Why it matters to a buyer
Rich results can make a listing noticeably more prominent on the page, star ratings and price next to a product link tend to draw more clicks than a plain result beside it, but Google has also retired several rich result types over time, including FAQ and HowTo rich results, so a buyer should confirm which specific types are currently live before an agency promises a particular visual outcome. Structured data alone never guarantees the enhanced display; it only makes a page eligible.
How it is measured or applied
A page is marked up with Schema.org structured data, usually as JSON-LD, matching one of Google's currently documented rich result types, with values that accurately match what the page visibly shows, since markup describing content not actually on the page violates Google's structured data guidelines. It is validated before launch with the Rich Results Test, and monitored afterward through Search Console's dedicated enhancement reports for each markup type, which show how many eligible pages are actually earning the enhanced display in search results.
Sources
- Search Gallery: rich result types, Google Search Central
