SEO and Structured Data—How Does It Work?
Structured data—a term that sounds self-explanatory, but there’s more to it than you might think at first glance. These terms are often associated with Schema.org or JSON-LD. But what do they all mean? What is structured data, and what does it do? How is SEO linked to structured data? This post will explain it all for you.
What is structured data?
Structured data is code in a specific format, written in such a way that search engines can understand it. Search engines read the code and use it to display search results in a more specific and richer way.
Imagine that your website features various recipes. If you add structured data, your listing in the search results will look completely different. The content that appears will be much richer, clearer, and more structured. Here’s an example of what it might look like:
In addition to the title, URL, and description of the search result, you can now also see right away what steps you need to take to make the perfect pancake.
There are different types of structured data. Structured data is always in code format. There is structured data for books, reviews, movies, and, for example, products in your e-store. In all these cases, structured data will display more details in the search results.
Please note that Google doesn’t always generate such rich text for your page, even if you’ve added structured data. So there are no guarantees. The only thing you can do is add structured data to your page and hope that Google picks it up.
What do you do with structured data?
With structured data, you can (so to speak) “talk” to search engines. You can tell search engines what ingredients are in your recipe, how long it takes to prepare a dish, and even list the nutritional values. Google is able to aggregate this information at lightning speed and determine for itself which information is displayed in the search results.
Structured data is, therefore, a tool you can use to tell Google exactly what’s on a page on your website. Google can then turn this into a rich result. People love these kinds of snippets!
What is Schema.org?
Schema.org is a project run by several major search engines. On Schema.org, you can find all types of structured data supported by search results, making Schema.org a database of elements and codes.
You can use Schema.org to find the perfect piece of data for your page. Let’s dive deeper into the whole cooking story. Schema.org offers a wide range of options: for example, you can add cooking time, nutritional information, or the type of cuisine. Take a look around Schema.org and discover the countless possibilities for yourself.
It’s simple: copy the code and customize it to your liking. You’ll also see a preview of how the code looks in each platform. For example, for Open Graph (Facebook) and Twitter Cards (Twitter).
What is JSON.LD?
JSON.LD is a way to write code to define your markup. Schema.org also offers other ways to write code, but only with JSON.LD can you add Google Tag Manager to your website. This isn’t possible with the other options.
Why is structured data so important for SEO?
Structured data is important for SEO because it makes it easier for Google to understand what your pages are about. As mentioned earlier in the text above, structured data is like talking to Google—you’re telling it what your website is about. This also greatly improves your Google ranking.
Above all, structured data makes your snippet look much more appealing in search results. It displays more specific information, which in turn increases the likelihood that a searcher will click on your link. More clicks = a higher ranking! Please note: Structured data is gaining more and more attention, so keep a close eye on the competition, learn from them, and make adjustments where necessary. We’re also happy to help you!
How do you use structured data?
It all sounds very complicated, but it’s actually not that hard. Anyone can do it after some proper training. So be sure to keep an eye on our training page —we’d love to help you get started!
Not good with code? Use a plugin!
Much of that data can also be added to your website using plugins. So you don’t have to write complicated code to create a rich snippet—you can just use a plugin. Curious about which plugins we recommend? Be sure to send an email to info@are-agency.be.
