Search engine optimization is comprised of various factors, some more obvious than others. For example, if you perform a search in Google, Bing, or some other engine entirely, you might be given results that are known as rich snippets. Perhaps you've never heard of this term. Maybe you have heard it, but don't know the details. Whatever the case may be, here are some vital details that will help you expand your SEO mindset.

For those that are unaware, rich snippets are certain types of search engine results that provide images in addition to links and descriptions. For the sake of visualization, let's say that you search for a meatloaf recipe. On the first page, you might be greeted by numerous search results that also include thumbnails, which depict the meal in question. As you might have guessed, these are rich snippets. They are also worthwhile to SEO, as names like fishbat.com can attest.

Along with thumbnails, rich snippets are known to feature star ratings, which are vital to gaining clicks. Did you know that the average person won't click on a result, or purchase a product, if the star rating is less than four? Even if three and a half is still considered a solid score, it may not instill faith in users to proceed further. A star rating provides even more insight, and it could be what makes or breaks a sale.

One of the benefits of rich snippets is the additional information that they provide. Let's say that you're in the market for bedsheets. You may come up with dozens of links, which will direct you to different shopping pages, but this doesn't mean that they will provide you with information at the onset. Rich snippets are more visual, which means that you'll immediately know more by looking at them. In other words, you'll be more enticed to click on them.

The way that rich snippets improve click-through rates should be noted, too. A click-through rate, or CTR, is the percentage of times a website or webpage is accessed through a certain link. When your site's CTR is high, this means that several people are landing there. For those that are looking to improve this statistic, on their websites, it would make sense to invest in rich snippets. The value that they provide, in the long term, can't be denied.