements, which I’ll link to. Often, a CMS or platform will take care of these things for you, which makes it a bit easier.”

While John Mueller listed these four strategies for achieving product-rich results in Google Search Experiences, the process is not always straightforward. Nuances and specific requirements can complicate it.

If you still find it all difficult and confusing, consider checking out our monthly SEO packages and let the experts help you.