1) What is structured data?
Structured data is data in a fixed format, so search engines such as Google can read and understand what a page contains. Around 92% of all search engine traffic goes through Google. That's why it makes good sense to add structured data to your website.
Structured data is HTML code that you place in the source code of your website. The code contains different definition types, and these are linked to a wide range of data. You can also call them "rules". Web crawlers and browsers can read the rules, and that way search engines understand the information defined by one or more rules.
For your SEO, structured data is a good choice. Among other things, you can show reviews, prices and stock levels directly in the search results. That lifts the CTR to your landing pages.
Take an example from our client permild-rosengreen.dk.
Structured data is especially important when you need to tell Google and other search engines what your website is about.
If you don't define that for the search engines, you can't get the information shown in the search results. With specific "tags" in the structured data, you signal to the search engines which information they should show in the SERP. This is also called "markup", and we'll come to that later.
What's the difference between unstructured and structured data?
Unstructured data is data that no one has organised or locked in place with a set of rules in a code language. It could be images, infographics, videos, documents or presentations, for example.
Structured data follows one or more rules in a code language. The language is either Microdata, RDFa or JSON-LD. Google recommends JSON-LD and still understands the other two.
2) How does structured data work?
Structured data is a "language" that search engines, web crawlers and your browser can read and understand. That includes the browser you're reading this blog post in right now.
A language needs two things before anyone can understand and read it. That goes for people, and it goes for search engines:
- The language's grammar
- The language's vocabulary
When you talk to someone, you use your vocabulary. These are words with a specific meaning. You also use grammar, which is the rules that govern how you use the words and their meaning. That applies whether you're talking to a computer or a person. Google needs the same thing to understand your website. You have to make it clear to the other party what it's about.
So is there a specific vocabulary when we "speak" structured data? Yes, there is!
Schema.org is the most universal vocabulary in structured data. Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Yandex are behind it, and the aim is to spread the use of schema in structured data. A community maintains it and adds new words several times a year. You can easily insert them into your existing HTML code. Clever, right?
So what does schema code look like? Below you can see code we've created based on this blog post. ↓
"@context" : "http://schema.org",
"@type" : "Article",
"name" : "Sådan lærer Google at forstå din hjemmeside bedre: En introduktion til struktureret data"
"author" : { "@type" : "Person",
"name" : "Peter Karlsen" },
"datePublished" : "2019-09-12",
"image" : "https://amplify.dk/wp-content/uploads/logo-black.svg",
"url" : "https://amplify.dk/en-introduktion-til-struktureret-data",
"publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization",
"name" : "Amplify"
With this code snippet, we tell Google what the blog post is about, who the sender is and when it was published. You're free to choose the grammar. Google recommends JSON-LD and recognises the other two just as well as the first. Choose the one you or your IT manager feels most comfortable with.
3) Examples of structured data
The average internet user doesn't know the term structured data. Even so, they come across it every day. Calendar events that create themselves when you book plane tickets, product prices in the search results and expanded information about your search are just some of the things you can do when you structure your data for Google. Structured data can affect the SERP in two ways: through content features and Rich Snippets.
Rich Snippets/Enriched Search Features
Sitelinks and Sitelink Searchbox: let users search your site via Google
Sitelinks show several links under one of your search results. That way, users can quickly and easily jump to one of your subpages. Google won't necessarily give you sitelinks directly in the search results. You increase your chances with correct alt texts, anchor texts and a good URL structure on the site.
Sitelink Searchbox extends sitelinks with a search field in the search result itself. Users can then search for a specific product on the website directly in the search result. The search field only appears when the user searches for a brand. ↓
Want to know more about how to create a Sitelink Searchbox for your website? Take a look at Google's guidelines right here.
Reviews and product information
If you have a webshop, a service business or another kind of business where reviews decide whether you win potential new customers, this example is a ‘’must-have’’ for you.
That's because you can show reviews of your business, your products or anything else directly in the search results. That way, you stand out more clearly visually than your competitors and may get more clicks to your site.
Here's an example from the bike retailer Saxil Cykler. ↓
4) How do you create structured data the easy way?
It's surprisingly easy to create your own schema code. If you have a webshop, it's even easier. Many plug-ins (such as Woocommerce or Shopify) create schema code for your product pages themselves.
Schema code can seem daunting, especially when you have to set up the code snippet and add it to the page. This is where Google comes to your aid. Their Structured Data Markup Helper is a very easy way to create schema code. It works best when your page is already online, or when you have the HTML code for the upcoming page.
You can also use this Schema Markup Generator. In principle, it works the same way. However, you can't pull the data from a website. Instead, you have to enter it yourself.
On the other hand, you decide the entire code snippet yourself when you enter it. For example, you can choose what type of business you have, your opening hours, upcoming events and much more. In other words, the tool gives you more freedom and more options than Google's own.
5) How to test and implement your schema code
Use Google's Structured Data Testing Tool to test whether your schema code works. The tool checks the code for errors and omissions. If no errors show up, you can safely add the code to your website via the backend system.
This blog post is a short introduction to structured data and schema code in general. You can go even deeper and decide which data the search engines should read, right down to the smallest detail. We'll soon be publishing an in-depth blog post on exactly that. Keep an eye on our blog so you don't miss it.
So in short… STAY TUNED!
6) Why should you use structured data?
It might seem a little nerdy. You might even wonder whether structured data is relevant to you and your business at all. Especially if your time could go towards something else.
Our answer is still a resounding yes.
We're seeing more and more searches where, in many cases, the user never clicks through to the search result. The user gets an answer to their search directly in the search engine. That happens precisely with the help of structured data. So start thinking now about how you'll put it to use.
Get help with your SEO strategy
Well begun is half done. Badly begun is, well, not good. If you lack the resources to put together a well-thought-out SEO strategy, you're always welcome to write to us at seo@amplify.dk. You can also reach one of our colleagues at info@amplify.dk.