Google Rich Snippets and how to use them to improve SEO

 
Rich Snippets based on Structured Data Markup, have been growing in popularity in the SEO community and they are a lot of clear cut cases where they should be used.

Search results show Rich Snippets and you have seen them and may not have to know how they worked or what you were looking at (from a technical standpoint). Examples of Rich Snippets include things like recipe information, star ratings, FAQ information that shows in the search results.

Google takes data into their massive services in many ways, but an oversimplified way to explain it is this –

1. when google indexes the content of a web page the bring in a blob of text and photos and then reduce that down with an algorithm to determine what the web pages are about.
2. Structured Data Markup is like feeding a spreadsheet into Google. We define the headings and the data in the columns and rows. Then Google does not have to guess what they have, they know it. (assuming the data in the Structured Data Markup is accurate)

 
The most common predefined Structured Data Markup is on Schema.org. The website spells out, in great detail, how to structure and tag your data to be compliant with the standard.
 

Does Google Rich Snippet help in Search Engine Optimization?

Yes, using Structured Data Markup can get your listings to show up in search where they might not have otherwise. Google’s goal is to keep people on Google longer, so your snippet may be read on Google and you may not get the traffic you expected from showing up in the SERPS.