One of the ways Google finds web pages to display on its search results page is through structured data, which makes this piece of code incredibly important in SEO.
It doesn’t have to be as complicated as a lot of people think either since it doesn’t really require a lot of coding skills. But what is structured data? And how does it impact your SEO efforts? Let’s find out.
What Is Structured Data?
Structured data is a piece of code that acts as a marker. It tells Google’s crawlers exactly what the page is about so that it will be able to present the details to users via its search page. Things like recipes, health information, bullet points, and more are displayed through this method.
It’s also often called schema markup. If you come across that phrase, you now know what it means.
Structured data is specifically intended to be read by machines. In the same way that you or I would visit a web page and see the texts written there to understand what it means, machines look to structured data for the same thing.
By taking the extra time to input the necessary details into the piece of code, Google crawlers will have an easier time understanding your page.
How Structured Data Boosts SEO Results
The goal of any SEO strategy is to make things easier for crawlers to find your website. Structured data makes it easier to appear higher on their search results because it increases the visibility of your web pages. While there are no guarantees of high rankings, the displayed texts will always be comprehensible, provided you actually set them up properly.
Structured data makes it faster for crawlers to make a connection between what users are looking for and what you have to offer. The more the details fit with the search parameters, the more likely your page is to appear at the top.
Incorporating the use of structured data into your SEO efforts might seem daunting, but it really isn’t that complicated. You don’t need to be a master coder to get it right. You just need to be familiar with a basic level of programming.
How to Boost SEO With Structured Data?
So, if we know structured data is important, how can we incorporate it into our SEO strategies? Here is a brief step by step guide to help you.
Step 1: Choose Your Structured Data Type
When you visit this structured data resource that’s provided by Google, you will notice the table at the very bottom explaining the types of structured data that you can use. You can choose from three types: JSON-LD, Microdata, and RDFa.
Of these, JSON-LD is the most common and is the most highly recommended.
Step 2: Familiarize Schema Terms.
There are multiple terms used in schema markups, but you only really need to be aware of the most common ones. If you want the full list, you can find it here.
For now, we are only going to focus on the following:
- Itemscope – This is a handy schema term that allows categorizes based on the topic. You basically insert terms in the HTML script, as this example shows, and all of the items after the
- Itemtype – This particular schema term is all about the specific item that you are presenting. It basically makes it clear that the content is about one particular thing, which narrows the results even more. You can see how this is applied via the example below.
- Itemprop – Then we have the most specific of the common schema terms, which will be used with individual lines of code. You will basically use it to highlight particular pieces of information.
Step 3: Use the Google Structured Data Markup Helper
Google has a service called the Structured Data Markup Helper, and it is exactly what it sounds like.
It allows you to use the code regardless of the domain or CCS you are using. You can choose what kind of content you want to work on from the options provided to you, as well as whether you will use a URL or an HTML.
Step 4: Start Tagging
After choosing the category of the content that you will tag and provide either the URL or the HTML, you need to click the Start Tagging button. This will take you to the next section called Tag Data, where you will be inputting the necessary details.
To tag the sections, you only really need to highlight them, and the options will pop out. You will then need to choose which ones you will be using.
After making all of the necessary tags, you will be taken to the HTML section. From there, you can click the Download button to copy the HTML. You will then need to go to your own webpage’s HTML and replace it with the one that you got from the tool.
After fiddling with the codes for a bit, it should be possible to match what you get from the tool with what your page already has. Non-static pages can be a bit more difficult, but with enough patience, it shouldn’t prove too much of an issue.
Bonus Point:
If you are on WordPress, you can use a plugin called the Schema App Structured Data to make the addition of the code much easier. However, this only applies to WordPress resources. For statistics on how effective this particular approach is, you can check them out here and here.
Feeling Lost With SEO? Globalgraphics Can Help
Globalgraphics is a full-service web design and marketing firm that specializes in SEO, web design and development, graphic design, and more. Structured data is an important part of any SEO strategy. If you’re feeling a little lost, get in touch with our expert SEO team today by calling 0121 667 8667. Don’t let your SEO suffer. Get the help you need to build a winning SEO strategy.
