Structured data refers to data that makes it easier for robots to understand information by using source code from HTML and other formats.

While humans can look at a web page and understand its content, robots need to interpret this from HTML. Structured data helps robots easily distinguish between elements like company names and phone numbers based on the information available in HTML and similar formats.

In this article, we will explain how to use structured data testing tools and how they relate to SEO.

What is Structured Data? 

Structured data is a specific type of code that is marked up within HTML to clearly communicate the contents of web content to search engine crawlers.

Crawlers read HTML and other codes to understand web content, but there are elements that are difficult to grasp from the code alone. Structured data is used to accurately convey those parts.

Benefits of Implementing Structured Data 

The primary benefit of implementing structured data is that it makes it easier for search engine crawlers to understand, which can enable the display of rich results.

Rich results are part of what is displayed in search results. Typically, web content in search results only shows the title and description, but rich results can also display additional information like images, ratings, and FAQs.

Increased Visibility in Search Results By displaying rich results, the information shown in search results increases, which supports search users and can lead to a higher click-through rate. Therefore, incorporating structured data indirectly leads to more traffic to your web content.

Attracting More Visitors with Rich Results 

The contents of SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages) continue to evolve, becoming more user-friendly. By incorporating structured data into your web content’s code, crawlers can better understand the content, which leads to rich results in search listings.

Web content that displays rich results tends to attract more attention from search users compared to content without rich results, leading to increased traffic. These can also be referred to as rich snippets or rich cards, but it’s fine to uniformly call them rich results. Marking up your data makes it easier to display rich results.

Reference: How Structured Data Works | Google Search Central

Indirect SEO Benefits 

Rich results vary and can display information about products, ratings, and about 30 other types of content, all of which can drive traffic to your web content. By making your web content easier for search engines’ crawlers to recognize through structured data, crawlers are more likely to recognize it frequently, which positively impacts your search ranking. Thus, implementing structured data can lead to significant SEO benefits.

For more details, you can refer to the ‘Search Gallery’ on Google Search Central.

Impact on SEO 

The impact of implementing structured data on SEO, as mentioned previously, is indirect.

No Direct Improvement in Search Engine Rankings 

Although structured data does not directly influence search rankings, it helps enhance SEO by improving crawler understanding and increasing crawling frequency.

By implementing structured data, rich results are displayed in a way that supports search users. Rich results present content that matches the needs of both search users and web content, increasing user satisfaction and appraisal, which in turn boosts the evaluation from search engines. Thus, it’s fair to say that structured data has a positive impact on SEO.

Improvement in User Click-Through Rate (CTR) 

One reason why structured data is beneficial for SEO is that it can improve the CTR (Click-Through Rate), which is the ratio of clicks to the number of times it’s displayed in search results. When web content with rich results is shown, the increased amount of information presented can differentiate it from other websites, leading to more clicks and, subsequently, more traffic.

Methods for Implementing Structured Data

Here are two ways to implement structured data in web content.

1.Incorporate Structured Data into HTML

2.Use Structured Data Support Tools

1.Embedding Structured Data in HTML 

Structured data uses formats defined by Google, which are described using a vocabulary from schema.org.

The syntaxes supported by Google for structured data are JSON-LD, microdata, and RDfa, with JSON-LD being recommended.

Citation: How Structured Data Works (Official Google)

Currently, JSON-LD is the mainstream format. Below is an example of how to implement structured data using JSON-LD for displaying rich results related to a restaurant.

<script type=”application/ld+json”>

{

  “@context”: “https://schema.org”,

  “@type”: “LocalBusiness”,

  “name”: “Enter the name of the store here”,

  “image”: “https://example.com/photo.jpg”,

  “url”: “http://www.example.com/”,

  “priceRange”: “1,000 yen to 5,000 yen”,

  “address”: {

    “@type”: “PostalAddress”,

    “streetAddress”: “1-1-1”,

    “addressLocality”: “XX district”,

    “addressRegion”: “Tokyo”,

    “postalCode”: “XXX-XXXX”,

    “addressCountry”: “JP”

  }

}

</script>

JSON-LD can be placed anywhere within the HTML code of web content, but it is recommended to include it within the <head>…</head> tags for systematic management.

I will explain about Structured Data description. The declaration “@context”: “https://schema.org” is necessary as it indicates the use of schema.org. 

“@type”: “LocalBusiness” specifies the type of structured data, and it is also mandatory. Each type has required fields; for example, “@type”: “LocalBusiness” requires fields like url, address, and name. Other details are included based on the content you want to display as rich results.

Structured data types are diverse, with about 30 different types available, each requiring different mandatory inputs. A list of all structured data types can be viewed at Google Search Central’s “Search Gallery.”

