The term “structured data” refers to a way of writing HTML code that allows data to be published in an encoded manner, through the use of meta-information contained within the code of the page itself.
If we wanted to make a comparison, we could think of a recipe and define Structured Data as all the information regarding the ingredients, the cooking time, the calories it contains, etc..
The function of such data is relevant because it allows Google to quickly interpret the content of a page, which also positively affects the page’s ranking itself.
To enter structured data, a well-defined schema, better known as schema.org, is used, which can be regarded as a kind of vocabulary of markups, or structured data, defining entities, actions, and relationships on the Internet.
Such markups are usually used to denote:
- articles;
- events;
- products;
- people;
- organisations;
- local activities;
- reviews;
- recipes;
- medical conditions.
Once the most relevant ones are inserted within one’s site, they allow search engines to more easily understand the content of the page. A better understanding for Google, with significant positive effects on indexing as well, but that’s not all: the information entered and organised through structured data is also made visible to users in the form of rich snippets and allows for much higher click-through rates
