Ask yourself:

  • How Google quickly pulls up accurate answers that are easy-to-read
  • How do businesses get featured on Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs)

Because no one knows how Google’s algorithm works.

But you can organise and optimise your website’s content so Google knows what to feature on the SERPs.

This is done via structured data.

Structured data increases:

  • Visibility for potential customers
  • Click-through rate by up to 30%

In this article we will learn what structured data is and your website will benefit.

So let’s dive right in.

What is structured data

Structured data is data organised on a website’s web page.

In SEO, structured data helps search engines understand the context of a website’s page, giving searchers more accurate results.

What a searcher sees online is different to what search engines see.

Search engines see behind-the-scenes code, which:

  • Tells browsers how website information should be organised
  • Tells web crawlers what’s on the page

Structured data markup in a website’s HTML tells search engines like Google:

  • The information to show in the SERPs
  • What this information means
  • Turns social media posts into preview snippets

This tells search engines the content that’s on the page.

And helps the website show for enhanced results like:

  • Featured snippets
  • Rich snippets
  • Image and video carousels
  • Knowledge boxes

Structured data and SEO

Structured data is important for SEO because:

  • It helps search engines find and understand your website and it’s content
  • It helps prepare for the future of search

As search engines like Google make personalise visitor’s user experience and answer questions on the SERPs.

Compared to past SERPs, modern results are easier to read, with extra features making users’ experiences for searching and shopping more informative.

Basically now Google gives you everything you need to know about your searches, using: 

  • Sponsored content
  • Live map
  • Product carousel
  • Question snippets
  • Related searches

You don’t even have to click on the results anymore because the answer is on the SERP.

Examples of Structured Data

Structured data is in the code of websites and online platforms.

But when websites use structured data, search engines like Google feature their content in the SERP features.

Those features on Google, display a variety of information.

The examples below are influenced by structured data.

Structured data also benefits from non-SERP marketing on:

  • Social media
  • Email marketing

Featured Content

Featured Content is separate from normal search results.

Carousels

Carousels are images with captions related to a search, like:

  • Movie actors
  • Cars
  • News articles

Searchers click through these images and go to separate SERPs for that search.

Videos

Videos feature videos related to a search.

Searchers click through these videos and watch each video.

Note: You can mark-up your content for:

  • LIVE badges
  • Video host carousels

Featured Snippets

Featured Snippets show query related information and link to third-party websites.

Different from Answer Boxes and Knowledge Panels, which show information from public domain databases.

Featured snippets aren’t one of the ten organic results on a SERP, so feature in the snippet and your website will show up twice.

Featured Snippets can also show up as:

  • Quotes
  • Tables
  • Jobs
  • Rich cards
  • The “People may ask” question section

Knowledge Panels, also known as Knowledge Graph Cards

Knowledge Panels show the most relevant information on the right of a SERP.

Knowledge panels are displayed as:

  • Images
  • Dates

Or information specific to a category-specific information, like:

  • Company stock prices
  • Celebrity birthdays

To tag your content with these categories, use a structured data markup like Schema.

Remember structured data makes it easier for search engines and social networks to understand your content.

They don’t guarantee being featured in Knowledge panels or any other snippets.

Basically, Knowledge Panels answer queries without searchers clicking on URLs, which is:

  • Sood for searchers
  • Bad for businesses

Enriched Search Features

Enriched result features improve regular search results.

Also known as:

  • Rich search results
  • Rich snippets

Breadcrumbs

According to Google, breadcrumbs show a web page’s position in the hierarchy of a website. 

Breadcrumbs appear:

  • Instead of a URL on mobile devices
  • On top of the title of the results page
  • Next to a website’s favicon

Helping searchers understand a web page’s connection to the website.

Sitelinks and Sitelinks Searchbox

Sitelinks are links under the search results leading to different web pages on a website.

If Google thinks searchers will benefit from more results, it puts them in the SERP. 

To get on the search results with Sitelinks, your websites needs anchor text and alt text that’s:

  • Informative
  • Compact
  • Avoids repetition

Sitelinks Searchbox only shows in branded searches and are like Sitelinks with a search bar in the result.

The search box uses Google not the website and creates a new SERP.

FAQ

Use FAQ (frequently asked questions) on any page with a list of questions and answers, not only dedicated FAQ pages.

Searchers can view questions and answers from the SERP.

These FAQs extend your result vertically, using more SERP space which gets your website more attention.

How-To

How-to features display a web page’s content on the SERP for searchers to see.

Taking searchers through steps and can feature:

  • Video
  • Text
  • Images

The how-to steps aren’t linkable.

But, searchers can click the results to see the whole list of steps.

How-to results show up as:

  • Standard accordion layout
  • Rich result carousel

And how these results show depends on the content.

Non-SERP Features

Structured data can also improve non-SERP features.

Social Cards

Social-specific markup doesn’t impact SEO majority, but it’s still important.

Benefits include:

  • Improving social posts
  • Improving ad efforts
  • Also being read by search engines

When links are shared on social media channels, social cards show images and rich text.

