Structured data is a standardized format that helps search engines understand the content on a webpage. It uses schema markup to provide context for the content. It enables enhanced search results and user experience by adding factors like rich snippets, knowledge panels, alt tags, meta descriptions, and other SERP features. To make it easy for the search engine to understand.
How Does Structured Data Work?
Structured data is implemented using specific formats:
- JSON-LD (recommended by Google)
- Microdata
- RDFa
It can describe nearly 800 content types, including Articles, Products, Events, and Reviews. However, Google supports only certain types—check Google’s Structured Data Guidelines for crafting the right schema that gives better results.Â
Why is Structured Data Important for SEO?
- Enhances search visibility – Enables rich results (e.g., review stars, FAQs, recipes, did you know ).
- Improves click-through rates (CTR) – More informative search snippets attract users.
- Boosts content understanding – Helps search engines categorize and index pages.Â
- Refine User experience: for making users find the page more organized and increasing the engagement rate.Â
How to Check Structured Data on a Page?
Since structured data is embedded in HTML, it may not be easily readable. To inspect it:
- Use Google’s Rich Results Test to validate structured data.
- Use SEO Toolbar (or similar extensions) for a readable format.
Properly implemented structured data can significantly improve a website’s search performance and user engagement.
