Do you want your search results to stand out among thousands of others?

Then knowing how to use structured data terms is a smart move. Think of clear keywords, product features, reviews, and events that provide your website with additional information for search engines. This way, users immediately see what you have to offer, as if you had a shop window that's irresistible to look into.

With schema.org schemas and JSON-LD, you can add things like star ratings, prices, opening hours, and location information. This makes your Google snippet more attractive and larger than your competitor's. Imagine running a restaurant and visitors can see your ranking, menu options, and opening hours right in the search results. That simply attracts more clicks.

By cleverly applying structured data, you ensure your search results are both more functional and visually appealing. It gives search engines and users concrete clues about your content. This not only boosts your rankings but also attracts more relevant visitors who know exactly what to expect from you. This way, you'll maximize your online visibility, step by step.

What are structured data terms and why do they make your search results more attractive?

Structured data terms are specific calls within schema.org vocabularies that help search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo better understand your website's content. By marking up your content using, for example, JSON-LD, Microdata, or RDFa, you tell search engines exactly what certain elements mean: whether it's a review, event, product, person, or organization. This ensures that your search results don't just appear as simple blue links, but as so-called rich snippets with additional information, reviews, prices, and times. This significantly increases the click-through rate (CTR) because the rich snippets immediately show searchers the information they're looking for.

How Structured Data Works: A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Terms

You don't need to be a coding expert to get started with structured data implementation. Follow these steps recommended by experts like Danny Sullivan (Google's public liaison for search) and Marie Haynes (SEO specialist):

1. Analyze your content: Determine which sections are valuable to highlight, such as reviews, products, events, or articles.
2. Select the correct scheme type: Find the type that best suits your content on schema.org, for example Product, Article, Event of FAQPage.
3. Implement the markup: Use a tool like Google's Structured Data Markup Helper or Schema Markup Generator to generate JSON-LD code and add it to your HTML.
4. Test your structured data: Google's Rich Results Test lets you check whether your markup is correct and which rich snippets you can expect.
5. Monitor and optimize: With Google Search Console and tools like Semrush or Ahrefs you can monitor how your snippet is performing and optimize where necessary.

Top types of structured data that improve your search results

Depending on your industry and content, different schema types can increase the visibility and attractiveness of your search results. The following are the most popular and effective:

• Product: Show prices, availability, and reviews in Google Shopping and organic results, essential for e-commerce sites like Philips or Coolblue.
• FAQ Page: Display predefined questions and answers directly below your snippet, which users often find valuable in service-oriented companies.
• Event: Provide the date, location, ticket price, and type of event, suitable for theaters such as the Royal Theater Carré or museums.
• Recipe: For food blogs and cooking sites, this chart shows ingredients, cooking time, and ratings, as frequently used by the New York Times Cooking.
• Review: Boost your credibility with star ratings in search results, essential for Booking.com or Trustpilot services.

Which tools and technologies do you apply for structured data implementation?

The technological tooling is broad and advanced, with leading platforms that help SEO experts to realize rich snippets without much programming work:

• Google Structured Data Markup Helper: An easy-to-use interface for visualizing and generating JSON-LD markup without manual coding.
• Semrush Structured Data Tool: Automatically analyzes whether and how your pages use schema markup and shows optimization opportunities.
• Yoast SEO Plugin: Especially for WordPress websites, this plugin helps add structured data with little effort.
• Schedule App: An advanced platform for enterprise-level implementation and management of structured data across hundreds of pages.
• Google Rich Results Test: Test your pages for correct structured data implementation and see which rich snippets are likely to be shown.

How to increase top position in search results with structured data?

Structured data isn't a direct ranking factor, but it does influence the user experience and thus indirectly your Google ranking. Research by Moz and Backlinko shows that rich snippets lead to higher click-through rates and lower bounce rates, signals that Google values. Make sure you apply the following:

• Ensure accuracy: The data in the schema must match exactly what's on the page. For example, if Amazon lists product prices, they must be current and accurate.
• Minimize errors: Use validation consistently with Google Rich Results Test, as errors can prevent your rich results from appearing.
• Combine types: Where relevant, combine schemas such as Product with Review for extra rich snippets.
• Improve loading times: Structured data should load quickly and without causing delays, this helps Google quickly interpret the content.
• Keep updating: Keep your schema definitions and markup up-to-date via schema.org to take full advantage of new features like FAQ carousels or HowTo snippets.

Concrete examples and best practices for structured data usage in different industries

In practice, you will find structured data on various sectors, each with specific points of interest:

• Retail: Web shops such as Bol.com use it Product schedule with stock and price, in combination with Review en BrandThis increases trust and discoverability in marketplaces.
• Travel Industry: Booking.com and Expedia combine Place, Hotel en Review for clearer results about accommodations, leading to better conversions.
• Events: Venues and theaters like the Amsterdam ArenA posted schedules that integrate date, time, and tickets, which are immediately reflected in search results.
• Media and blogs: News websites such as NOS use it Article scheme and combine this with Author en Publisher for authority and recognition in Google News.
• Local businesses: Restaurants and shops integrate LocalBusiness, including opening hours and address, which shows essential information for local searches.

By engaging qualified experts like Flexamedia, you ensure that these implementations are not only technically sound but also align with your strategic goals. Structured data is a powerful tool for making a difference in a competitive digital market. Want to delve deeper into keyword optimization related to this topic? Then you might also want to check out our tips on how to effectively integrate keywords into your content or how to avoid mistakes when keyword researchThis way you get the most out of your SEO efforts and ensure that your website really stands out.

Frequently asked questions