If your using social media to share content, use the following to make sure your social content displays social cards:

  • Open Graph Protocol (for Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram)
  • Facebook Validation Tool
  • Twitter Cards
  • Twitter Validation Tool
  • Pinterest Rich Pins
  • Pinterest Validation Tool

Email Marketing

When you use your Gmail address to order something online and the confirmation email has a detailed summary at the top.

This is how email markup helps email recipients.

So, use email markup if you send emails for:

  • Orders
  • Reservations
  • Confirmations
  • Bookings

How to add structured data to a website

  • Open Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper
  • Pick the data type and enter the URL
  • Highlight page elements and assign data tags
  • Create the HTML
  • Add schema markup to your web page
  • Use Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool to test your markup
  • Find and fix issues
  • Now wait

Structured data is confusing, but it’s not complicated.

Using structured data tools can help like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper and Testing tools.

Google’s tool makes it easier and more accurate.

But remember, structured data markup doesn’t guarantee a Featured Snippet or Sitelinks Sitebox.

But using structured data markup helps:

  • Google understand your content
  • Can increase click-through rates
  • Can get your website more attention

So, use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper tool to apply structured data:

Open Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper

Start by:

  • Opening Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper tool

Pick the data type and enter the URL

Then:

  • Pick the data type to add the HTML markup to
  • At the bottom, enter the web page’s URL or the HTML code
  • Click “Start Tagging”

Highlight page elements and assign data tags

After loading, your web page will be on the left and data items on the right.

Now:

  • Highlight different parts of your web page and assign data tags like:
    • Name
    • Author
    • Date published

Note: The tool suggests different data tags for different data types, like:

  • Events
  • Book Reviews

When selecting and assigning data tags, information shows under “My Data Tags” on the right panel.

Also, add missing tags not be visible on the web page by clicking “Add missing tags”.

Create the HTML

When finished tagging and assigning data items:

  • Click “Create HTML” in the top right-hand corner

Add schema markup to your web page

Next, you will see your structured data markup on the right.

The script is in the JSON-LD markup by the tool, so change it to Microdata by:

  • Clicking the “JSON-LD” drop-down menu, located in the top menu
  • Then click “Download” to download the script as an HTML file
  • Copy and paste the new HTML markup in your CMS or your web page’s source code to make it live.
  • Finally, click “Finish” in the top right corner for Google’s next recommended steps

Note: click “Articles” in the right corner above the markup, for information on adding structured data to any data type.

Use Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool to test your markup

Start by opening Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool:

  • Now enter the web page’s URL you want to test
  • Or enter the HTML code
  • Then, click “Run Test”

Find and fix issues

Your HTML markup will show on the left.

The markup analysis on the right.

Note: Look out for red errors or warnings.

Now:

  • Clicking on a data row highlights the markup on the left
  • So, edit errors in the HTML from the tool panel
  • Then, after testing, make the HTML markup go live

Now wait

Now just sit back and wait.

It can take weeks for Google to re-crawl new HTML.

Just remember, your content isn’t guaranteed to show in SERP features.

But, structured data and enhanced SEO can still benefit your website and business.

Tools for Structured Data Testing

Google’s Rich Results Test

Google’s Rich Results Testing tool checks:

  • Web pages
  • Individual snippet codes

A free tool that helps make sure your website is structured right.

Plus the tool supports structured data in:

  • JSON-LD
  • RDFa
  • Microdata

Showing errors that stop your website from ranking on search engines.

And recommending areas to improve your website or snippet’s structured data. 

You can share test results for up to 90 days, for example, with your web developer or IT team. 

Also, you can make real-time structured data changes and see how your page will look on Google search results.

This help see how changes affect your page on search results:

  • Desktop
  • Mobile

Bing Markup Validator

Bing, the second largest search engine, has its own structured data tool to check:

  • Your website’s health
  • Your website’s performance

And to make sure you’re structured data helps your website ranking on the search engine.

It supports structured data in:

  • HTML Microdata
  • Microformats
  • RDFa
  • Schema.org
  • OpenGraph

Bing’s Markup Validator is:

  • Free
  • Part of Bing’s Webmaster Tools

Bing’s Webmaster Tools help:

  • Monitor your website’s health
  • See the keywords your ranking for
  • See how your website is crawled and indexed by Bing

But, this tool doesn’t support HTML structured code, but it’s good for ranking on Bing.  

Chrome Extension: Structured Data Testing Tool

If you use Chrome’s internet browser, the same as Google’s Rich Results Test but for Chrome users.

Supports structured data in:

  • Microdata
  • Schema
  • RDFa
  • JSON-LD

This Free Chrome extension uses Google’s Structured Data testing tool to:

  • Scan websites
  • Show warnings and error codes
  • Export error codes to your clipboard

You can use this extension on websites:

  • In development
  • In staging phases
  • Password-protected pages

So before launching your website, you can make sure your structured data is clean.

Other benefits include:

  • Scanning your structured data
  • Checking your rich snippets

Conclusion

Search engines like Google are always improving how they collect and present information.

Offering searchers better search experiences.

So, your business has to keep up using structured data.

With benefits including:

  • More attention
  • More customers
  • Better usability

Now tell me how this article has helped you optimise and organise your website.

Or tell me about other ways you have made your website visitors’ lives easier.

Let me know in the comment section below.

1 thought on “Structured Data”

  1. Pingback: Technical SEO - XXMG

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *