January 31, 2025
Do you want your SEO to give your company a boost? Structured data is one of the ways to make your website more attractive to search engines and findable for potential customers. By using structured data intelligently, search engines can understand better what your site is about. We at Seeders are happy to help you improve this!
Why add structured data?
Do you want more visibility and organic traffic in Google and a higher CTR (Click-Through-Rate)? By adding structured data, you increase the chance of rich results in the SERP. This includes snippet displays such as Featured Snippets and Product Listings. That means better visibility and more clicks.
What types of structured data are there?
You can apply structured data in various ways in the source code of your website, usually in the head section of the HTML. JSON-LD is the most popular form of structured data, because Google supports this type the most. Other forms of structured data, such as RDFa and Microdata offer advantages as well. Which one you choose depends on your goals. If the goal is SEO, which we obviously hope for, then we recommend JSON-LD. The most popular plugins and add-ons also run on JSON-LD.
JSON-LD
A structured data format that is placed in a separate script in the HTML head or body.
Benefit: Google recommended and easy to customize.
Microdata
Embedded in the HTML tags themselves, which merges content and metadata.
Disadvantage: More complex to maintain and understand by Google bot when changes occur.
RDF
Uses additional HTML attributes to add metadata to existing content.
Disadvantage: Less supported by search engines such as Google.
Step-by-step plan for adding structured data
Adding structured data starts with making relevant content visible on a page. Consider frequently asked questions or author information. Structured data gives search engines extra context about this information. This makes the page easier for Google to understand. In the step-by-step plan below we include the actions to be carried out!
Manually adding structured data
Manually adding structured data is a smart option if your content management system (CMS) does not automatically support this, or you do not have a web developer available to automate it. It's perfect for SEO testing to see what works before implementing it on a large scale.
With tools like Schema-markup generator and good and understandable questions in ChatGTP, this process becomes simple and accessible, even without a technical background. In the Schema markup generator you can easily add the type of structured data you want and enter in the input fields. Many marketers do not know it yet, but with ChatGTP it is possible to obtain certain output from a Structured Data-JSON-ld code. In theory, this code can be forwarded 1-to-1 to the web builder.
How do you add manual structured data?
Manually adding structured data is easy via tools such as Google Tag Manager for specific pages, or with plugins such as Rank Math on a WordPress website. Do you have access to the Theme Editor? Then you can immediately adjust the code, but that is not possible with every theme.
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The automated addition of structured data
Automatically adding structured data is a smart choice if you want to prevent errors and make the process scalable. With tools like Yoast SEO or RankMath for WordPress you can easily add standard types like 'Organization' or 'Author' and 'BreadCrumb List'. For Magento (webshop CMS), Product schedules such as information about the price, stock status and review can be added additionally. Useful if you are optimal SEO for WordPress wants to implement.
Check SEO for WordPress!
Always test your structured data before it is placed
Testing your structured data is an essential step to ensure that everything works properly before you put it live. An error in your structured data markup can prevent search engines from interpreting the information correctly, which negatively affects your visibility. Tools like the Rich Results Test or the Schema.org Validator (both part of Structured Data Testing Tooling) help you detect and correct errors. Once you have logged in Google Search Console you can also check how your data is performing. By following these steps you will avoid problems and increase the chance of Rich Snippets in the search results.
Which structured data should I use?
Which kind(s) of structured data you should pick, depends on what you want to achieve. Following best practices can go a long way in helping the search engines better understand your content and get the snippet impressions you want. In the section below, you will find the types that every website can use!
For every website
Structured data makes your website more visible and understandable for search engines and visitors. Which kind(s) of structured data you use depends on your goals, but these options provide a solid foundation:
- JobPosting: Perfect for vacancies. Indispensable if you manage a vacancy website.
- LocalBusiness: Add business information to boost your visibility in local SEO.
- FAQPage: Ideal for question and answer sections. Google often shows these directly in the search results.
- Open Graph: Make sure your content looks professional on social media.
- Article and Author: Increase the findability of blogs and articles.
- BreadcrumbList: Create an organized breadcrumb trail for a better user experience.
- VideoObject and ImageObject: Optimize videos and images on your site.
- Sitelinks Searchbox: Add a search function to your website's search results pages.
- Using schema.org markup according to the schema.org vocabulary ensures that your structured data complies with the latest best practices. Combine this with tools such as the Rich Results Test to check that everything is working optimally. With the right approach you get more out of your content and attract more visitors to your site!
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For Ecommerce
Structured data is a game changer for web shops and ecommerce. It not only helps search engines better understand your products, but also attracts more customers by showing relevant information directly in the search results. The chance that you will be included as an Organic Shopping Result is much higher. We recommend adding the following structured data:
- Product structured data: Show product details such as name, price, availability and description.
- AggregateRating: Show average review stars and build trust.
- Review: Share customer experiences with individual reviews.
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Measuring the results
Measuring the impact of structured data is essential to see what works. At Seeders, we recommend using tools like Google Search Console. This gives you insight into how your structured data is performing, and with this data you can optimize specifically for pages. In the paragraphs below, we explain which type of website can provide insight into results and for what purpose.
For Ecommerce
Measuring the results of structured data is essential for web shops. Google Search Console offers useful tools to gain insight:
- Product Snippets: See how often your products are visible in search results.
- Merchant Listings: Monitor performance of your product feed with all attributes and descriptions.
- Shopping Tab Listings: Analyze your visibility in the Google Shopping tab.
For every website
Measuring the results of structured data is important for every website. Google Search Console offers practical tools to make this easy:
- BreadCrumbs: Verify that breadcrumb navigation is displayed correctly.
- Review Snippets: Analyze how reviews improve your visibility.
- Performance report: Gain insight into click-through rate (CTR), impressions and positions.
- URL Inspection tool: Check whether Google indexes your pages and structured data correctly.
Practical tips for adding structured data
Adding structured data can provide your website with a big boost, but a good approach is essential. At Seeders, we recommend using tools such as a WordPress plugin for automated implementation. Make sure the data is complete and relevant. Make sure you always test it with tools such as Google rich snippets testers. Only start with structured data when you technical SEO (pageURLs) and content (images and text visually visible to visitors) are fully optimized.
Conclusion & opinion
Structured data is a powerful tool to make your website perform better in search engines. At Seeders, we believe it's all about precision and relevance. Adding JSON-LD structured data, such as Product-Structured Data, only works effectively if your basic SEO is completely in order. This includes technical optimizations and strong content. By investing in scalable, error-free implementation methods, you not only ensure short-term results, but also a solid foundation for the future. Structured data is not a goal in itself, but a smart way to increase your online visibility.
SEO Specialist
Tiemen de Jonge is a seasoned SEO Specialist at Seeders Zwolle. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for optimizing online presence, Tiemen helps clients improve their search engine rankings and drive organic traffic to their websites. With years of experience in the digital marketing industry, Tiemen is dedicated to staying up-to-date on the latest SEO trends and techniques to deliver top-notch results for Seeders' clients.
