It is estimated that there are 8,323,333,333 searches made on Google every single day. You may even have contributed to that number just to reach this article! What do you see when you Google your search query?
If you’re looking for a recipe, you likely see a recipe box at the top of the search engine results page (SERP). Or when you’re searching for a new phone you might find a review from a tech expert showing five gold stars before you even click through to their website.
That’s the result of structured data markup. It’s what Google reads to understand the structure and context of what’s on your pages. It can use this data ‘markup’ to create rich results for search engine users.
Why does it matter? Well, HubSpot estimates that structured data markup can increase your click-through rate by 30% and boost your visibility to potential customers. This guide explores what structured data markup is about and how to implement it on your website with the right tools.
If you’d like professional assistance getting your website organised with structured data markup, explore our website development services at AsOne today. It’s as easy as pie.
Structured Data Markup for Beginners
Google describes structured data markup as “explicit clues about the meaning of a page” that help it to create rich results. You can find the structured data markup in the HTML code. For example, here’s some structured data markup on our contact page at AsOne:
Here you can see that we’re telling Google that it’s a contact page (@type) among other things. The HTML language we are using to tell Google the context of the page is part of the schema vocabulary.
Schema is like a shared language. Website owners across the world use it to tell Google what’s on their site. Remember, search engines don’t see page content the way we do – they just read the code. So, by using structured data markup that Google recognises in your page code, it can better understand how to display it in SERPs.
By using schema to describe our page types, Google can show users this in the results page:
You can use schema to tell Google what a page is, like a product listing or blog article, as well as tag content within the page. Using recipe schema, for example, you could tell Google the ingredients, cooking time, and ratings of a recipe. Google can then use that data to display a recipe card in SERPs:
Without structured data markup, Google wouldn’t be able to tell that the page contained a recipe. As a result, your page might not be seen by many searchers.
But structured data markup isn’t just for contact pages and recipe blogs. Whether you run an e-commerce website, a professional services website, or even an online personal portfolio, structured data markup can enrich how your site is displayed in Google search results.
Most Common Types of Rich Results
Did you know that over 45 million websites are using 450 billion schema objects to help Google create rich results as of 2024? Here are some of the most common rich results that you have likely seen before.
Videos
If your webpage features a video, you can use a schema to let Google know. If your page ranks highly in search results, you may find that your video is featured as pictured above.
FAQs
An FAQ is a list of frequently asked questions. Using structured data markup, Google can read these FAQs and have them show up in SERPs. Google usually displays the first three FAQs right under the meta description.
Featured Snippets
A featured snippet is just what it sounds like – a snippet of information taken from your webpage and featured in search results. This is often an answer to a query, like pictured above.
Interestingly, you can’t use schema to tell Google your content would be great for a featured snippet. Instead, Google determines what content is most valuable for users and should be featured here. This is a key reason why ensuring your website has great SEO is important. By optimising your content for search engines, using the right keywords and ensuring your content is readable and useful, you can increase your chances of being selected for a featured snippet. On the other hand, if your content isn’t optimised for search engines, Google may not even realise that your site has valuable information for users.
If you’d like to optimise your content and aim for featured snippets, read our article on the Importance of EEAT next or reach out to our team for SEO assistance.
Events
As Google has become more advanced at helping users find what they are looking for in the fewest possible clicks, rich results like events have topped SERPs. These results often appear when you search for a type of event in a specific location – in the screenshot above, we’ve searched for indie music events in London.
Rich results don’t end there. The full list of structured data features that can appear on Google extend from lists of educational courses to maps of vacation rentals. For many businesses, applying structured data markup to their sites gives them a competitive edge by enhancing their visibility in SERPs.
Now that we’ve explored the various types of rich results you can get with structured data markup, you might be wondering how to implement these features on your own website. Let’s explore how to create and implement structured data markup.
Using a Structured Data Markup Helper
Structured data markup is found within the HTML code of a webpage, but you don’t necessarily need to know how to code to use basic schema tags. There are numerous tools online that can help.
Online Tools
One of the most well-known tools is Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper. It’s simple to use:
- Choose a page to add structured data markup to
- Paste this into the tool and select the appropriate data type
- Go through elements on the page and select data items – Google will recommend relevant data items
- Click ‘create HTML’ once you’ve added all the structured data markup that’s relevant
- Add the HTML into the page source code or CMS
Once you’ve added your HTML into the webpage, you need to check that Google can read it correctly. To do this, we recommend you run the page through Google’s Rich Results Test. If there are any issues with the code, they will flag here so you can fix them.
