Structured data significantly improves the interpretation and presentation of website content by search engines. Structured data, also known as semantic markup, is precisely formatted information embedded in a page's HTML code to help search engines like Google understand the context and specifics of the content.
The use of structured data schemas, in accordance with Schema.org standards, allows website creators to accurately describe and classify various website elements - from articles, through events, to products and their reviews. Thanks to this, search engines can not only interpret content more precisely, but also enrich search results with rich fragments (rich snippets), such as star ratings, product prices, article availability, or upcoming events, which significantly improves the website's visibility and increases click-through rates (CTR).
Why is Structured Data important in SEO?
1. Improving the relevance of search results
Implementing structured data provides clear and precise information about the type of content (articles, products, events, etc.), which allows search engines to better match the website to user queries. The effect of this is not only to improve the relevance of search results, but also to increase the website's chances of achieving a higher position in the SERP (Search Engine Results Page), which translates into greater visibility and potentially higher organic traffic.
2. Increasing CTR (Click-Through Rate)
Pages integrated with structured data often appear in search results as rich snippets, which may contain distinguishing elements such as reviews, star ratings, prices, product availability information, or photos. This additional information makes the entry in the search results list more attractive and informative for users, which significantly increases the likelihood of clicks. Rich snippets can also emphasize a page's authority and trustworthiness, encouraging user interaction.
3. Facilitating access to information about products and services
Structured data allows you to present key information about products and services in a way that is easily digestible by both search engine robots and users. Information such as specifications, pricing, availability, and customer reviews, when clearly marked and presented in search results, can shorten the purchasing path and improve the user experience.
4. Support for voice search queries
The rise of voice search requires websites to provide data in a format that can be easily interpreted by voice assistants. Structured data plays a key role here, enabling assistants such as Google Assistant, Alexa or Siri to precisely respond to user queries, based on clearly defined information contained on pages.
Schema Markup: What is it and how does it work?
Schema markup is one of the structured data formats that uses the Schema.org dictionary to describe different types of information on a page. Schema markup can be implemented in a variety of formats, including JSON-LD, Microdata, and RDFa, of which JSON-LD is the recommended format by Google due to its ease of implementation and readability for search engines.
Schema markup can be implemented in various structured data formats, including:
- JSON-LD: Google's most recommended format, JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data), allows you to add JSON scripts in the <head> section of your web page. This method is easy to implement and readable by search engines, allowing for the effective transfer of structured data without interfering with the visible HTML content.
- Microdata: Microdata is a format that integrates markup directly into the HTML of the page content. While it can be effective, it requires more work and can complicate content management, especially for larger sites.
- RDFa: RDFa (Resource Description Framework in Attributes) is another method of adding structured data to HTML using attributes. Like Microdata, RDFa provides flexibility in defining and connecting information, but may require more advanced knowledge and care in implementation.
Structured Data and generating Rich Snippets
Structured data opens the door to a richer presentation in search results, enabling the display of rich snippets. The many types of content that can benefit from this advanced form of presentation include the following types of structured data:
- Articles: Optimized for viewing the latest news, blog posts, and industry articles.
- Cooking recipes: Featured with recipes with ratings, preparation times and photos.
- Product Reviews: Presented with user ratings, pricing and product availability.
- Events: With information about upcoming events, dates and locations.
Using Schema.org to precisely tag this content increases your chances of standing out in search results, drawing more attention from users through additional information such as ratings, prices, and images.
Why doesn't the page appear as Rich Result?
Despite the implementation of structured data, the page will not always be displayed as a rich result. This may be due to several factors:
- Implementation errors: Incorrect use of schema markup or errors in JSON-LD code can interfere with data recognition by search engines.
- Insufficient or incomplete information: To be eligible for rich snippets, your content must be comprehensive and include all attributes required by Google.
- Non-compliance with Google guidelines: Pages must follow specific rich snippet guidelines set by Google, otherwise they may be omitted.
- Indexing delays: Search engines need time to process and refresh structured data, which may delay the appearance of rich snippets.
