Bring More Viewers to Your Website With Structured Data Markup
Having a well-written, well-designed ecommerce website is no longer enough. Ranking high on the search engine results page (SERP) is no longer enough, either. You need to get potential customers to click on the SERPs link so they can see your great website, review the products and services you are selling, and become customers rather than surfers. One way to do this is by using structured data markup.
Structured data markup, sometimes called “rich snippets,” refers to a method of helping search engines retrieve and display product information in search results. This means that the potential customer can see key information immediately about a product without having to visit the website to obtain information.
The information you markup could be about price, special offers, brand names, user evaluations or anything else that you believe will encourage potential customers to click through to your ecommerce website. Having this info display in the SERPs will make your ecommerce website stand out from the crowd and attract visitors, whatever the ranking of the entry.
DIY or Ask an Expert
There are three primary structured data formats: JSON-LD, microdata and RDFa. Knowing HTML is helpful if you wish to become adept at using any of these tools. But it is not essential, and there are many web guides and instructional manuals on the web to help you. In addition, you could use the services of a digital marketing expert to assist you. If you chose to do it yourself, there are testing sites that allow you to view the results of your markup before publishing your site.
One of the most commonly used tools for structured data markup is Schema.org, also known as schema. The major search engines collaborated to develop schema, which is used on websites featuring creative work, events, organizations, people, places and products. Using schema in cojunction with other tools allows to you to customize and update your website often, ensuring fresh content that is relevant to users.
Examples of Entries With Structured Data Markup
Say you are researching colleges in Wisconsin. The example below lists a date, which can be very helpful when the entry is relatively new. The date comes from the structured data markup.
Wisconsin Nursing Colleges, Schools and Degree Programs
www.collegeatlas.org/wisconsin-nursing-colleges.html
Jun 24, 2014 – Accredited Wisconsin nursing colleges and schools offering associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree (BSN), … University of Wisconsin, Madison … University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee …. Milwaukee Area Technical College
This entry links to current events at the Central Wisconsin Center of Lakeland College. The structured data markup can be updated easily to remain timely, as shown in this example:
Central Wisconsin Center | Evening, Weekend and … – Lakeland College
www.lakeland.edu/Evening-Weekend-and…/central-wisconsin-center
Lakeland University
Lakeland University’s Central Wisconsin Center serves the central Wisconsin region. Courses are conveniently located at Mid-State Technical College’s …
Fri, Jul 29
Mon, Aug 15
You can give searchers on SERPs a glimpse of what they would see if they clicked on the link. This entry lists the most affordable colleges in Wisconsin, providing comparative tuition information even before displaying the actual website. Again, it can be updated as the information changes.
Most Affordable Colleges in WI | Campus Decision
www.campusdecision.com/state/wi/most-affordable-colleges
50+ items – The most affordable colleges in Wisconsin ranking is based on …
College City In State Cost Students.
Madison Area Technical College Madison $3,914 Unknown.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Whitewater $7,578 2,168.
All three entries used structured data markup to add information not found in the meta description that shows in the SERPS.
More Views & Clickthroughs = More Business
Most studies show that using structured data markup seldom affects rank. It is clear, however, that it can increase the number of viewers who click through to your website. Structured data markup is a good investment, whether that investment is your time or the cost of paying a digital marketing expert. Getting more eyeballs on your site is what it is all about, and this tool can help.
