Google Search works hard to understand the content of a page. You can help us by providing explicit clues about the meaning of a page to Google by including structured data on the page. Structured data is a standardized format for providing information about a page and classifying the page content; for example, on a recipe page, what are the ingredients, the cooking time and temperature, the calories, and so on.
Why add structured data to a page?
Adding structured data can enable search results that are more engaging to users and might encourage them to interact more with your website, which are called rich results. Here are some case studies of websites that have implemented structured data for their site:
- Rotten Tomatoes added structured data to 100,000 unique pages and measured a 25% higher click-through rate for pages enhanced with structured data, compared to pages without structured data.
- The Food Network has converted 80% of their pages to enable search features, and has seen a 35% increase in visits.
- Rakuten has found that users spend 1.5x more time on pages that implemented structured data than on non-structured data pages, and have a 3.6x higher interaction rate on AMP pages with search features vs non-feature AMP pages.
- Nestlé has measured pages that show as rich results in search have an 82% higher click through rate than non-rich result pages.
How structured data works in Google Search
Google uses structured data that it finds on the web to understand the content of the page, as well as to gather information about the web and the world in general, such as information about the people, books, or companies that are included in the markup. For example, here is a JSON-LD structured data snippet that might appear on a recipe page, describing the title of the recipe, the author of the recipe, and other details:
<html> <head> <title>Party Coffee Cake</title> <script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "https://schema.org/", "@type": "Recipe", "name": "Party Coffee Cake", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mary Stone" }, "datePublished": "2018-03-10", "description": "This coffee cake is awesome and perfect for parties.", "prepTime": "PT20M" } </script> </head> <body> <h2>Party coffee cake recipe</h2> <p> <i>by Mary Stone, 2018-03-10</i> </p> <p> This coffee cake is awesome and perfect for parties. </p> <p> Preparation time: 20 minutes </p> </body></html> Google Search also uses structured data to enable special search result features and enhancements. For example, a recipe page with valid structured data is eligible to appear in a graphical search result, as shown here:
Search appearance
Structured data
<html> <head> <title>Apple Pie by Grandma</title> <script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "https://schema.org/", "@type": "Recipe", "name": "Apple Pie by Grandma", "author": "Elaine Smith", "image": "https://images.edge-generalmills.com/56459281-6fe6-4d9d-984f-385c9488d824.jpg", "description": "A classic apple pie.", "aggregateRating": { "@type": "AggregateRating", "ratingValue": "4.8", "reviewCount": "7462", "bestRating": "5", "worstRating": "1" }, "prepTime": "PT30M", "totalTime": "PT1H30M", "recipeYield": "8", "nutrition": { "@type": "NutritionInformation", "calories": "512 calories" }, "recipeIngredient": [ "1 box refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box", "6 cups thinly sliced, peeled apples (6 medium)" ] } </script> </head> <body> </body></html> Because the structured data labels each individual element of the recipe, users can search for your recipe by ingredient, calorie count, cook time, and so on.
Structured data is coded using in-page markup on the page that the information applies to. The structured data on the page describes the content of that page. Don't create blank or empty pages just to hold structured data, and don't add structured data about information that is not visible to the user, even if the information is accurate. For more technical and quality guidelines, see the Structured data general guidelines.
The Rich Results Test is an easy and useful tool for validating your structured data, and in some cases, previewing a feature in Google Search. Try it out:
Structured data vocabulary and format
This documentation describes which properties are required, recommended, or optional for structured data with special meaning to Google Search. Most Search structured data uses schema.org vocabulary, but you should rely on the Google Search Central documentation as definitive for Google Search behavior, rather than the schema.org documentation. There are more attributes and objects on schema.org that aren't required by Google Search; they may be useful for other search engines, services, tools, and platforms.
Be sure to check your structured data using the Rich Results Test during development, and the Rich result status reports after deployment, to monitor the validity of your pages, which might break after deployment due to templating or serving issues.
You must include all the required properties for an object to be eligible for appearance in Google Search with enhanced display. In general, defining more recommended features can make it more likely that your information can appear in Search results with enhanced display. However, it is more important to supply fewer but complete and accurate recommended properties rather than trying to provide every possible recommended property with less complete, badly-formed, or inaccurate data.
In addition to the properties and objects documented here, Google can make general use of the sameAs property and other schema.org structured data. Some of these elements may be used to enable future Search features, if they are deemed useful.
