Magento Rich Snippets – The Advantage Of Relevance
Much has been written about the significance of SEO, especially its role in business. Optimization of a website allows for greater online visibility of a business and higher search page rankings which, in theory, should lead to higher click through rates and conversion. The idea behind this is that the average user does not usually browse search pages past the first one. However, landing on the first search engine results page does not completely guarantee that a user will visit a particular website.
Search engines are continuously tweaking their algorithms to give web users relevant search results. This is the reason why in recent times, certain web pages were marked as “spammy” and suffered a drop in their search page rankings. Another feature introduced by Google to enable search engine users to quickly find relevant information is Google Rich Snippets.
Introduced by search engine giant Google in 2009, Google Rich Snippets allows Web users to get a glimpse of the content of a particular website even before they click on its link. In particular, Rich Snippets supports content types related to reviews, people, products, businesses and organizations, recipes, events, and music. For example, if a Web user is searching for a pasta recipe, information about cooking time, calorie count and ingredients will appear.
Magento Rich Snippets allow online retailers that have adopted the Magento e-commerce format for their business to reap the benefits of Rich Snippets. Compatible with Magento CE 1.4.1, Magento CE 1.4.2, Magento CE 1.5, Magento CE 1.6 and Magento CE 1.7, this extension allows an online store to display a short description of their products, product reviews, and stock availability, as well as price.
SEOMOZ, in its analysis, has said that proper use of this tool allows businesses to increase click through rates by as much as 30%.
With this Magento extension, administrators of an online store can easily draw a Web user's attention. Completely open source, the extension can be easily installed and has been created to conform to Magento programming guidelines.
The online realm has never been more competitive especially for businesses scrambling for a limited number of customers. A good product range, competitive pricing and outstanding customer support mean nothing if visitors cannot find your page in search engines or if they find the information about your website unappealing. SEO and social media sites will continue to play a significant role, both in increasing a company’s online visibility and driving customers to their website. However, online retailers, too, can greatly benefit from using Rich Snippets as it allows them to display the relevant information that makes them stand out from the competition.
