structured data are of fundamental importance for search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, Siri or Alexa to better understand your content.

This is always good to remember: when we talk about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) we are talking about machine readings, and the language they understand is data.

Although structured data has always existed, as technology has evolved, its use has also grown. What was once enough to get a better result on Google now extends to the quality of traffic measurements as well.

Structured data can be found on e-commerce sites, recipe sites, reviews, videos, events, music, and even apps. This is because using rich snippets is one of the best practices for increasing visibility.

What are rich snippets?

They are a form of structured data that helps website owners add additional details about their website and content so that search engines can understand, interpret and display the relevant data.

It's like they're a common language for describing websites, and they help search engines do a better job of presenting important information to potential customers.

And although Google has reported (through various sources, including the TheSEM Post), that rich snippets do not directly result in higher rankings, there are studies that indicate that they indirectly help in this increase.

Precisely because they allow search engines to better understand the content they are crawling.

via GIPHY

You can submit structured data to:

• Google Merchant, instead of a product feed;
• GoodRelations RDfa and HProduct to provide product information on your HTML page;
• The Schema.org data structuring system, which is currently adopted by the three search engines (google, bing and yahoo), whose vocabulary supports Microdata and RDFa is like a syntax.
• Google Jobs, for job sites;

According to consultant Richard Wallis, who works in support of the Scherma.org project, structured data is used in one third of the crawled internet.

But what does it mean to better understand your content?

This understanding is precisely what will make your website visible in search engines.

This data structuring can also improve analysis and search schemes on the site if you include, for example, the benefits of voice in your content, how to inform chatbots.

Structuring with schema.org

In a test carried out only with data structuring with schema.org in a website, the following impact was recorded:

• Mobile CTR increased by almost 10% in 9 months;
• Clicks increased by 43%;
• Average position also increased by 12%;

Benefits of using Schema.org

• Higher CTR: Having rich snippets displayed for your products in searches increases click-through rates and attracts more attention to your listings. Especially if you have good product reviews;
• Drives more conversions: Having rich snippets can increase conversion rates because if more people see your listings and they are positive about them, they are more likely to make a purchase. For example, a listing that has a 5-star rating will attract more attention from consumers;
• More visibility in voice queries: with featured snippets your website will appear at the top of the page, before organic listings;
• You may be the only result for a voice query: search results are pulled from featured snippets, and Google uses these results for verbal searches.

Importance for e-commerce

When users search for products on Google or other search engines, they are typically presented with a huge list of relevant ads and electronic listings.

If a page ranks well for a search for a specific product, its link and description will appear in the results returned. But beyond ranking well, it’s also important that someone clicks on the result.

And that's what rich snippets can help happen, because they present information that is relevant to the consumer.

In ecommerce, using rich snippets is a quick and easy-to-implement tactic to increase visibility and click-through rates.s, and of course, what everyone wants, is to increase revenue.

As we said above, when a user makes a query and has results that point to a listing with many stars and positive reviews, with this visual result they will be much more likely to choose that site.

In a survey by Econsultancy.com, statistics show that:

• People are 63% more likely to purchase if there are product reviews;
• Reviews generate an average 18% increase in sales;
• And even bad reviews improve conversion by 67%!

But there is even a smaller benefit to using the rich snippet that cannot be ignored: brand management, with which you can ensure and control how your product information is being displayed.

Bet on the following main snippets for e-commerce:

• Product: Make sure search engines understand that they are looking at a product page. A better positioned product will ensure that the right user is reached.
• Ratings and Reviews: Third-party testimonials are among the best ways to sell a product online. Reviews and ratings from a real customer are the most effective.
• Pricing: People always want to know how much a product costs, especially when it is an item sold in multiple locations.
• Availability: Imagine the customer sees the product, likes it, decides to buy it, and the seller says that there is no stock. In e-commerce, this stock is already available, and helps buyers make faster decisions.
• PPC: Google Adwords offers many snippets that attract a user’s attention to content and improve the performance of text ads. Displaying contact information and opening hours also boosts sales, both online and offline.

Rest assured, adding structured data is worth the effort because you help your information translate better to search engines, which helps them do a better job of delivering results that benefit your brand. The rewards will be yours!