What is structured data and how it helps SEO

by Moises Hamui July 25, 2024

In the world of SEO , structured data is a powerful and often underestimated tool. Implementing this data can make the difference between a mediocre position in search results and outstanding visibility.

But what exactly is structured data and how can it improve your SEO? Let’s find out.

What is structured data and what is it used for?

Structured data is a standardized format for providing information about a web page and classifying the content on it. It uses a specific vocabulary that allows search engines to understand the context of the content and display it in a richer way in search results.

For example, if your website includes recipes, structured data can help Google display those recipes with ratings, cooking time, and calories directly in search results.

This type of presentation is known as rich snippets.

How to quickly rank your website on Google?

What are the most common types of structured data?

Product

Used to display detailed information about a product, including price, availability and reviews.

Article

Ideal for blogs and news, this type of structured data can include the title, featured image, and publication date.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Allows questions and answers to be displayed directly in search results, increasing the visibility and real estate of your result.

Reviews

Star reviews can make your pages more attractive and credible to users.

Events

Perfect for announcing events, including date, location and type of event.

Implementing this data can not only improve the appearance of your search results but also increase CTR (Click Through Rate) and improve conversion rates.

Rich Snippets: What They Are, Their Importance, and How to Implement Them

How to implement structured data on your website?

Using JSON-LD

JSON-LD is the most recommended format by Google for implementing structured data. It is easy to add and does not interfere with the HTML content of your page. Simply add a script to the header or body of your web page.

Using WordPress plugins

If you use WordPress , there are several plugins that make adding structured data easy. Some of the most popular ones include Rank Math and Schema Pro.

Rank Math

This plugin allows you to add structured data for specific types of content, such as products, articles, and local businesses. Its intuitive interface makes implementation easy even for those with limited technical knowledge.

Schema Pro

It's a paid option, but it offers a wide variety of structured data types and an easy-to-use interface to customize each post to your needs.

Manually with Microdata and RDFa

For those with more technical knowledge , microdata and RDFa are other viable options. These methods involve adding attributes directly into existing HTML tags, providing detailed information to search engines.

How structured data improves SEO

Increase in CTR

Rich snippets make your search results more attractive and take up more space, which can significantly increase CTR.

Better understanding of content by search engines

By providing clear and detailed context, you help search engines better understand the content of your page, which can result in better rankings.

Competitive advantage

Displaying additional information such as reviews, prices, and availability can give your pages a competitive advantage, attracting more users to your website instead of your competitors.

Importance of validating structured data

Once implemented, it's crucial to validate your structured data to make sure it's been added correctly. Tools like Google's Rich Results Test or Schema Markup Validator can help you verify that everything is in order and optimize your results.

Written by Moises Hamui Abadi : I am an entrepreneur, founding partner of Viceversa and SoyMacho. After leading several digital businesses and advising several other businesses, I decided to form MHA Consulting, a digital marketing consultancy dedicated to growing and empowering digital businesses in more than 7 countries and generating more than 1,500 million pesos.