Google has introduced support for structured data, enabling businesses to showcase loyalty program benefits directly in search results. This development is a significant opportunity for businesses to enhance visibility and attract potential customers.
Businesses can utilize two new structured data types. One defines the loyalty program, while the other highlights the benefits for specific products.
Loyalty Data Benefits
Using new structured data, businesses can display member benefits in Google search results. This feature allows potential customers to see perks before clicking on listings, enhancing the shopping experience.
Google identifies four types of loyalty benefits:
- Loyalty Points: Points earned per purchase
- Member-Only Prices: Exclusive pricing for members
- Special Returns: Perks like free returns
- Special Shipping: Benefits like free or expedited shipping
This approach can increase product visibility and potentially boost click-through rates from search results.
“… member benefits, such as lower prices and earning loyalty points, are a major factor considered by shoppers when buying products online.”
Implementation Steps
To implement this feature, follow these steps:
- Add loyalty program info to your ‘Organization’ structured data.
- Include loyalty benefits in your ‘Product’ structured data.
- Verify your markup using the Rich Results Test tool.
Ensure all loyalty program information is on a single dedicated page for optimal crawling and indexing.
Multi-Tier Loyalty Programs
Businesses can define multiple membership tiers, such as bronze, silver, and gold. Each tier can have different joining requirements, including:
- Credit card signup requirements
- Minimum spending thresholds (e.g., $250 annual spend)
- Periodic membership fees
Merchant Center Priority
According to Google Shopping engineers, this feature is crucial for businesses without a Merchant Center account. However, if you already use Google Merchant Center, continue utilizing it for loyalty programs. Google will prioritize Merchant Center settings over structured data markup.
Future Opportunities
This update empowers smaller businesses to compete with larger retailers by using structured data to implement sophisticated loyalty programs. Small and medium e-commerce sites without Merchant Center accounts should consider adopting this markup.
For more information, visit Google’s new help page. Additionally, explore how Cyberset’s SEO services, content marketing, and social media marketing can enhance your online presence.
