Why don't rich snippets show up even with valid Schema.org markup?

What’s the difference between eligibility and display guarantee?

Eligibility means your page meets all the technical criteria for a rich result to be potentially displayed. You have implemented Event Schema markup, adhered to Google’s guidelines, and passed the Rich Results Test. Your entrance ticket is valid.

The guarantee of display, however, does not exist. Google reserves the right to never show your rich snippet, even if everything is technically impeccable. The algorithm evaluates in real-time whether displaying a rich result enhances the user experience for that specific query, on that device, at that moment.

What criteria determine whether a rich snippet is displayed?

Google remains deliberately vague about these criteria. We know that search intent plays a major role: a broad informational query is unlikely to trigger Event markup, unlike a precise geolocated search. SERP competition also counts — if ten pages have valid markup, Google selects based on opaque quality signals.

The device used influences display. Event rich snippets appear more often on mobile than on desktop. The freshness of structured data, consistency between markup and visible content, and probably signals of overall domain trust come into play. But none of these factors is officially documented.

Does this statement change anything for SEO practitioners?

Not really. Experienced SEOs have long known that valid markup guarantees nothing. What changes is the official confirmation: Google publicly acknowledges that it discretionarily filters the display of rich results.

This relative transparency has an implication: stop promising clients that "Schema.org = guaranteed rich snippets." The realistic promise is to increase the chances of display by optimizing all controllable signals. The rest is beyond your direct control.

• Eligibility: compliant markup + adherence to guidelines = entry ticket in the rich snippet lottery
• Actual display: opaque algorithmic decision based on contextual relevance, intent, device, competition
• No guarantee: Google may never display your rich snippets even if everything is technically perfect
• Temporal variation: a snippet displayed today may vanish tomorrow without any change on your side
• Business impact: do not base an SEO strategy solely on obtaining rich results

Is this statement consistent with on-the-ground observations?

Completely. All SEOs who track rich snippets daily notice this inexplicable volatility. An impeccable event markup generating a nice rich result for two weeks, then nothing — without any change in markup, without losing organic positions. Splitt simply verbalizes what practitioners have been experiencing for years.

What’s interesting is the total absence of quantifiable criteria. Google doesn’t say, "we display rich snippets for 60% of eligible queries" or "prioritize domains with DA > 50." Just, "the algorithm decides." This deliberate opacity allows Google to adjust the rules without ever being held accountable.

What risks does this discretionary approach pose?

The first risk is wasted investment. Implementing clean Schema.org takes time, technical skills, and maintenance. If Google shows your snippets 5% of the time, the ROI becomes questionable. Especially for small sites that heavily invest in markup at the expense of more profitable optimizations like quality content or internal linking.

The second risk, more insidious: false reassurance. A client sees their rich snippets displayed for a month, convinces themselves that "it works," then they disappear. They think there's a technical error on your part when it's just the algorithm changing its mind. This volatility complicates client communication and budget justification.

When should structured markup still be prioritized?

For e-commerce sites, Product Schema remains essential despite the uncertainty — review stars can significantly boost CTR when they show up. For event or recipe sites, the visual impact often makes it worthwhile. But for a general corporate blog? [To be verified] whether the markup is really worth it compared to other optimizations.

The real question is: does your content type naturally generate queries where Google likes to display rich results? If yes, implement it properly and hope for the best. If not, don’t turn Schema.org into a religion — it’s one signal among many, not the SEO panacea some SaaS tools sell for a premium price.

What should be done practically with this information?

First step: audit your existing markup to ensure it meets all eligibility conditions. Use Google’s Rich Results Test, fix any errors, and ensure the markup exactly matches the visible content. No over-promising in structured data — if your event costs €50, don’t mark it as "free" to try to grab attention.

Second step: track the actual display of rich snippets in Search Console, under Performance Report > Appearance in Search Results. Compare impressions with and without rich snippets. If the display rate is Appearance in results