Last year, Google made major updates to search engine optimization (SEO) that had a big impact on search results rankings. These include Core Web Vitals as a ranking signal and an increased focus on mobile-first indexing. In response, website owners need to focus on factors such as loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability to make their sites more user-friendly. Mobile-first indexing means that Google primarily uses mobile content for indexing and ranking, making mobile optimization essential for businesses.
Failure to comply with these updates can negatively impact your search rankings, which can subsequently impact your website's visibility and traffic. For businesses, staying on top of these SEO updates is essential for a successful digital marketing strategy.
Google is currently testing an exciting new feature: Carousel Rich Results. It is expected to be applied to products, local businesses, events, etc. An interactive visual display is introduced to allow users to easily swipe through results. This feature is expected to make information more accessible, engaging and visually appealing, particularly benefiting businesses in the retail, hospitality and events sectors.
Still in development, Carousel Rich Results introduces a scrollable horizontal carousel that can display a list of items in a variety of configurations. It promises easy navigation, quick and smooth scrolling through a set of items. Users can now change the number of items displayed at one time, scroll speed, and other customization options to suit their preferences. Expectations for the rollout of this feature are very high as it has the potential to dramatically improve the user experience.
Carousel Rich Results is currently primarily used by LocalBusiness and its subcategories (Restaurants, Vacation Rentals, etc.). These structured data play a vital role in increasing your online visibility. These help businesses stand out in search results and attract potential customers. Additionally, detailed and useful information about your business appears directly in search results, improving the user experience.
Carousel Rich Results displays information about product prices, ratings, and images as “tiles.” The display order is determined by the structured data in the ItemList. All information in the ItemList structured data must be reflected on the web page, preventing webmasters from populating the structured data with invisible website content.
The Carousel Rich Results feature gives publishers the flexibility to incorporate different elements into the platform, as long as they fall into eligible structured data types. This opens up possibilities for data representation and information distribution, contributing to improved user interaction and understanding.
Google's recent updates promise more adaptability and functionality for data presentation, improved user experience and SEO performance, and a glimpse into the future of SEO led by Google's innovations.