rich results

"Rich results" (Google's term; sometimes called "rich snippets" or "SERP features") are enhanced presentations of a search result that go beyond the basic title-URL-snippet format. They make a result occupy more vertical space, typically include images or interactive elements, and tend to attract more clicks.

Common rich-result types and their schema requirements:

• Sitelinks Search Box -- in-SERP search box for branded queries. Requires WebSite schema with a potentialAction of type SearchAction. Eligible only for the homepage.
• Breadcrumb trail -- shows the page's position in site hierarchy below the URL. Requires BreadcrumbList schema with itemListElement entries each having position (numeric).
• FAQ accordion -- expandable Q&A inside the result. Requires FAQPage with mainEntity array of Question items. (Google has narrowed this in 2023+ -- visibility is no longer guaranteed.)
• HowTo -- step-by-step instructions in the result. HowTo schema with step array.
• Product card -- price, availability, rating stars. Product schema with offers, aggregateRating.
• Recipe card -- ingredients, prep time, calories, image. Recipe schema.
• Event -- dates, location, ticket links. Event schema with startDate, location.
• Organization knowledge panel -- the right-side panel showing logo, social links, founded date for branded searches. Requires consistent Organization schema with logo, url, sameAs.

Important caveats:

• Eligibility ≠ rendering. Google decides per-query whether to actually render the rich result based on content quality, page authority, and a host of opaque signals. Adding the schema is necessary but not sufficient.
• Some rich-result types have shrunk over time. FAQ rich results were aggressively visible in 2020-2022, then Google narrowed eligibility to "authoritative sources" only. The specific behavior at any given time changes.
• Validation tools (Rich Results Test, Schema Markup Validator) tell you ELIGIBILITY, not whether a specific page will actually win the rich result.

The pragmatic approach: implement schema for the page types you have (Article, Product, etc.), monitor in Google Search Console which pages get rich results in practice, and iterate on the highest-traffic queries.