Yesterday, Google introduced Structured Snippets to search result pages. The new feature takes pieces of content deemed important by Google and attaches them to results.
Here’s what it currently looks like:
These types of snippets are unique in that they are not generated by schema markup.
According to Pierre Far, who posted about Structured Snippets on his Google+ page, “Instead, it’s powered by algos that try to find interesting tables within webpages to extract the key facts related to the topic of the page. This deeper understanding of the contents, plus some quality checks, gives us a new kind of snippet.”
So, instead of webmasters using structured data, Google algorithms are producing the snippets. Currently, the snippets can include up to 4 facts about the result. And, according to preliminary research done by Search Engine Land’s Barry Schwartz, only one result a page will include a snippet.
Here are a few other search results I have found with snippets.
The Superbowl pull up a location, date, and network. Note that the location is given in the form of a Stadium.
While a search for James Bond gives you the character’s first appearance and title.
This new feature is powerful and helpful for searchers, but leaves webmasters with less control over how they appear in search engine result pages. Also, fewer searchers will need to click through the SERP when they find information in the form of a snippet.