Last updated: November 1, 2026.
Google search results no longer look like just title + description + URL. In some results we can see extra information like price, stock status, rating, image, event date, video, breadcrumb or recipe time. For some queries, Google can show the answer from inside a page directly above the results.
The first thing to do here is separate three concepts:
- Featured snippet
- Rich result
- AI Overviews
These are not the same thing.
1. What is a featured snippet?
Let’s say we search Google for something like “how to clean an espresso machine”.
Sometimes a box appears above the regular results and a short answer from a site is shown directly in it. We call this a featured snippet. Google can show it as a paragraph, a list or a table.
There’s an important detail here:
There’s no special code or Schema that lets us tell Google “make this page a featured snippet”.
Google decides which result to show (Google Search Central).
So what can we do? We can prepare content in a way that makes the answer easy for Google to understand.
For example, right below the heading “How to clean an espresso machine?” we can give a short, clear answer:
To clean an espresso machine, first empty the water tank and the removable parts. Use the cleaning product the manufacturer recommends, and if the machine has a descaling program, run it according to the instructions.
After that, we can go into detail.
Here I especially try not to hide the answer. If the user is looking for the answer, let’s give it first, and those who want detail can keep reading.
2. What is a rich result?
This is a different topic.
Let’s say we’re searching for a product. In a regular result we might only see the product name and description. In another result, there might be extra information like:
- 4.8 ★
- 12,500 TL
- In stock
We generally call these rich results.
To help Google understand this information more easily, we can use structured data.
3. What is structured data?
In its simplest form, we’re telling Google more clearly what the information on the page means.
For example, on a product page, the user already sees:
- Price: 12,500 TL
- Brand: X
- Stock: Available
With structured data, we can also tell the search engine:
- This number is the price.
- This text is the brand.
- This product is in stock.
To do this, we mostly use the Schema.org vocabulary. You can think of Schema.org as a shared language. For example:
- Product: Product
- Recipe: Recipe
- Event: Event
- Person / ProfilePage: Person or profile
- LocalBusiness: Local business
- Movie: Movie
I cover structured data in more detail, in terms of how Google understands a page, in Chapter 25.
4. An example from an e-commerce site
Let’s say we sell a coffee machine. The page has this information:
- Product name
- Brand
- Price
- Stock status
- User rating
- Number of reviews
Instead of only showing these in the design, we can also define them with the appropriate Product and Offer structured data. In that case, Google may find the product eligible to be shown more richly, with price, stock or review information.
I specifically say “may find it eligible” here. Because adding Schema doesn’t mean Google will definitely show this information.
5. We added Schema, is the result guaranteed?
No. I think this is one of the most misunderstood points.
The Rich Results Test may tell you “Valid”. But that doesn’t mean Google will definitely show a rich result. It only shows that the page may be technically eligible for that feature.
Google may also choose to show a regular result depending on the query, the device, the user and the search experience.
So Schema gives Google information. The final decision is still Google’s.
6. We can see it more clearly on a recipe page
Say we have a recipe page. It contains this information:
- Recipe name
- Prep time
- Cook time
- Ingredients
- Calories
- Rating
When we define these with Recipe structured data, Google can understand this information more easily and, where appropriate, show the results more richly.
I think this is the sentence that best explains the logic of Schema:
We’re not creating new information that isn’t on the page. We’re describing the information already on the page to Google in a clearer way.
7. Don’t put information in Schema that you don’t show users
This is important.
You don’t show a 4.9 rating on the page, but you write 4.9 in the Schema. That’s not correct use. Structured data should represent the real content shown to the user.
We use Schema not to show Google a different page, but to explain the information on the page more clearly.
8. Which format is used?
Google supports the JSON-LD, Microdata and RDFa formats. In practice, most projects use JSON-LD.
For example, you might see a structure like this on a product page:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Product",
"name": "Automatic Espresso Machine"
}
</script>I don’t think an SEO specialist needs to memorize this code. But it’s important that they know which structured data can be used on which page. A developer can handle the implementation.
9. If we think about Filmler.com
On movie pages, the movie title, director, cast, image and release information are already shown to the user.
When we mark these up with the appropriate structured data, we can also give the search engine clearer information like:
- This is a movie.
- This person is the director.
- This person is an actor.
- This image belongs to the movie.
So we come back to the same point:
We’re not creating new information, we’re classifying the information that’s already there.
10. Breadcrumbs can be structured data too
In Chapter 18 we talked about this in site architecture:
Home > Coffee Machines > Espresso Machines
We called this structure a breadcrumb. With BreadcrumbList structured data, we can also describe this hierarchy to Google more clearly. Since January 2025, Google has shown only the domain name instead of the breadcrumb in mobile results. On desktop it’s still shown and it continues to be read as structured data (Google Search Central Blog).
Structured data isn’t only about product price or rating. It can also be used to describe the structure of the site.
11. How do we check it?
Google’s Rich Results Test is very handy for this.
We give it the page’s URL or code, and Google can show us:
- Which structured data it sees
- Which rich result types the page may be eligible for
- Critical errors
I recommend always checking whenever new Schema work is done. After that, we can also track errors and performance in Search Console.
12. So where do AI Overviews fit in?
In Google search results we can now also see AI Overviews. This is not the same thing as a featured snippet or a rich result.
While a featured snippet usually highlights a specific answer from a single page, AI Overviews can draw on multiple sources when building an answer to a query and can link to the sources they find suitable.
Here too, there’s no special Schema or tag that lets us tell Google “Add my page to AI Overviews.”
So we come back to the same point. What matters is that the content is easy to understand, trustworthy, really answers the question and is technically accessible to Google.
But the topic of AI Overviews goes much further than this. I cover AI Overviews, AI Mode and concepts like GEO, AEO and LLMO in a separate book, AI SEO.
For now, here’s what we need to know:
The Google results page no longer consists only of classic organic results. Featured snippets, rich results and AI Overviews are separate result types that work through different mechanisms.
13. The difference between a featured snippet and a rich result
This distinction needs to stay clear.
Featured snippet: Google picks a part of the content on your page as a direct answer to the query. We can’t guarantee this with any special Schema.
Rich result: Through structured data, we tell Google more clearly what the information on the page is. Our result can become eligible to be shown more richly with price, stock, rating or other supported information.
In short:
Featured snippet = Google picks the answer from your content.
Rich result = You describe the structure of your content to Google more clearly.
AI Overviews = Google builds an AI-assisted answer using one or more sources.
These are three different mechanisms.
14. What do I look at?
When I review a site, I roughly check these:
- Is there Schema that fits the page type?
- Is the information in the Schema the same as the information visible to the user?
- Are required fields missing?
- Does the Rich Results Test show errors?
- Is it a Schema type Google actually supports?
- Are there invalid items in Search Console?
- If a rich result doesn’t appear, is there a technical error, or is Google simply choosing not to show it?
The last item matters. Sometimes, even when everything is correct, Google may choose to show a regular result. That doesn’t have to be an SEO mistake.
I think it’s wrong to see Schema as “the code that gets you stars on Google”. Its real purpose is to describe the information on the page in a way the search engine can understand more easily. As a result, we may get a richer appearance, but it’s not guaranteed.
The logic is similar for featured snippets and AI Overviews. We can’t tell Google “put me here”.
We create content that is high quality, well organized, trustworthy and easy to understand. Google decides the rest.
Previous: Chapter 20: Why Does Google Trust Content? · Contents · Next: Chapter 22: How to Plan Before Writing: The Content Brief
This chapter was first published in Turkish on X (September 23, 2026).