Topic

I installed your plugin mainly to add the rich snippet in video game posts. I have read, if I remember correctly, one of your articles. It said it was not possible to add stars on different posts. This is a shame, because I want it to be there.

I have Rankmath, could it give problems in case it was possible to have the stars in the SERP?

Can user ratings have a positive impact on the SERP, even if the rich snipper is turned off?

I disabled your plugin rich snippet, because Search Console was reporting errors and it was not valid. I seem to remember, itemreview invalid.

Replies

Rich snippets work, but, because of the changes Google made in 2019, they are very hard to configure ans Google refuses most rating snippet types and will use them only in some cases. Read more here: https://support.dev4press.com/kb/user-guide/search-engines-and-rich-snippets-for-ratings/ especially last part about 2019changes.

In most cases, rating snippet is useless, because Google allow ratings only in very small number of snippets and only if the content matches the snippet.

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I have a website where people play old-fashioned video games online. How do I put the stars on Google?

In addition to this type of post, I have a page blog, where he explains the genres, the series, and the video game consoles.

Google supports very limited number of schemas to allow for ratings in SERP and my plugin allows you to change the schema type, but most schemas require various additional properties to be set. Pro version of the plugin has expanded schema support, but it still can’t cover everything, because some schema are very, very complicated.

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It doesn’t matter if it’s limited. Tell me what I should choose as snippets;
– Game News.
– Game.

What should I have enabled for Rich Snippet to work?

Rank Math suggests to add this; https://rankmath.com/kb/filters-hooks-api-developer/#extend-json-ld-data

I don’t know what you should use, my guess would be Game. But, Game requires a lot of additional values that Google will need to approve the snippet, and to add that, you need to custom code the process of adding that data. And, data has to be correct, you can’t just have empty or generic values.

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Follow you this please.

https://rankmath.com/kb/filters-hooks-api-developer/#extend-json-ld-data

I have no idea why are you posting something from the unrelated plugin. Things done by one plugin are not really related to something done by other plugin, and in this case I don’t understand what you want me to do with that. As I said previously, what you need here can be done with custom coded solution to provide extra data needed, and if you want to do that, I can help you, but so far I don’t know if you know how to create schema elements needed. I can help you with the filters in my plugin, but not with actual format for the schema you want to use,

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Rank Math told me to do it and I’ll let you know. Can I enter the code with Code Snippet, without you having to make any customizations for me? Just have someone tell me what to do.

I can’t make customizations for you, I just can point out which filter in my plugin to hook your code to. But, you need to write the code to generate parts of the snippet related to Game type snipped. And, you need to let me know which base snippet type in my plugin you are using, because filter used depends on it.

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Read the discussion I opened, it will be clear to you what you have to do. https://support.rankmath.com/ticket/star-rating-for-an-old-video-game-site-to-play-online/
I’m not familiar with this topic, so it’s best to read and ask for information in the case.

Still, that thread has nothing to do with my plugin. They gave you filters for their plugin, and that can’t and will not work with my plugin. If you create a function to add schema elements which are required for the snippet you choose, I can help you hook that into filter in my plugin, and that will depend on which base snippet type you want to use in my plugin. Let me know which snippet type in my plugin you will use, and I can give you the filter to use. But, you still need to create the code to add missing schema elements. I am not sure how much clearer I can make this.

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Software Scheme.

Here is the example for modifying snippet before rendering. This is for Software Application scheme, with display for it set to JSON-LD. $snippet is array with all the JSON-LD properties built by plugin, and you need to add anything extra that is maybe needed for Google to approve it. Plugin allows you to set Operating System, and choose Application type.

add_filter( 'gdrts_rich_snippet_jsonld_build_software_application', 'custom__gdrts_rich_snippet_jsonld_build_software_application', 10, 2 );
function custom__gdrts_rich_snippet_jsonld_build_software_application( $snippet, $obj ) {
	// modify snippet array //	

	return $snippet;
}

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I use your scheme.
https://postimg.cc/1nRF1SC3

What do I write in Offers, Description (required), Operating System (required)?

I also write articles on video games. Should I put them as News Articles?

Offers are not required by Google, but if you use it, it has to contain prices, purchase links and other things, but I don’t think you are selling these games on the website, so you can skip that. As for Description, if empty, it will generate from content – but it is description of the game. Operating System is required: Android, iOS, Windows, Linux or whatever else, but only one can be added.

News Articles can contain rating also, but Google doesn’t use ratings from News schema. And, even for the schema you are using, it is not a given that Google will show ratings in search results, they re very, very particular to that, and even for Amazon is not always showing ratings in results. If you need to add more stuff to the schema, you can use the example code I posted previously to expand the schema. If not, this should be sufficient.

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Description: I put the description that appears with the SERP?
OS: browser is required. What do I enter?

What is the difference between an article and a news article?

No one knows what will Google use and if it will use anything at all: description might be use, rating might be used, but there is no way to know that, and no way to force Google to use any of that. I already told you about Operating System (OS) in previous reply – it depends on the game.

For differences between different snippet types, check out Google, but in case of both Article and News – ratings are not used by Google under any circumstance for these snippets. And, if you try to use invalid snippet type, they will know that too.

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I’m confused. The only thing I understand is that it is up to Google to decide.

You did not answer me for the OS. What do I enter? The games go with all operating systems. Windows, OS, IOS, Linux, Android.

I told you that already, enter the name of the OS that the game is for. If the game you write about is for Android, write Android.

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We are always there. What do I put as an operating system. All?

I am not sure how clearer I can be. You have to put the name of the operating system for the game, it can’t be All, it has to be valid OS name, and it has to be one OS only. That’s what is required by the specs. You can try putting there something else, but I have no idea what will happen. Last time I tried, if you put something invalid, Google Test Tool marks the snippet as invalid.

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Thinking about it, a doubt has arisen; Do I have to put the operating system to run the program, or on the operating system it used to be?

The site has games on emulators. Super Mario Bros is a game that ran on the NES. But on my browser, it goes with all systems because it is emulated.

For the snippet, anything marked as required is required by Google to validate the snippet. If snippet lacks required attributes, or if the required attributes are invalid, the snippet will be rejected. Technically, you can put there whatever you want, but if the Google test tool determines that it is not valid, the whole snippet for that page is not valid. There is no list of predefined values for that field, so you need to enter something there, but what you need to enter, I have no idea. Valid values listed on Google include all the common operating systems, as I told you in previous replies.

Best way is to add some OS name, and test the page on Google Test Tool, and see what it says for required attributes.

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