SEO For Google and Yahoo With Rich Snippets

Google and Yahoo now index RDFa and Microformats data contained within Web pages. Yahoo has been indexing and using RDFa and Microformats meta data for a short while and Google has announced that they have started to index this meta data although do not use the data in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) as yet. Microformats and RDFa use will become very widespread over the next few years but what does this mean for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) of web pages?

Rich Snippets - Search Engine Benefits

Rich Snippets (which is the Google term for RDFa and Microformats) brings meaning to data contained in web pages in a way that the search engines are able to understand. Basically, this meta data helps the search engines to recognize what the data is about and how it corresponds to other data. A name, for example, in HTML is just text without specific significance to a search engine such as Google. By using this RDFa and Microformats information the search engine understands that the text is in fact a name. If I then define using Rich Snippets what I do (e.g. SEO consultant) and where I live then the search engine easily knows; what my name is, that I am an SEO consultant and where I live.

As a demonstration, without this meta data search engines don't know the difference between the movie called 'Chicago' and the place. With the Rich Snippets meta information when someone searches for 'rent Chicago blu-ray' the search engines will know that Chicago is a place and therefore can't be rented. The items on the SERPs therefore become far more precise and accurate. Once Rich Snippets adoption is widespread, searches for people, places, products and the relationships between them will be far more accurate.

Using RDFa and Microformats for SEO

Google, Yahoo, Microsoft Bing and other search engines are fully aware that their advantage lies in providing the most accurate search results possible. Rich Snippets is the means to achieve better quality results so here are a few basic steps which may be taken to assist Google and Yahoo with their RDFa and Microformats indexing (assisting search engines to crawl and comprehend your data is what SEO is all about after all): 
At microformats.org. you are able to create the necessary meta data to insert into your website or blog (e.g. hcard and hcalendar). Create and insert the necessary code.
Publicise Rich Snippets and the benefits through your blog or website. This meta data is going to be huge so why not become known as an early adopter (Google and Yahoo will pick up that people are visiting your site for RDFa and Microformats information). Many Blog plugins are now available to insert particularly hcard information.
Create and insert even basic Rich Snippets meta data into your clients websites (if you are a web designer).


Google and Yahoo index RDFa and Microformats

It's early days yet for Rich Snippets and Microformats seeing that Google and Yahoo are just starting to index and use the meta data. Indexing and the relevancy of the Rich Snippets and Microformats in search results is set to gain traction is a very big way so it's good practice to start incorporating the necessary meta data in websites and blogs now.

Gary_Eckstein

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