SEO measures are very important for making your website appear at the top of search results on the Internet (mainly Google). One method is to place "structured data" on your own website.
In this article, we will provide an overview of structured data and explain how to implement it in your Shopify online store.
What is structured data?
Structured data is a technology that conveys various information on a website to search engines.
For example, a product page on an online shop contains various information such as the product name, price, product image, etc. When we humans look at this information, we can determine that it is related to the product, but search engine crawlers cannot make the same judgment.
That's why we use structured data techniques to help search engines understand the information on your website.
What happens when you add structured data?
Once you set up structured data, information such as "photos" and "prices" will be displayed in Google search results, as shown in the image below.
The mechanism by which information such as photos and prices are displayed in search results in addition to text that describes the page overview is called a "rich result." In order to display this rich result, you need to set structured data.
When users look at search results, product photos and other information are visually eye-catching. Shopify already has built-in SEO features, but structured data needs to be addressed individually. We recommend installing structured data to improve click-through rates.
You can check whether structured data is set on your site using the Structured Data Testing Tool provided by Google. If the detection results are displayed, it means that structured data is set. This tool can also be used to check for grammatical errors and data structure errors.
Structured Data Testing Tool
How to install structured data?
To set up structured data on your Shopify online store, you can either set it up manually or use an app. In this article, we will show you how to install and set up an app.
*If you manually install structured data, it is assumed that you understand HTML markup and Shopify page structure. This article is written for those who want to understand structured data itself, so detailed code information will be omitted.
If you are a technician and would like to know more about the code, please check the link below.
https://developers.google.com/search/docs/data-types/product
Top-rated apps that support structured data
Here are two highly rated SEO apps that are commonly used by Shopify online stores.
It can help you take basic measures even if you don't have detailed knowledge, and it also includes support for structured data, although this is subject to a fee.
When installing, you will have to write code, but there is help and customer support so even those without knowledge can use it with peace of mind.
Both offer a 7-day free trial, so choose the one that best suits your needs and ease of use.
SEO Manager
SEO Manager costs $20 per month and allows you to take all the measures related to SEO. Some of the main features are listed below.
- Various settings such as checking index status in Google search, page speed, mobile optimization, etc.
- Check for errors and redirect links
- Structured Data Support
- Template function that allows you to change the title tags of products and categories in bulk
- Check Google Search Console search performance data
Plug in SEO
Plug in SEO has a free plan and a paid plan. To set up structured data, you need to upgrade to the paid plan, which costs $20 per month. The main features are as follows:
Free Plan
- Checks for SEO issues and suggests solutions, including page titles, headings, meta descriptions, speed, blogs, and broken links
- If there is a problem, we will let you know by email
- Help and support via email
Paid Plans
- Automatic SEO optimization (reducing manual work time)
- Structured Data Support
- Efficient editing of titles and descriptions, including template creation and bulk editing
- Providing a detailed instruction video
- Premium support including free template creation
- Advanced SEO features
summary
We have introduced an overview of structured data and how to set it up. By properly communicating your site information to search engines, you can display detailed information in search results and encourage users to visit your site.
In addition, installing the app can also help with SEO measures for the entire site, so if you have issues with your search rankings, why not consider installing it?
If you are unsure about how to install the app or if it is not working properly, please feel free to contact us.