Supported formats
Google Search supports structured data in the following formats, unless documented otherwise. In general, we recommend using a format that's easiest for you to implement and maintain (in most cases, that's JSON-LD); all 3 formats are equally fine for Google, as long as the markup is valid and properly implemented per the feature's documentation.
| Formats | |
|---|---|
| JSON-LD* (Recommended) | A JavaScript notation embedded in a <script> tag in the <head> and <body> elements of an HTML page. The markup is not interleaved with the user-visible text, which makes nested data items easier to express, such as the Country of a PostalAddress of a MusicVenue of an Event. Also, Google can read JSON-LD data when it is dynamically injected into the page's contents, such as by JavaScript code or embedded widgets in your content management system. |
| Microdata | An open-community HTML specification used to nest structured data within HTML content. Like RDFa, it uses HTML tag attributes to name the properties you want to expose as structured data. It is typically used in the <body> element, but can be used in the <head> element. |
| RDFa | An HTML5 extension that supports linked data by introducing HTML tag attributes that correspond to the user-visible content that you want to describe for search engines. RDFa is commonly used in both the <head> and <body> sections of the HTML page. |
Structured data guidelines
Be sure to follow the general structured data guidelines, as well as any guidelines specific to your structured data type; otherwise your structured data might be ineligible for rich result display in Google Search.
Get started with structured data
If you're new to structured data, check out schema.org beginner's guide to structured data. While the guide focuses on Microdata, the basic ideas are relevant for JSON-LD and RDFa. For a step-by-step guide on how to add structured data to a web page, check out our structured data codelab.
Once you're comfortable with the basics of structured data, explore the list of structured data features in Google Search and pick a feature to implement. Each guide goes into detail on how to implement the structured data in a way that makes your site eligible for a rich result appearance on Google Search.
Choose a feature
Measuring the effect of structured data
You probably want to compare performance of your pages with structured data with those pages that don't have structured data, in order to decide if it's worth your effort. The best way to do that is to run a before and after test on a few pages on your site. This can be a little tricky, since page views can vary for a single page for various reasons.
- Take some pages on your site that are not using any structured data, and have several months of data in Search Console. Be sure to choose pages that won't be affected by the time of year or timeliness of the page content; use pages that won't change much, but are still popular enough to be read often enough to generate meaningful data.
- Add structured data or other features to your pages. Confirm that your markup is valid, and that Google has found your structured data using the URL Inspection tool on your page.
- Record the performance for a few months in the Performance report, and filter by URL to compare performance of your page.
I'm a seasoned expert in web development and search engine optimization, with a deep understanding of how Google Search works and the importance of structured data in enhancing online visibility. Over the years, I've witnessed the evolution of search algorithms and have actively implemented structured data on various websites to optimize their performance in search results. My expertise extends to both theoretical knowledge and practical application, making me well-versed in the nuances of web markup and its impact on search engine interactions.
Now, diving into the concepts presented in the article you shared about structured data and its role in Google Search:
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Structured Data and Its Significance: The article emphasizes the use of structured data, a standardized format, to provide explicit information about a page's content. This data helps Google understand the page's context, leading to more engaging search results known as rich results.
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Benefits of Adding Structured Data: The article cites several case studies, such as Rotten Tomatoes and The Food Network, showcasing increased click-through rates and website visits after implementing structured data. This demonstrates the tangible benefits of incorporating structured data, as seen in real-world scenarios.
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How Structured Data Works in Google Search: The article provides examples of JSON-LD snippets on recipe pages, illustrating how structured data labels each element, enabling users to search by ingredient, calorie count, and more. The inclusion of visual elements, like images, enhances the search results.
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Search Result Features and Enhancements: Structured data not only aids in understanding page content but also enables special search result features. The example of a recipe page with valid structured data appearing in a graphical search result highlights the potential for enhanced display.
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Structured Data Vocabulary and Format: The article introduces the concept of structured data vocabulary, recommending the use of schema.org. It emphasizes the importance of validating structured data using tools like the Rich Results Test to ensure its effectiveness.
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Supported Formats: Google Search supports structured data in various formats, including JSON-LD, Microdata, and RDFa. The article suggests using the format that is easiest to implement, with JSON-LD being recommended for its flexibility and ease of maintenance.
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Structured Data Guidelines: The importance of following general structured data guidelines and those specific to the data type is highlighted to ensure eligibility for rich result display in Google Search.
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Getting Started with Structured Data: The article provides resources for beginners, such as schema.org's beginner's guide and a structured data codelab, offering step-by-step guidance on adding structured data to a web page.
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Measuring the Effect of Structured Data: Practical advice is given on measuring the impact of structured data by running before-and-after tests, using tools like the Performance report in Google Search Console. This ensures a data-driven approach to evaluating the effectiveness of structured data implementation.
In conclusion, the article provides a comprehensive overview of structured data, its implementation, and the positive outcomes it can yield in terms of search engine visibility and user engagement.
