This is the feature snippet for courses: the Course Info Feature Snippet!
What does it look like? Here it is:
Understanding Featured Snippets in Search Results
Featured snippets are concise summaries that appear at the top of Google’s search results, designed to quickly answer a user’s query. They provide a shortcut to information, allowing websites to feature prominently in search results and potentially increasing click-through rates.
Introducing the Course Info Feature Snippet
A specific type of featured snippet, the Course Info Feature Snippet, is tailored for educational content. It enables universities to present course information directly in search results. This rich result format can display details like course names, offering institutions, costs, and duration, making courses more visible and accessible to potential students.
Illustration of what a Course Info Feature Snippet might look like:
Implementing Structured Data for Eligibility
To be eligible for this snippet, course providers or universities must use structured data, a standardized format that classifies and annotates webpage content. This process involves adding specific schema.org types, ‘Course’ and ‘CourseInstance’, and following Google’s guidelines for structured data implementation, including content guidelines and general structured data guidelines.
Essential and Recommended Properties
For a course to appear in this snippet, certain properties are mandatory, such as the course name and description. Additional recommended properties can be included to provide a more detailed and user-friendly experience. The full title and a clear description of the course are crucial for eligibility.
Optimizing for Featured Snippets
To optimize for featured snippets in general, certain strategies are recommended. These include using clear, concise language, and specific formatting like “What is” headings. Ensuring the content directly answers user queries and is structured in a user-friendly manner can increase the likelihood of being featured in these snippets.
Monitoring on Course Info in Google Search Console
You’ll find the Course Info in GSC under the Enhancements:
Here you will see the valid and invalid items
Diving into the invalid items you will see why items are invalid:
Conclusion
By understanding and utilizing the Course Info Feature Snippet, universities can significantly enhance the visibility of their courses in Google’s search results. This involves careful structuring of course information, adherence to Google’s guidelines, and general SEO best practices to maximize the impact of their online course offerings.