Structured data or enriched data are information-filled data that help Google easily understand what it will find on your website. This data is in J-SON format, and there are various examples of use cases;
- Identifying a product (e-commerce site)
- Defining content such as a blog article
- Defining the business of your organization
- Highlighting customer reviews
Why should I inject structured data on my site?
You know my perspective. Google's algorithm is logical. Adding structured data to your site allows Google to quickly understand its content. And how does Google say thank you?
- Rich Snippet results
- Better SEO rankings
- Increased crawl budget
- Etc...
If you are committing to an SEO strategy with a touch of "technique," structured data or schema.org is a crucial markup to integrate.
How to learn to use structured data?
Theory and practice. You will find everything
2.1 Google, the best free resource
Presented with clear videos or documentation accompanied by examples, Google makes life easy for you! Dive into the documentation to easily grasp the theoretical part of enriched data.
2.2 Schema.org
The bible of enriched data (schema.org).
I find the content less educational than Google's official documentation, but you will find many use cases and applications for different types of data on this website.
Preview of a page from the schema.org site
2.3 Use an automatic generation tool
It's time for practice! You have two options;
- Create your data by writing your entire J-SON file
- Use a tool to simplify this writing (semi-automatic 🔫): link to Merkle Schema Generator
Bonus: test your structured data's functionality with this tool
It's normal to make mistakes during your first tests! Just remember... (even if Google claims that errors in enriched data are not penalized) to check your schema file before integrating it into your website!
Google offers a free analysis tool, take advantage of it!
Conclusion!
You now know what structured data is, also known as enriched data or schema.org. You also understand that they make it easier for Google's bots, and therefore have a positive impact on your website's SEO.
It is advisable to use a tool to assist you in drafting this data. Finally, it is important to test your file before integrating the data into your website!
