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Official statement

Google does not guarantee any display of rich results. Even with technically correct markup, Google can decide to show, reduce, or completely remove rich results based on its quality and relevance algorithms, without sending notifications in Search Console.
🎥 Source video

Extracted from a Google Search Central video

💬 EN 📅 23/07/2021 ✂ 34 statements
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✂ Other statements from this video 33 ▾
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  10. □ How can you prevent your pages from being classified as soft 404?
  11. □ What’s the relationship between Core Web Vitals and soft 404 errors in SEO?
  12. □ Why does Google sometimes rewrite your meta descriptions without warning?
  13. □ How does Google tailor your meta descriptions for every search query?
  14. □ Should you automate meta descriptions for SEO on a large scale?
  15. □ How does placing key text at the top of HTML enhance your SEO?
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  21. □ Why Does Google Penalize Published Automatic Translations As They Are?
  22. □ What Factors Truly Influence Rich Results Quality?
  23. □ Do Dashes in Domain Names Really Affect SEO?
  24. □ Is it true that migrating your domain for keywords could backfire on your SEO efforts?
  25. □ How does the Search Console's URL Inspection Tool change the game for SEO?
  26. □ Is it true that the HTML lang attribute doesn’t matter for SEO?
  27. □ Is it true that Google ignores certain lang attributes in your templates?
  28. □ Is it true that Google treats product pages and articles the same in SEO?
  29. □ How does Google My Business enhance your local SEO efforts?
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  31. □ How can you leverage free Google Shopping to boost your product visibility?
  32. □ Is selective internal linking more effective than a massive approach for SEO?
  33. □ Should You Focus on Profitable Products in Your Internal Linking Strategy?
📅
Official statement from (5 years ago)
TL;DR

Google can choose whether or not to display rich results, even if the markup is correct. This depends on its quality and relevance algorithms, without any warning in Search Console.

What you need to understand

What is the context behind this statement?

Google uses complex algorithms to determine if a rich result should be displayed or not. The lack of guarantee is related to how Google evaluates the relevance and quality of the marked content.

How does this affect my SEO strategy?

The random display of rich results can influence the click-through rate and, by extension, organic traffic. SEOs need to adjust their strategies by integrating elements that enhance the overall quality of the page.

  • Relevance takes priority over technical markup.
  • Rich results are subject to unpredictable algorithmic fluctuations.
  • There are no notifications in Search Console for changes to rich results.

SEO Expert opinion

Does this statement align with observed practices?

In practice, fluctuations in rich results are not new to experienced SEOs. Google has been observed changing its displays without notice, which is consistent with this statement.

What nuances should be added?

While the existence of rich results depends on several factors, it is sometimes possible to influence this probability by improving the contextual quality of the pages. However, Google maintains some opacity regarding the exact evaluation criteria. [To be verified]

Keep in mind that even without any modifications on your part, Google may significantly adjust its algorithms.

Practical impact and recommendations

What should be done concretely?

Investing in quality and relevant content should remain a priority. Ensure that your pages meet user expectations while maintaining clean schema.org markup.

What mistakes should be avoided?

Do not rely solely on rich results to boost traffic. Avoid over-markup or keyword stuffing in hopes of influencing Google.

How can I check if my site is compliant?

Use schema markup testing tools to verify that schemas are implemented correctly. Focus on user experience and valuable content.

  • Check and clean existing markup.
  • Ensure that the content is usable without rich results.
  • Analyze page performance independently of rich results.
Given the complexity of Google’s algorithms, the necessary optimizations are often too technical to be managed in-house. It may be wise to collaborate with an SEO agency.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Les rich results disparaitront-ils du jour au lendemain ?
C'est peu probable mais pas impossible. Google peut ajuster ses algorithmes a tout moment.
Dois-je changer ma strategie de schema balisage ?
Concentrez-vous sur la coherence et la qualite plutot que sur la quantite de balisage.
Google enverra-t-il des notifications pour les rich results modifies ?
Non, il n'y a aucune garantie ni notification pour les modifications de rich results dans Search Console.
🏷 Related Topics
Algorithms Domain Age & History Content Structured Data Featured Snippets & SERP Local Search Search Console

🎥 From the same video 33

Other SEO insights extracted from this same Google Search Central video · published on 23/07/2021

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