2. Structured Data Markup Helper Tool 

Using the Structured Data Markup Helper Tool, you can generate structured data code. This tool is provided by Google and requires linking your web content with Google Search Console to use.

Citation: Structured Data Markup Helper

When you access the Structured Data Markup Helper Tool, you will see a screen like the one shown above. Select the type of structured data you want, and paste the URL or HTML page source of the web content you wish to mark up into the box, then click “Start Tagging”.

Since you can only select one type of structured data at a time, you need to re-enter the tool if you want to select multiple types.

Implementing Structured Data Click on the web content element you want to set up for structured data, and it will highlight in yellow. You can then choose the items you want to display in the rich results. These items will be added to “My Data Items” on the right.

Once you’ve added the necessary data items, click “Create HTML”. Check the contents in the displayed screen, and once you’re satisfied, click finish to download the HTML code. You can then add this code within the HTML of your web content to incorporate structured data.

Schema Markup Validation Tool (Structured Data Testing Tool) Usage 

The Schema Markup Validation Tool provided by Google lets you check if the structured data of specified web content is recognized by Google.

Until 2020, this tool was operated as the Structured Data Testing Tool, but it has been renamed and is now operated under the name Schema Markup Validation Tool.

Here are the steps to use it.

1. Access the Schema Markup Validator and enter the URL or code

2.Check for errors

1.Access the Schema Markup Validation Tool by URL or Code Input 

Go to the web page for testing structured data provided by Google, and click on the Schema Markup Validation Tool section.

A popup will appear allowing you to enter the URL or HTML code of the web content you want to check for structured data.

Click “Run Test” to start the check.

2.Check Error Situations 

Once the check is complete, it will display whether there are any errors.

If the URL or code with structured data is correctly implemented, it will show no errors or warnings, and you will be able to verify that all structured data contents are displayed correctly. If there are any warnings or errors, please follow the messages displayed to correct your structured data.

Responding to Errors or Warnings with the Validation Tool 

If the Schema Markup Validation Tool shows any errors or warnings, check the following.

• Errors due to syntax mistakes in structured data
• Warnings due to missing recommended properties

Syntax Mistakes in Structured Data 

If there is a syntax error in the structured data, messages like the following will be displayed.

Make sure to carefully check each line of your structured data to ensure that elements such as the opening “@context”: “https://schema.org”, are correctly formatted with the proper opening and closing quotation marks (”) and commas (,).

Warnings for Unentered Recommended Properties 

Depending on the type of structured data, there are properties that are recommended to be filled in. For example, in the “@type”: “LocalBusiness”, properties such as “telephone” (telephone information) and “priceRange” (price range information) are not mandatory but are recommended to be included. If these recommended properties are not filled in, you will receive warning messages like the one described above.

However, even with these warning messages, the content may still be displayed in rich results.

How to Use the Rich Results Test Tool 

The Rich Results Test Tool is another tool provided by Google, similar to the Schema Markup Validation Tool, and is located on the web page for testing structured data.

By using the Rich Results Test Tool, you can verify whether your web content is capable of displaying Google’s rich results. You can also preview how rich results will appear in Google Search. The procedure is the same as with the Schema Markup Validation Tool; you enter the URL or HTML code to conduct the verification.

After entering the URL or code, the results will display after a short period. If an error occurs, it is often due to a syntax mistake in the structured data, so you should check each line of your structured data syntax carefully.

Summary 

Incorporating structured data into HTML or other codes enhances the understanding of search engine bots and is reflected in the display of rich results. As a result, it makes it easier to provide clear information to search users. Google’s bots use structured data to more accurately recognize the content of pages. Providing specific information about your site through structured data helps Google recognize it better, enabling more enriched features in search results. However, implementing structured data requires a certain amount of resources, so it’s essential to balance the outcomes with the resources invested. Utilize tools like the Structured Data Markup Helper Tool to increase the information recognized by crawlers and enhance SEO effectiveness.

Author Profile

Mr. Takeshi Amano, CEO of Admano Co., Ltd.

Mr. Takeshi Amano is a graduate of the Faculty of Law at Nihon University. With 12 years of experience working in the advertising agency industry, he discovered SEO and began his research during the early days of SEO. He self-taught and conducted experiments and verifications on over 100 websites. Using this expertise, he founded Admano Co., Ltd., which is currently in its 11th year of operation. Mr. Amano handles sales, SEO consulting, web analytics (holding the Google Analytics Individual Qualification certification), coding, and website development. The company has successfully managed SEO strategies for over 2000 websites to date.

Return to the top of Japan SEO