Videos have a special place in the content strategy of many Magento stores. Promoting and exploring a product via an animated clip is easier than through a lengthy text.
That said, you certainly want your videos to appear in the targeted search results and reach the right audience. That's why, you have to get your hands on one of the most important rich snippets in Magento — video rich snippets.
Don't know how to add them? No worries, today you'll learn all the key details about Magento video rich snippets, their types and ways of adding them.
So, let's get right to it!
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What is Video Structured Data?
Video structured data is a snippet of code which defines the structure and key elements of the video. Its main properties are name, content URL, upload date and thumbnail image URL. However, there are other supported properties you may use.
Video rich snippets allow you to define what info should be displayed in the search results. Thumbnail images, video descriptions, duration and other visual elements are quite catchy.
So, people are more likely to click on this specific search result.
When you tell Google clearly what type of content you post, it will suggest it to the right audience. So, you get motivated visitors and spare them from the tedious network browsing.
Sounds like a win-win, doesn't it?
Types of Video Rich Snippets
We've mentioned that there are various video structured data types. The one you need to use depends on the type of your video. So, let's have a closer look at each of them.
VideoObject
VideoObject is the main property of the video structured data. It alone is enough to mark your content as a video and define its main components. Besides, it's perhaps the most fitting option for the product videos.
There are required elements and additional properties you can opt for. Of course, the more specific you are, the better Google will understand you.
Here is an example of the VideoObject schema markup:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "VideoObject",
"name": "Magento 2 Rich Snippets | Add Structured Data Markup in Magento",
"description": "Learn how you can improve your website ranking with the Magento Rich Snippets extension.",
"thumbnailUrl": [
"https://img.youtube.com/vi/iuen90EzgQE/maxresdefault.jpg",
],
"uploadDate": "2022-06-14",
"duration": "T1M17S",
"contentUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuen90EzgQE"
}
</script>
Basically, the defined elements are enough to understand what your content is about. However, there are additional properties you may put inside VideoObject and we'll review them in the next sections.
They aren't obligatory but still good to know about.
BroadcastEvent
The BroadcastEvent property adds the LIVE badge to the video. It's the most relevant for broadcast events or live streams. BroadcastEvent informs viewers about an event happening in real-time.
The required elements of the BroadcastEvent property are publication, publication.startDate, publication.endDate and publication.isLiveBroadcast. You can add it to your main VideoObject in the following format:
"publication": [
{
"@type": "BroadcastEvent",
"isLiveBroadcast": true,
"startDate": "2024-10-24T00:00:00+00:00,
"endDate": "2024-10-24T23:59:59+00:00"
}
]
Clip
You can display key moments and timestamps of your video to make it more luring. This is exactly what the Clip property is for.
To achieve such a result, you need to specify the title, beginning and URL of each key moment of your video. It's generally recommended to also specify the end time of each clip.
Then, you have to properly format your data and add it to the main video rich snippet.
"hasPart": [{
"@type": "Clip",
"name": "Install GTM Extension for Magento",
"startOffset": 3,
"endOffset": 9,
"url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh6kmkwcWSA&t=3s"
},
{
"@type": "Clip",
"name": "Get GTM and GA4 tracking IDs",
"startOffset": 10,
"endOffset": 42,
"url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh6kmkwcWSA&t=10s"
}]
If you don't want to spend this much time defining each and every key moment, let Google do it for you. Jump to the next section to see how.
SeekToAction
The SeekToAction property defines the URL structure you implement. Based on it, Google will determine the key points of the video automatically and display them as in the previous example.
The main elements of this property are potentialAction, target and startOffset-input. They define the stamp structure of your video and tell Google how many seconds to skip.
The SeekToAction markup is added to your main VideoObject:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "VideoObject",
"potentialAction" : {
"@type": "SeekToAction",
"target": "https://yourvideo.com/media/videoID?t={seek_to_second_number}",
"startOffset-input": "required name=seek_to_second_number"
}
Video Structured Data Tips
At this point, you know what the video rich snippets are. Perhaps, you even want to add them to your content. However, you need to keep a few things in mind before doing that.
Add only eligible elements
First of all, you need to add only those elements Google understands. You should use the markup supported by Google and ensure the spelling and structure are correct.
If Google doesn't understand the data you use, it can interpret your content incorrectly or not index it at all. Thus, rely on the official source and implement the accurate elements.
Make sure that the thumbnail files are crawlable
You may think that the main element of the video rich snippet is the video URL. However, all elements are equally important including the thumbnail file URL.
So, make sure it is crawlable and not removed from indexing. You certainly wouldn't want Google to come across the invalid URL and leave your snippet without attention.
Validate the schema markup
We can all agree that avoiding mistakes altogether is better than fixing them later. That's why, don't forget to validate video rich snippets before adding them to your pages.
You can use the Rich Results Test or schema.org to check your code. This way, you can spot the issues (if any) before Google does and fix them accordingly.
Better safe than sorry, right?
Provide accurate and relevant data
Users don't like to be misled by catchy headlines and irrelevant content. Besides, Google has strict spam policies and doesn't tolerate the search results manipulation.
Thus, you should always add accurate data and define only those elements you actually have. This way, there's no gap between the expectations and the reality, and your content appears in the rich results.
How to Add Video Rich Snippets in Magento 2?
We have covered a great deal of details about the video rich snippets and their types. Still, we are yet to learn how to add video rich snippets in Magento.
The first option that comes to mind is the manual implementation. This is where you have to create rich snippets for all of your videos, validate them and add them to the <head> or <body> of a page.
While it sounds relatively easy, in reality, this task is quite daunting.
You'll have to spend lots of time editing the code to tailor your snippets to the specific video content. This makes content management impossible without the developers' assistance.
However, you don't have to do any of that if you have the . It creates rich snippets for your product videos automatically.
So, no need to add structured data manually and consult Google guidelines. The extension does it for you.
Alternatively, you can consider the . Firstly, it allows you to embed YouTube videos via widgets in any place in your store. Secondly, it comes with the video rich snippet functionality.
You have to fill out a few fields in the admin panel and the extension will do the rest.
This is how you kill two birds with one stone. You place your video in the desired location and set up the video markup with little to no effort.
Video rich snippets in Magento 2 are a long-term solution. You set them up now and benefit from them for the time to come.
At the same time, you can enhance their positive results. Give a shot to other rich snippets in Magento. With their help, you'll stand out in the search results and attract more potential customers.
