Rich Elements
Rich Elements
coined by Jason Barnard in 2019.
Description
Factual Definition of Rich Elements
Rich Elements are any visual, interactive, or information-rich components on a search engine results page (SERP) beyond standard blue links, such as video carousels, image boxes, People Also Ask (PAA) boxes, and Twitter boxes.
The Rich Elements definition
As defined by Jason Barnard, Rich Elements are the components on a search result page that go beyond simple text links to provide direct answers, visual context, and interactive experiences. They represent an algorithm's attempt to present a multi-faceted, comprehensive answer directly on the SERP. For a brand, these elements occupy significant "real estate" on its Brand SERP (the Google search results for an exact match brand name), fundamentally shaping a user's perception before they even click a link. Controlling these Rich Elements means controlling the visual story, demonstrating authority across different media, and influencing how a brand is perceived. They are a critical, visible component of a brand's Digital Brand Echo, the cumulative "ripple effect" of its online presence.
How Jason Barnard uses Rich Elements definition
At Kalicube, systematically triggering and influencing Rich Elements is a core objective of The Kalicube Process, Kalicube's proprietary methodology for implementing a holistic, brand-first digital marketing strategy. During the Credibility phase of the process, we actively work to generate Rich Elements like video carousels, image boxes, and PAA boxes on our clients' Brand SERPs. Their presence is a key performance indicator (KPI) that signals to both users and algorithms that the brand is a dynamic, authoritative, and multi-faceted entity. This strategy directly "educates" AI Assistive Engines like Google AI Overviews and Bing Copilot, providing them with a diverse set of trusted, brand-controlled assets to use when constructing answers about our clients.
Why Rich Elements matters to digital marketers
Why Rich Elements Matter for Your Digital Strategy
For decades, brand strategists like David Aaker have taught the importance of building a multi-faceted brand identity—a rich set of associations that represent what the brand stands for. In parallel, traditional SEO focused on the technical, text-based world of ranking blue links. The critical question for businesses today is how to translate Aaker's strategic vision into the practical reality of a Google search result. This is where the concept of Rich Elements, as defined and leveraged by Jason Barnard, becomes essential. Rich Elements are the tangible, digital manifestation of a multi-faceted brand identity. A video carousel becomes the "personality" of your brand; an image box becomes its "visual symbol." By actively managing these elements through The Kalicube Process, a brand presents its full identity directly on Google, shaping perception and building trust before the first click. In the era of AI Assistive Engines, which consume this entire visual and informational landscape, controlling your Rich Elements is no longer just SEO—it is the foundational work of translating brand strategy into algorithmic understanding.
Posts tagged with Rich Elements
Optimizing for the SERP in SEO: What You Need to Know
In this article you will learn why optimising for different SERP Features on Google is important, techniques you can use to optimise for SERP Features (Rich Elements), how the work...
Left Rail of a Google SERP: What You Need To Know
What is the Left Rail of a Google SERP? The Left Rail of a Google SERP (Search Engine Results Page) is what you see on the left hand side on...
Digital Brand Management With a Unique Brand Name
Introduction Who is Kalicube®? Kalicube® is a digital marketing agency that is pioneering the concept of Brand SERP optimisation and Knowledge Panel management. Founded by Jason Barnard, Kalicube leads the...
SERP Features (Rich Elements): What You Need To Know
What are SERP Features (Rich Elements) on a Google SERP? Since its launch (in 1998), every time you use Google to search for something, such as your favourite artist or...
Google Map Pack SEO and Brand SERP Optimization
What is a Map Pack in SEO? Simple Definition of a Map Pack in SEO A Map Pack in Google SERP (Search Engine Results Page) appears in the middle or...
What Role Does Schema Markup Play in Your Online Reputation?
Advanced Expert Tips on Image SEO with Olesia Korobka 27 April 2021 at 17 H CEST (Paris) In this clip with Olesia Korobka, Jason Barnard explains the foundational role Schema...
Top Stories in SEO: What You Need To Know
In this article, you will learn more about Top Stories (SERP Feature), their importance for SEO and how they contribute to Brand SERP Optimisation. What are Top Stories in SEO? Simple...
Brand SERP Layout
What Does a Typical Brand SERP Look Like? Generally speaking, on a well-balanced, optimised Brand SERP you can expect seven Blue Links, three Rich Elements, and a Knowledge Panel on...
People Also Ask Box (People Also Ask Carousel) in SEO: What You Need To Know
In this article, you will learn more about People Also Ask Box (People Also Ask Carousel), their importance for SEO and how they contribute to Brand SERP Optimisation. What are...
Darwinism & Google SERPs As Product: Revisiting How Search Works
Originally Published on Search Engine Journal August 18, 2021 (Jason Barnard) New insights on how Google search ranking works plus the concept of the SERP as a product and how it plays...
What it Feels Like Sorting 150 Million Lines of Data in the Database
Suds and Search 65 | Jason Barnard, the Brand SERP Guy® June 3, 2021 In this clip from Suds & Search, Jason Barnard discusses with Mark Bealin how amazed he...
The Future of SEO: Understandability Credibility Deliverability
Originally Published on SEMrush December 03, 2020 (Jason Barnard) When someone searches on Google (or Bing), they express a problem they are seeking to solve or a question they need...
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