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JSON-LD is a schema markup that is used to give your Shopify store structured data. If this sounds like a lot of technical jargon, don’t worry because we’ll explain everything!
Luckily for you this article will work hard to simplify JSON-LD in a way that is easily understandable.
Essentially, we are here to demystify the entire topic for you.
By the end of this article, you should have a clear understanding of what JSON-LD is and why it’s important for your Shopify store to have structured data. You’ll also learn how you can get structured data for your site using a simple app called Get Clicked! SEO.
What is JSON-LD?
JSON-LD is the code used to give a site structured data.
JSON-LD actually stands for JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data but you don’t really need to worry about that long name.
All you need to know is that it’s a type of JavaScript language that is used for classifying data.
Notice how this rich snippet for Skinny Teatox displays a star rating & reviews
And if you want structured data for your Shopify store, you will need to first classify your data. with JSON-LD code.
Structured data is just the end product.
Structured data is organized data that is easily searchable by search engines.
When Google and other search engines crawl your site, they will see that you have structured data and the bots will be able to read and understand what they are crawling.
If google doesn’t know what your site is all about, how can it recommend it in search results? This is where JSON-ld comes in.
Think of Storage Boxes
You can think of it as pasting labels onto storage boxes. If you have a storage box that contains shoes you would label it ‘Shoes.’ Well, JSON-LD is sort of like that….
You’re essentially attaching a descriptive term that explains a piece of data.
For example, let’s suppose you had a Shopify store that sold dance wear.
You might see something like ‘Product name: Pink Ballet Shoes’ for a particular item in your inventory.
What is schema markup?
The standard formatting for structured data is called schema markup. If you’re curious how the formatting looks, you can find all of the current rules and regulations at schema.org.
By using a combination of JSON-LD and schema markup, a programmer can markup a web page.
By adding markup to every webpage on a site (think of labels describing every aspect of a product and/or service), you are telling Google so much about the contents of your Shopify store.
However, there’s one aspect about schema markup that you need to be aware of. Schema markup changes every so often. This doesn’t happen frequently, but a small change can have a big impact on your site.
When an update is announced for formatting, it’s important to immediately implement changes to the code.
If you’re hiring a programmer to create structured data for your site, you’ll need to make sure that you have continuous audits to your website to ensure that everything is running properly.
If not, you could have a mess on your hands. Duplication, missing data, or incorrect data can cause a miscommunication between your site and Google.
An example of what JSON-LD schema markup looks like
Basically, if you have JSON-LD on your Shopify store, it needs to be constantly maintained in order to work properly. If it is not maintained regularly, you risk losing the benefits of having structured data in the first place.
The good news is that installing an app such as Get Clicked! SEO resolves this issue because it includes complete monitoring and updates forever.
This leads me to my second point, which is to cover the benefits of having structured data on your site.
Why is JSON-LD Important for SEO?
Now that you understand what JSON-LD is, it’s time to cover the many benefits of having structured data on your site.
Making your site JSON-LD friendly is important because it enables Google to create rich snippets for your site. Rich snippets are attractive, attention grabbing search result listings.
Rich snippets are larger in size and more colorful than ordinary search results listings because they contain more information.
This information can be a star rating, reviews, material used, color, availability, and so on.
By offering more information to potential customers, rich snippets are more likely to be clicked on and drive more traffic to your site.
More traffic can lead to more sales on your store!
Getting More Clicks Increases Your SEO
By giving Google more data to work with…Google will be more likely to display your products in search results.
And if your search results are getting clicked on more regularly than other search results choices, Google will notice this and over time your ranking can improve.
Having a JSON-LD friendly site can drastically improve your SEO in a very organic, natural way. This happens gradually over time.
Although Skinny Teatox appears as the 5th result, they are still very click worthy because they stand out with rich snippets
The effects of structured data aren’t immediate, but they are extremely advantageous. They are highly effective at boosting your ranking in search results.
One cool thing to note is that your site doesn’t have to be the #1 search result to get clicked. Even if you’re listing is buried at the bottom of the page, it can still attract clicks. Why? Rich snippets make your search result listing tempting to click on because it will look much better.
By being more “click-worthy” than the other results, your site’s SEO ranking can improve over time and potentially rise in the search results for that particular search term.
JSON-LD Takes Some Time, But it Truly Works
Keep in mind that you can’t expect results overnight.
All of this takes time, patience and a lot of dedication to growing your site’s data in a very systemic way.
Once you JSON-LD code is added to your site, rich snippets do not automatically appear. This is merely the first step in the process.
How long does it take for rich snippets to appear? It depends…
You’ll have to wait for Google to crawl your site, but this usually takes only a few weeks.
Typically, rich snippets appear between 1-12 weeks but it really depends on when Google decides to crawl your site.
In rare scenarios, it can take as long as six months for rich snippets to be created by Google (but this is just how the cookie crumbles).
The important part is that you are making sure to give Google what they need in order to create rich snippets.
By doing this, you will ensure that you are taking the necessary steps in improving your site’s search engine optimization.
How Can you Get JSON-LD for your Shopify Store?
If you’re a Shopify merchant who doesn’t have time to learn a code language like JSON-LD, you can always install an app that will instantly create structured data for your site.
Here at Adolab, we created an app called Get Clicked! SEO which allows you to have all the benefits of structured data by just clicking a button. We insert the necessary JSON-LD code into your Shopify store automatically with one-click installation.
Get Clicked! SEO app, now available on the Shopify app store
You don’t have to know how to code, we do everything for you (so it’s really a piece of cake). If you’re interested in trying it out, you can download Get Clicked! SEO right here.
Conclusion
Having JSON-LD code inserted into your site is a very important strategy for improving your store’s overall search engine optimization.
- Would you like your products to show up more frequently in search results?
- Do you have five star reviews, but your product listings don’t display them yet?
- Do you want your products to display detailed information such as pricing, colors and availability?
- Are your product listings showing up as rich snippets?
- Interested in how you can get people to click more on your product listings?
If you answered yes to any of these, you should consider getting structured data for your site. Making your site JSON-LD friendly is the perfect solution for all of these issues.
Structured data can give your Shopify store an added boost in traffic and sales.
Don’t worry if your site isn’t JSON-LD friendly yet. It’s never too late (or early) to start implementing structured data into your site.
You can always begin the process of optimizing your SEO at any point by installing an app such as GET CLICKED! SEO.
I hope you enjoyed this article about JSON-LD and structured data. If you happen to have some more questions for us, feel free to get in touch!
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