How to Boost Your Site’s Visibility and Performance with Schema Markup
Structured data is a way of organizing and labeling the information on a web page, using a standardized format and vocabulary, such as Schema.org. Structured data helps search engines understand the content and context of a web page, and enables them to display rich results, such as snippets, cards, carousels, and knowledge panels, that can enhance the appearance and relevance of a site in the search results.
Structured data is not a new concept, but it has become increasingly important for SEO in recent years, as search engines have evolved to provide more user-centric and semantic results. Structured data can help a site gain more visibility, traffic, and conversions, as well as improve its technical performance and user experience.
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In this article, we will share 8 key insights of structured data in SEO, based on the latest research, case studies, and best practices. We will also show you how to implement structured data on your site using various tools and methods.
Insight 1: Structured Data Can Increase Click-Through Rates (CTR) and Traffic
One of the main benefits of structured data is that it can increase the click-through rates (CTR) and traffic of a site, by making its listings more attractive and informative in the search results. Structured data can add rich elements to a listing, such as images, ratings, prices, availability, breadcrumbs, and more, that can catch the attention of users and provide them with useful information to help them make a decision.
According to a study by Searchmetrics, sites that use structured data can achieve an average increase of 35% in CTR compared to sites that do not use structured data. Another study by Yandex found that sites that use structured data can see an average increase of 12% in traffic compared to sites that do not use structured data.
Insight 2: Structured Data Can Improve Search Visibility and Rankings
Another benefit of structured data is that it can improve the search visibility and rankings of a site, by helping search engines understand the content and context of a web page better. Structured data can provide semantic clues to search engines about the meaning and purpose of a web page, such as its topic, type, audience, intent, and relation to other entities. This can help search engines match a web page to relevant queries more accurately and efficiently.
According to Google, structured data is not a direct ranking factor, but it can indirectly affect rankings by improving the quality and relevance of a site’s content. Structured data can also help a site rank for featured snippets, which are special boxes that appear at the top of the search results for some queries, providing concise answers or information. Featured snippets can boost the visibility and authority of a site, as well as drive more traffic and conversions.
Insight 3: Structured Data Can Enhance User Experience and Engagement
A third benefit of structured data is that it can enhance the user experience and engagement of a site, by providing users with more options and features to interact with the site’s content. Structured data can enable various functionalities on a site, such as onsite search, filters, recommendations, chatbots, voice assistants, and more. These functionalities can improve the usability and accessibility of a site, as well as increase the satisfaction and loyalty of users.
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According to a study by Schema App, sites that use structured data can achieve an average increase of 26% in time on page compared to sites that do not use structured data. Another study by WordLift found that sites that use structured data can see an average increase of 13% in page views per session compared to sites that do not use structured data.
Insight 4: Structured Data Can Optimize Technical Performance and Speed
A fourth benefit of structured data is that it can optimize the technical performance and speed of a site, by reducing the amount of resources and time required for search engines to crawl and index a web page. Structured data can provide search engines with concise and consistent information about a web page’s content, without requiring them to parse or interpret the HTML code or other elements. This can help search engines process a web page faster and more accurately.
According to Google, structured data can help a site benefit from faster indexing , which means that new or updated pages can appear in the search results sooner. Structured data can also help a site benefit from dynamic rendering , which means that search engines can request a version of a web page that is optimized for crawling , while users can see a version that is optimized for rendering . This can improve the speed and efficiency of both crawling and rendering.
Insight 5: Structured Data Can Support Voice Search and Mobile-Friendly Design
A fifth benefit of structured data is that it can support voice search and mobile-friendly design, which are two of the most important trends in SEO today. Voice search is the use of voice commands to perform a search query, instead of typing or tapping. Mobile-friendly design is the practice of designing a site that adapts to different screen sizes and devices, such as smartphones and tablets.
Structured data can help a site rank for voice search by providing clear and concise answers or information that can be read aloud by voice assistants, such as Google Assistant, Siri, or Alexa. Structured data can also help a site rank for mobile search by providing rich and relevant information that can fit on smaller screens and devices, such as images, ratings, prices, availability, breadcrumbs, and more.
According to a study by Backlinko, 40.7% of voice search results come from featured snippets, which are powered by structured data. Another study by BrightEdge found that 62% of organic searches come from mobile devices, which can display rich results, which are powered by structured data.
Insight 6: Structured Data Can Increase Conversion Rates and Revenue
A sixth benefit of structured data is that it can increase the conversion rates and revenue of a site, by providing users with more information and incentives to take action on the site’s content. Structured data can add persuasive elements to a listing, such as reviews, testimonials, offers, coupons, discounts, and more, that can influence the decision-making process of users and motivate them to click, buy, subscribe, sign up, or contact.
According to a study by Search Engine Land, sites that use structured data can achieve an average increase of 30% in conversion rates compared to sites that do not use structured data. Another study by Schema App found that sites that use structured data can see an average increase of 12% in revenue compared to sites that do not use structured data.
Insight 7: Structured Data Can Help with Content Marketing and Link Building
A seventh benefit of structured data is that it can help with content marketing and link building , which are two of the most effective SEO strategies today. Content marketing is the creation and distribution of valuable and relevant content to attract and retain a target audience. Link building is the acquisition of links from other websites to a site, to increase its authority and popularity.
Structured data can help a site create and distribute content that is more engaging and shareable , by adding visual and interactive elements to the content, such as images, videos, charts, graphs, quizzes, polls, surveys, and more. Structured data can also help a site acquire links from other websites that are more relevant and authoritative , by providing information and resources that are useful and credible , such as facts, statistics, quotes, citations, references, and more.
According to a study by BuzzSumo, content that contains images or videos can get 2.3 times more shares than content that does not contain images or videos. Another study by Moz found that content that contains facts or statistics can get 2.8 times more links than content that does not contain facts or statistics.
Insight 8: Structured Data Can Help with Local SEO and E-commerce SEO
An eighth benefit of structured data is that it can help with local SEO and e-commerce SEO , which are two of the most competitive and lucrative niches in SEO today. Local SEO is the optimization of a site for local searches , such as “pizza near me” or “dentist in New York”. E-commerce SEO is the optimization of a site for online shopping , such as “buy shoes online” or “best laptop deals”.
Structured data can help a site rank for local searches by providing information about its location , such as address , phone number , opening hours , directions , maps , ratings , reviews , and more. Structured data can also help a site rank for online shopping by providing information about its products , such as name , description , price , availability , shipping , offers , coupons , discounts , and more.
According to a study by Google, 46% of all searches have a local intent , which means they are looking for information about nearby businesses or services. Another study by Statista found that e-commerce sales accounted for 18% of all retail sales worldwide in 2020 , which means they are growing faster than offline sales.
Conclusion
Structured data is one of the most important aspects of SEO today, as it can provide multiple benefits for a site’s visibility and performance in the search results. Structured data can help a site increase its CTR , traffic , rankings , user experience , engagement , technical performance , speed , voice search , mobile-friendliness , conversion rates , revenue , content marketing , link building , local SEO , and e-commerce SEO .
However, implementing structured data on a site is not an easy task, as it.
