Google generally uses structured data found online to comprehend better what a webpage is all about by categorizing the topic, recognizing essential components of the webpages such as logos and pictures, clearly displaying sites at the top of the page, and collecting information about the web and the world in general. Structured data is also used by Google Search to allow unique features and improvements for search results.
What is Structured Data?
Structured data, also known as schema markup, is code that has been written in a certain way to be understood by search engines like Google, Yahoo!, etc. It is then used by browsers to make the website or content appear as a rich result when searched. It basically tells search engines what your data represents and conveys it to them. Without it, search engines can only deduce the meaning of your material from the statements it makes. Usually, a database is used to store this sort of data. The page’s subject matter is described by the structured data on it.
Google accepts three different types of structured data:
- JSON-LD.
- Microdata.
- RDFa.
These standards all differ in how structured data is communicated.
What is JSON-LD?
JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) is a simple scripting language for reading and writing structured data on the web utilizing open vocabularies such as schema.org. The successor to the JSON format and suggested by the World Wide Web Consortium, JSON-LD enables linked data to function in a Web-scale context. The purpose of this format is to use semantic web technologies to give search engines relevant information about a web page. By doing this, the alignment between the searcher’s intention and the material being presented is improved.
JSON-LD is not integrated into the HTML as metadata or as an augmentation of the HTML itself, making it relatively simpler to use than Microdata and RDFa due to its scripting nature.
JSON-LD is a flexible format that may be used everywhere on a website, including the Head part of the code, which is often used for metadata.
JSON-LD also has the advantage of being simple to change and evaluate because it is independent of the HTML and lives inside its own script. It is deemed to be easier to manage, which aids in building a better, more ordered web all around.
Pros of JSON-LD:
- The syntax is really straightforward, and it’s simple to develop and troubleshoot.
- The semantic layer (block of JSON-LD markup) is separated from the HTML markup on the page (representation layer). This division of responsibilities increases site maintainability and offers complete flexibility.
- It supports CMS (eg Wix, WordPress). Existing web pages may be more simply marked up using a JSON-LD code block. It involves inserting the code in the head or body section. The code can be inserted into WordPress sites using plugins, while Wix users can paste the code into the New Tool section found in the account’s configurations.
- JSON-LD may be used at the top of the page, similar to Microdata and RDFa, as well as in the body.
Cons of JSON-LD:
- It is more challenging for search engines to confirm that the JSON-LD structured data matches the text content on the webpage and does not include any deceptive information.
- Some browsers could find it difficult to show contextual hyperlinks adjacent to the annotated material in close proximity to the JSON-LD block that does not appear alongside the human-readable information – W3.org.
This is no longer a problem because Bing no longer supports it.
What is Microdata Structured data?
Microdata is one form of structured data that may be utilized with HTML5 and adheres to the coding standards set forth at schema.org. In order to label accessible page content with structured data, a new HTML5 standard called microdata has been developed. In order to give visitors a smoother browsing experience, search engines and web crawlers can collect, analyze, and utilize microdata from a web page. Search engines gain a lot from having direct access to this structured data since it enables them to comprehend the content of web pages and deliver more appropriate results to consumers. Microdata employs name-value pairs to give values to an object’s attributes and a supporting language to describe the thing. In comparison to RDFa and traditional microformats, microdata aims to make it easier to annotate HTML components with machine-readable tags.
Pros of Microdata
Recognized by every significant search engine.
The semantic annotations closely resemble the information that can be read by humans.
Being directly linked to the contents on the web page, inline semantic markup is also not delivering incorrect information, making it more reliable.
It is simpler to mark up pages by putting variables straight into the appropriate sections once the markup structure has been established during development.
Cons of Microdata
- Requires a lot of development effort and designer adjustments. Without touching the page, troubleshooting is challenging. Inline semantic markup and HTML code are particularly prone to errors.
- Further properties like itemscope, itemtype, and itemprop, which are wedged between each HTML element, are known to jam up the entire page. This gives the page structure a bloated, messy appearance.
- The HTML markup for the page might need to be redone each time microdata is added to an existing website. CMSes (like Wix and WordPress) are pre-made and will be difficult to mark up.
- The extra feature described previously does go along with all semantic statements and adds pointless, repetitive sentences to page structure and content.
Which Type of Structure Data Does Google Prefer?
John Mueller from Google states that the company favours structured data in JSON-LD format. One of the best aspects of JSON-LD is how easy it is to incorporate it into your website’s code. You basically just need to copy and paste the code into your page, so even people without much coding knowledge can easily apply this. Finding the appropriate item categories to specify, such as information about your business, such as a location, the owner’s name, contact information, and even more, is the most crucial step in operation. JSON-LD structured data is non-intrusive, which provides an additional advantage. Keeping structured data apart from the HTML code makes it non-intrusive. Because it is easier to develop and manage, structured data makes analyzing, troubleshooting, and updating considerably simpler. Additionally, a site may quickly add or delete the JSON-LD scripting language since it adheres to a set of simple standards.
The JSON-LD recommendation paper is more latest, and it claims definitely that Google advises adopting JSON-LD over Microdata for the following reasons:
- “The markup does not have to be interleaved with the user-visible text, which makes nested data items easier to express, such as the Country of a Posta address of a MusicVenue of an Event.”
- “Google can read JSON-LD data when it is dynamically injected into the page’s contents, such as by JavaScript code or embedded widgets in your content management system.”
The following are some benefits of utilizing JSON-LD to create structured data as opposed to alternative formats like microdata:
- Because it may be loaded nonparallel, it has no impact on the page’s responsiveness.
- It is added to the page without altering the tags or HTML structure already there.
- Because it adheres to JSON format, web developers may easily reuse it.
- It makes use of connected data.
Additionally, Google provides benefits to website owners who incorporate JSON-LD structured data on their web pages. This format enables the linking of concepts and their associated entities.
Overall, JSON-LD and Microdata both fulfil their role in accomplishing goals and can be checked using a variety of web testing methods while still producing the same outcome. JSON-LD, however, stands unique. This is a significant gain since it makes website SEO maintenance simple and guarantees that page HTML markup is not impacted. After it was first released, there’s a good chance you’ll need to optimize an outdated website or any other third-party CMS. It is very hard to use microdata in this situation without reorganizing the HTML code base.
