What is structured data?
Structured data is a way to add additional information to your Web site so that search engines like Google can better understand what your pages are about. It is a type of language designed specifically for search engines that helps them categorize and present your content in search results. Instead of just seeing text and images, structured data allows search engines to understand that a piece of text is, for example, a product description, that a certain set of numbers is a price, or that a piece of text is an author's name.
This extra information that you add via structured data is often used to create so-called "rich snippets" in search results. These are rich search results that offer more information than the standard blue link. Think of a search result that shows not only the title and a short description of a page, but also star ratings, prices, or even a cooking time for a recipe. This makes your search result more attractive and useful to users, increasing the likelihood that they will click on it.
Thus, the use of structured data is strongly linked to SEO, or search engine optimization. By adding structured data to your Web site, you can influence how your pages are displayed in search results(SERPs). This is especially important in e-commerce, because with structured data you can show, for example, prices, availability, and reviews of products directly in search results. This can lead to a higher click-through rate (CTR) because users see more relevant information before they even click on your link. In addition, adding structured data can contribute to higher rankings in search results because search engines can better understand the page and present it more relevant to users' searches. However, it is important to remember that while structured data can help with SEO, it is only one of many factors that determine how well your website ranks in search engines.
