What exactly is structured data?
The term alone already reveals that it is information from your web pages that is subject to a certain systematic order. To get the idea of a “structure”, it must be understood how data is digitally captured and processed.
For us humans, it is intuitively clear to extract all relevant information from a sentence of continuous text. Digital systems do not possess this intelligence, even in the age of AI. For a search engine like Google, it is essential to capture relevant information from websites as quickly as possible and prepare it for future search queries.
Structured data makes this possible. For this purpose, information from web pages is summarized in a structured manner and integrated into the source text of the individual pages. For the human visitor to a website, the information plays a subordinate role, but for the structured evaluation of the page by Google & Co. this data is a valuable aid.
How does Google use structured data?
When crawling websites, a search engine such as Google systematically checks whether structured data has been included in a page. In order for these to be recognized as such by Google, certain formats must be adhered to in the source code. The recommendation of the world’s largest search engine is the JSON-LD format.
Behind the term hides a fixed notation of data in JavaScript, which can be integrated into the HTML code of each individual web page. The creation of data in this format alone shows Google that the operator is making an effort to optimally prepare and present his website data. This has a positive impact on SEO and potentially increases the chances of achieving better visibility than direct competitors in search queries.
Is structured data a ranking factor
No site operator or SEO agency knows exactly how the Google algorithm works. However, it is considered certain that the creation of structured data is not a ranking factor. Unlike classic measures of SEO, the creation of data thus provides indirect advantages over the competition in search queries. The most important advantages are:
1. Google understands the own web presence better.
By creating structured data, Google and other search engines have better possibilities to understand and evaluate the contents of the web offer. This facilitates the presentation and assignment of the content. This is especially true for special content, such as products in an online-shop or job postings on a career site.
By formatting the structured data appropriately, it can be ensured, for example, that advertised jobs on a company page are recognized as such. This means that the content ends up directly on Google for Jobs and is not displayed in the search engine’s generic web search.
Google can also be helped by structuring the systematic presentation of information via the search engine. Think of a company page where only the human viewer understands at first glance what exactly distinguishes company name, brand name and product name. By creating structured data, Google understands this as well.
2. Display of rich snippets becomes possible
The display of a website in the search results does not have to be limited to the meta tags created. In the same way, small additional information can be displayed, which directly informs about the content of the page or gives a basic answer to a question entered.
This additional information in the snippets of a web page is called rich snippets. Structured data can be used to create rich snippets in a targeted manner. In addition to their information content, the snippets provide a more visually appealing appearance that is more likely to invite users to click on the respective web page.
3. The knowledge graph is enriched
Whether companies, places or people, Google now displays basic information on certain terms in the right-hand area of a results page as the so-called Knowledge Graph. This can also be used for indirect SEO. In most cases, a website with further information is integrated into the graph. This could be your own website.
Influencing the Knowledge Graph alone will only be possible in very few cases. However, Google can compare the structured data with other web information on this topic. If one’s own data can be verified, this could indirectly increase the relevance of one’s own web offering.
4. Search results with interaction possibility arise
As with the job advertisement mentioned above, where companies want applicants to contact them directly, interaction with the user is almost always desired. This ranges from making an appointment to booking tickets for an event. This can also be systematically boosted by structured data and thus make an indirect contribution to SEO.
With the appropriate data, Google integrates the presented information as so-called enriched search results. This helps to share, sort or filter the presented information and provides additional added value – for job searches, ticket purchases and more.
With an SEO agency to systematic success
That structured data plays a role for SEO, even if it is not a direct ranking factor, is obvious. Nevertheless, many site owners do not know how to use this data for their SEO in a meaningful way. This is where it pays to work with an SEO agency that has mastered the use of structured data in addition to traditional search engine optimization.
With an agency for SEO and online marketing like ONELINE, customers are assured of comprehensive advice and professional implementation. After all, when it comes to sought-after search terms, it’s all about the details in order to achieve the decisive edge over the competition.
