How to implement a table in Google search results

[Nosuchthing]

Hello,

Please don't hesitate to move the thread if there is a more relevant forum.

I am looking for information on how to get a small table like recap under the meta description in Google search results.

I have looked into Google dev documentation, but was not able to identify this type of rich results.

In case I am not clear enough, Wikipedia often has such tables. They pull data from the info on the right of the page. .

Thanks in advance,

[edited by: engine at 12:30 pm (utc) on Dec 23, 2020]
[edit reason] tidied up [/edit]

[not2easy]

Hi Nosuchthing and welcome to WebmasterWorld [webmasterworld.com]

The additional information and links you see for some sites in the search results in Google are called Google rich results. They are available because those sites are using "Structured Data", also called Rich Snippets or Schema. Using Structured Data does not guarantee that a site will show those extra links, Google decides what gets shown and for which searches. But if you make the data available and it is done correctly, then it is at least possible to have them shown.

There have been a few different formats for this data and as it stands now, you might as well learn what is currently in use - or it can get confusing. The old data-vocabulary.org markup format will not be used after next month. Google recommends that those formats be replaced with newer schema.org markup.

Google offers pages of information, from basic to advanced on how to do it: [developers.google.com...]

The Google recommended process for creating new structured data pages is here: [developers.google.com...]

They prefer that the data is dynamically generated both for your own convenience and for avoiding errors - and they explain how that can be done. There are testing tools and Code Labs to help.

BTW - that Welcome link above offers lots of helpful tips about how to best use the features of these forums.

[Nosuchthing]

Hi not2easy,

Thanks for you reply and help regarding the way the forum works.

We already implemented some structured data, for aggregate review ratings for example. However, I struggle to find the example of what I am looking for in the Rich Results Search Gallery.

The closest one seems to be "Software App (beta)", but that does not cut it since that's not what we are selling.

I'll point our developer in the direction of schema, but he's been struggling as well with this issue and I expect he should have already looked into it.

If that makes it any clearer, we would like to display things such as : the cheapest, the closest, number of products available etc...

We know it can be done since our main competitor put it in place. From what we can see, they use a google table, I am not sure if it's relevant information. Do you think there is any info we could get on how they did it looking at this competitor's page source or using dev tools? This could be an interesting shortcut.

Unfortunately, my technical knowledge in this area is very surface level. I try and do what I can to help, but it's been fruitless so far.

[not2easy]

It doesn't hurt to see if you can figure out how the competition does what they do, but be careful to follow the data guidelines that are available on those linked resources posted above. Google hits back hard if they believe the structured data is manipulative - a quote from their guidelines:

While rich snippets are generated algorithmically, we do reserve the right to take manual action (e.g., disable rich snippets for a specific site) in cases where we see abuse, deception, or other actions that hurt the search experience for our users. In particular, you should avoid:

Marking up content that is in no way visible to users.
Marking up irrelevant or misleading content, such as fake reviews or content unrelated to the focus of a page.

These quality guidelines cover the most common forms of deceptive or manipulative rich snippet behavior, but Google may respond negatively to other misleading practices not listed here. It's not safe to assume that Google approves of a specific deceptive technique just because it isn't included on this page. We strongly advise that webmasters focus on providing a great user experience rather than on looking for loopholes.

Not suggesting that is your goal, just something to know they watch for and penalize.

[Nosuchthing]

Alright, I guess I'll try and ask our developer to look at both competition and schema markups to try and figure out the best way to go.

I'll report back if we figure it out more precisely.

And yes, we are very mindful to be respectful of Google guidelines, it's all above board, mostly a technical issue.

Thanks for your help.