Structured Data refers to data organized in a standardized format that search engines can easily understand and process. Unlike unstructured text, structured data provides explicit meaning and context to information on a webpage, making it machine-readable. The most common vocabulary used for structured data on the web is Schema.org, a collaborative effort by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Yandex.
Developers typically implement structured data using JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) embedded in a <script type="application/ld+json"> tag in the HTML head or body. This allows you to describe entities like products, articles, events, or local businesses with specific properties (e.g., name, description, price, rating).
The primary benefit of using structured data is its ability to power rich results in search engine results pages (SERPs). For example, by marking up your product information with SoftwareApplication Schema and AggregateRating Schema, you can enable star ratings, pricing, and availability to appear directly in Google's search results, significantly improving visibility and click-through rates.