Website owners cannot fully control the appearance of organic search snippets, but Schema.org markup can help. An example is HowTo, a Schema type for instructions.

Google’s guidelines allow for the use of HowTo markup on a page containing plans, procedures, or a sequence of steps for completing a task.

The result is organic rich-snippets on desktop and mobile search results. The desktop version below includes steps, materials, and time to complete.

Screenshot of two HowTo rich snippets on desktop.

The desktop version of HowTo rich-snippets can include steps, materials, and completion time. Click image to enlarge.

On mobile, the snippets are much more prominent. The steps can appear as images on a carousel, increasing the tappable area of the snippet. Clicking any image takes the searcher to that part of the page.

Screenshot of HowTo rich snippets on mobile.

On mobile, HowTo rich-snippets are much more prominent. The steps can appear as images when properly coded. Click image to enlarge.

Implementing HowTo Schema

To implement HowTo Schema on your page, use JavaScript structured markup generators. Classy Schema is an example. ChatGPT can also generate Schema markup. Just make sure your ChatGPT prompt includes the content from the specific page.

Other implementation options include:

Validating HowTo Schema

Validating Schema markup via Google’s Rich Results Test is essential.

Screenshot of Google's Rich Results Test.

Validate Schema markup via Google’s Rich Results Test. Click image to enlarge.

Then, after validating, check Google Search Console’s “Enhancements” section, which lists the pages containing the markup. In my experience, those pages usually produce rich snippets in search results but not always.

Screenshot of Search Console showing the enhancements section.

After validating, check Search Console’s “Enhancements” section, which lists the pages containing the markup. Click image to enlarge.

The “Performance” section of Search Console includes pages with rich snippets. To access:

  • Click “Search Results”> “New.”
  • Select “Search performance.”
  • Select “HowTo rich snippets” or click “Compare” and select…


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