Resource Description Framework
Is RDF A Game Changer?
by: Bob Sakayama
18 September 2009: If you're running a web commerce enterprise, you
need to read a little about this development. This could really be a
game changer if the experiment Google is running goes as planned. While
technical sounding, what with the acronyms and all, this can seem
intimidating and overly complex. But most webmasters and web marketers
will already have familiarity with some of these techniques just by
being around html, xml, or css. We're talking about optimization at the
most granular level, providing more details after you've gotten
someone's attention. This can be the difference between a conversion
and a bounce.
Resource Description Framework (RDF and RDFa) is the term applied
to the organization of data prepared specifically for the search. The
standards set by RDF/RDFa enable the communication of granular,
specific information, embedded within web pages and xml feeds to be
extracted via search.
The terms "microformats" refers to the specific tagging protocols
that can be used within html or xml that specify the searchable pieces.
These tags specify a class that is used to communicate this information
directly to the engine. This enables us to embed product information,
like brand, category, description, price, etc. within the context of an
html page, using existing css instructions like class. Similar
standards apply to xml feeds.
One of the most important applications can be the use of these
formats within web commerce, where traffic is directed to pages
fulfilling a search imperative. And the document can be anything - a
review, an article, a product page, an affiliate comparison, etc. The
point being that html can now be used to contribute knowledge to the
searcher via the microformat tags.
And the use of these tags can be easily brought onto the page via
automation, since this already is supplying details as data points. So
converting existing documents to microformat specs is not even
difficult. And the impact could be huge - someone reading the review of
your product could easily find any specific detail, like the price, or
special purpose, or brand, or color, etc. because the information is
flagged and easily recognized by the tags.
For web commerce, this is a huge leap forward if this becomes
universally accepted. it means that the information most people make
decisions on, are always available on any site using microformats.
Google is currently experimenting with it - rather seriously, if you
consider they've even built tools to let you test your rich snippets
(snippets that have microtags), to see how your site may appear in
their search.
It's worth experimenting with this right now, because if/when this
goes mainstream, the early adopters will have the lead. We're seeing
evidence that it already has traction, especially in getting
information from product reviews and product descriptions.
Microformats in product info
http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=146750
Microformats in reviews
http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=146645
More on rich snippets
http://knol.google.com/k/google-rich-snippets/google-rich-snippets/32la2chf8l79m/1#
http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=99170
Rich snippets testing tool
http://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/richsnippets
Background on Microformats
http://microformats.org/about/
Technicals
http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml-rdfa-primer/
Sign up form: Let Google know you're using rich snippets
http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/request.py?contact_type=rich_snippets_feedback