Now all that’s left to do is make sure your pages are indexed and let Google get to work. You can continue to monitor how Google is using your structured data markup through Google Search Console.
Understanding Markup Formats: JSON-LD vs. Microdata
When you use Google’s tool, you might notice that the HTML it provides is in JSON-LD format. So, let’s take a moment to go through the two main formats for structured data markup: JSON-LD and Microdata. While both formats can be used, they work quite differently.
JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) is our recommended format. It’s cleaner and easier to implement. Here’s a simple example:
<script type=”application/ld+json”>
{
“@context”: “https://schema.org”,
“@type”: “Restaurant”,
“name”: “Luigi’s Italian Restaurant”,
“cuisine”: “Italian”,
“address”: {
“@type”: “PostalAddress”,
“streetAddress”: “123 High Street”,
“addressLocality”: “Manchester”
}
}
</script>
Microdata, on the other hand, is embedded directly within your HTML elements using special attributes. The same restaurant information in Microdata would look like this:
<div itemscope itemtype=”https://schema.org/Restaurant”>
<span itemprop=”name”>Luigi’s Italian Restaurant</span>
<span itemprop=”cuisine”>Italian</span>
<div itemprop=”address” itemscope itemtype=”https://schema.org/PostalAddress”>
<span itemprop=”streetAddress”>123 High Street</span>
<span itemprop=”addressLocality”>Manchester</span>
</div>
</div>
While you can use either format, JSON-LD is our recommendation because it:
- Keeps structured data separate from your HTML markup
- Is easier to implement and maintain
- Reduces the risk of breaking your page’s layout
- Can be added through Google Tag Manager (a topic for another article)
Professional Help
Google’s tool is useful for the basics. However, it might not recommend tags that aren’t immediately visible on the page. For more complex structured data markup, we always recommend getting the help of a professional.
Structured data markup is important for SEO and can be built into your site by either an SEO expert or a web developer. So, if you’re scratching your head over using schema or just don’t have the time to add structured data markup to your site, find out how AsOne can help you today.
How to Add Structured Data Markup to…
There are a few different ways you can add structured data markup to your site, depending on the CMS platform you are using. Here are some popular options.
WordPress
With WordPress, the easiest way to add structured data markup to your pages and blog articles is through a plugin. AIOSEO is one popular option, but there are others available. Once you’ve installed the plugin, follow the instructions to set up the schema on each page.
To add structured data markup manually to your WordPress site, you simply need to insert a HTML code block into the page content and paste the code in. Use your tool of choice to create the code (scroll up for Google’s tool) and you will be good to go.
Wix
For websites created with Wix, structured data markup can be added manually but only in JSON-LD markup and only up to 7,000 characters (at the time of writing).
Using the Wix Editor, navigate to the Advanced SEO tab for a specific page and click ‘Structured Data Markup’. From there, you can add up to five markups per page. Visit Wix’s guide for applying structured data markup with Editor X or Studio Editor.
Note: Wix customer support won’t be able to help you with structured data markup as they consider it an advanced topic.
Shopify
If you are using Shopify for your website, you can add structured data markup by finding a schema markup app – there are many that offer free trials or free plans in the Shopify App Store. However, many Shopify themes will automatically generate schema for your products, so double check with your theme before finding an app.
Squarespace
Websites created with Squarespace follow a similar process to WordPress. Navigate to the page or article you’d like to add structured data markup to, then insert a HTML code block and paste in your code. For products, you’ll find the option to add a code block under the ‘Additional info’ option.
No matter which CMS you are using, we strongly urge you to check that your structured data markup is correct using Google’s Rich Results Test.
FAQs
What is structured data markup?
Structured data markup is a code that explains the context of a webpage. If a page features a product, the structured data markup can explain what the product is, key features, ratings, etc. This enables Google to ‘read’ the page and decide whether it will show rich results in SERPs.
How important is structured data markup?
Structured data markup is part of SEO. It can improve your visibility in search results, encourage a better CTR, and help users better understand your website. However, structured data markup alone does not boost your rankings in search results.
What is schema?
Schema is the code that is used to create structured data markup. You can find hundreds of schema objects to markup your webpages at schema.org.
What tool is best for creating structured data markup?
At AsOne, we recommend using Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper for creating basic schema for your webpages. If you need help creating your website with complex structured data markup, learn more about our website development services today.