How to increase your chances of showing up as Rich Result?
- Thorough testing and verification: Using the Google Structured Data Testing Tool helps you identify and fix errors in your code.
- Ensure information is complete: Make sure all required fields are completed and follow Google's guidelines for your content type.
- Patience and monitoring: Once you've made changes, monitor your progress using Google Search Console to see when your content starts showing as rich results.
How to add Structured Data to a website?
Adding structured data to a website requires several steps, which may include generating appropriate markup, testing, and implementation on the page.
1. Generating tags
- Writing the script by hand: Requires knowledge of the structured data format and programming skills.
- Using markup generators: Online tools can help you easily generate structured data code.
- Using schema plugins: There are plugins for platforms like WordPress that make it easy to add structured data to your pages.
2. Structured Data Testing
Before implementation, it is recommended to test your code using tools such as Google's Structured Data Testing Tool to ensure that there are no errors and that the data is interpreted correctly by search engines.
3. Implementation of tags on the website
After successful testing, the tags can be added to the page's HTML code, most often in the <head> section or directly in the page content, depending on the chosen format.
What exactly is Schema.org?
Schema.org is an initiative supported by leading search engines - Google, Microsoft, Yahoo! and Yandex. Its main goal is to standardize the way data is presented on websites by creating a common dictionary of tags. This collaboration between tech giants aims to make it easier for search engine bots to understand and interpret website content, which in turn influences the quality and precision of search results displayed.
Good practices in the use of structured data and Schema.org
- Accurate selection: Choose tags that best match the content on your page. Precisely matching Schema.org types and properties to the information presented is crucial to the effectiveness of structured data.
- Preferred format: Google recommends using JSON-LD as the format for structured data due to its simplicity and ease of implementation. Placing the JSON-LD script in the <head> section of the page ensures readability and efficiency in processing by search engines.
- Use testing tools: Regularly use the Google Structured Data Testing Tool and Google Search Console to verify the correctness and effectiveness of your structured data implementation. These tools will help identify potential errors and ensure that your data is interpreted correctly by search engines.
- Keep it updated: Make sure the structured data on your website is always up to date and reflects the latest content. Regular updates are essential, especially for dynamic elements such as products, opinions or events.
- Increase your visibility: With the growing popularity of voice search, it is important that your structured data also supports this channel. Schema.org markup can help provide clear and precise answers to voice assistant user queries.
- Working with other SEO elements: Structured data should be part of a broader SEO strategy, working with content optimization, link building, and other efforts to improve a site's online visibility.
Following these best practices will not only allow you to use structured data and Schema.org more effectively to improve SEO, but also increase user engagement and satisfaction.
Summary
Structured data in SEO is a very important tool that helps search engines such as Google interpret and present website content. Using Schema.org standards, they enable precise description of the website content, which translates into improved relevancy of search results and increased CTR thanks to rich fragments such as ratings, prices and product availability.
The implemented structured data supports SEO by better matching the content to user queries, which may result in a higher position in the SERP. This is also important for voice search because it makes it easier for voice assistants to provide accurate answers.
Despite many benefits, not every page with structured data will be automatically displayed as a rich result, which may be due to implementation errors or failure to meet Google guidelines. In order to maximize the chances of being displayed as a rich result, it is recommended to thoroughly test and verify structured data.
Frequently asked questions
Does structured data guarantee the display of rich snippets?
No, implementing structured data does not guarantee automatic display of rich snippets in search results. The decision to display depends on many factors, including the quality and completeness of structured data and the competitiveness of a given query in the search engine.
Does every website need structured data?
Although not every website needs to implement structured data, its use is recommended for pages containing content that can be better understood and presented in search engines using structured data, such as articles, products, reviews or events.
How can I check if my site implements structured data correctly?
Use Google's Structured Data Testing Tool or Google Search Console to test and verify your page's implementation of structured data. These tools can help identify potential errors and provide tips on fixing them.
Adam Naworski
