INSPECT RICH RESULTS WITH THE URL INSPECTION TOOL

Inspect Rich Results with the URL Inspection Tool

Inspect Rich Results with the URL Inspection Tool

Blog Article

The URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console (GSC) is a powerful feature for inspecting how Googlebot views and processes your pages, including how structured data (rich results) is interpreted. It provides a way to check whether your pages are eligible for rich results and to troubleshoot issues with structured data directly on specific URLs.

Here's how to inspect rich results using the URL Inspection Tool:

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Inspect Rich Results with the URL Inspection Tool


1. Log in to Google Search Console



  • Go to Google Search Console.

  • Log in with your Google account and select the property (website) you want to inspect.


2. Navigate to the URL Inspection Tool



  • On the left-hand sidebar, find and click on "URL Inspection". It’s located near the top of the menu.

  • This will open the URL Inspection Tool where you can test individual URLs from your site.


3. Enter the URL to Inspect



  • In the top search bar of the URL Inspection Tool, enter the full URL of the page you want to inspect.

    • Make sure the URL is exact (including the correct protocol: https:// or http://).

    • You can either paste the full URL or type it manually.




4. View the Page's Indexing Status


Once you enter the URL, the tool will display detailed information about how Google views that specific page. It shows:

  • Crawl status: Whether the page is indexed by Google.

  • Last crawled date: The date when Google last crawled the page.

  • Indexing status: Whether the page is indexed and ready to appear in search results.


If the page is indexed, it will indicate "URL is on Google". If it’s not indexed, Google may show you issues like "Crawled - Currently not indexed" or "No index".

5. Check for Structured Data (Rich Results)


After examining the crawl and indexing information, scroll down to the section titled "Enhancements". This section will give you information about the structured data (rich results) implemented on the page.

  • Structured Data Detected: This section will tell you if Google has detected structured data on the page, and it will list the types of rich results it found, such as Product, Recipe, FAQ, Review, Event, etc.

    • If Google detects valid structured data, it will indicate which rich result types are supported.

    • If there are any errors or warnings related to structured data, the tool will show these issues in the report.




6. Inspect Rich Results Data



  • If structured data is present, you’ll see a rich results preview. This preview shows how your page might appear in search with rich results (such as showing a rating, image, or price next to the title).

  • Errors and Warnings: If there are any issues with the structured data, the tool will list these problems, such as:

    • Missing required fields (e.g., missing price or rating on a Product page).

    • Incorrect data formats (e.g., invalid date format on a Recipe page).

    • Unrecognized types of structured data.




7. Examine the Structured Data Code


To dig deeper into the structured data, click the “View Crawled Page” button in the Enhancements section. This opens the HTML code Googlebot saw when it crawled the page. You can inspect this code for any issues with the structured data markup.

  • JSON-LD, Microdata, or RDFa: Depending on how the structured data is implemented (JSON-LD, Microdata, or RDFa), the tool will show the raw markup for you to review.


8. Resolve Issues (If Any)


If Google Search Console identifies errors or warnings, it will provide details about the issue, such as:

  • Missing Required Properties: For example, a Product page missing the price or sku.

  • Incorrect Formatting: For example, an invalid format for a date (2024-25-12 instead of 2024-12-25).

  • Duplicate or Invalid Markup: Sometimes, there may be duplicate structured data or conflicting markup that could cause issues.


You can use this information to:

  • Fix the structured data directly in the page's source code.

  • Ensure all required fields are present and correctly formatted.

  • Validate the fix using the "Validate Fix" button in GSC after making the changes.


9. Validate the Fix


Once you've resolved the issues, use the "Validate Fix" button to notify Google that you've updated the page. This will trigger Google to re-crawl the page and check if the issue is fixed.

  • After validation, GSC will indicate whether the issue was resolved or if any problems persist.


10. Monitor the Results Over Time


It can take some time for Google to re-crawl and update the status of a page after validation. Monitor the status of the page in Google Search Console to ensure that the fixed issues are no longer appearing.



Example of Using the URL Inspection Tool for Rich Results


Let’s say you’re checking a Recipe page that’s supposed to display a cooking time, ingredients, and rating in the rich results.

  1. Enter the URL of the Recipe page into the URL Inspection Tool.

  2. The tool will show if the page is indexed and whether Google has detected structured data for the Recipe type.

  3. If there are errors, such as a missing rating or ingredient list, the tool will display that information under "Enhancements".

  4. After you fix the errors (e.g., adding the missing rating property), use "Validate Fix" to prompt Google to re-crawl the page.

  5. Monitor the Enhancements section to ensure that your Recipe page is now fully eligible for rich results.





Why Inspect Rich Results with the URL Inspection Tool?



  • Fixing Issues: The tool allows you to directly address and resolve structured data issues that could prevent rich results from appearing in search.

  • Quick Feedback: It provides immediate feedback on how Google interprets your structured data, showing errors, warnings, and successful implementations.

  • Rich Results Preview: You get a preview of how your rich results will appear in search, which helps you understand whether your efforts are making the page more appealing to users.

  • Validate Fixes: You can use the tool to validate your fixes and ensure Google re-crawls the page to update its status.


By using the URL Inspection Tool, you can ensure your pages are properly optimized for rich results, leading to enhanced visibility and performance in Google search.

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