HTML - HTML Microdata and Structured Data

 

HTML Microdata and Structured Data are techniques used to add extra meaning to web page content so that search engines and other applications can better understand the information on a webpage. Normally, HTML tells the browser how content should look, but structured data tells machines what the content actually represents.

What is Structured Data

Structured data is a standardized way of organizing information so that search engines like Google clearly understand webpage content. For example, instead of just displaying text such as a person’s name or a product price, structured data identifies them as specific data types such as “Person”, “Product”, “Event”, or “Article”.

This helps search engines display rich results such as ratings, event dates, product prices, and FAQs directly in search results.

What is HTML Microdata

Microdata is a method of embedding structured information directly inside HTML elements using special attributes. These attributes describe the meaning of the content.

Important Microdata attributes include:

itemscope
Defines a block of content as a specific item.

itemtype
Specifies the type of item using a standard vocabulary link.

itemprop
Defines properties of the item such as name, price, author, or date.

Example of HTML Microdata

<div itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Product">
  <h2 itemprop="name">Coffee Powder</h2>
  <p>Price: <span itemprop="price">₹450</span></p>
  <p itemprop="description">Fresh estate coffee powder.</p>
</div>

In this example:

  • The content represents a Product.

  • The product name, price, and description are clearly identified for search engines.

Schema.org Vocabulary

Most structured data uses vocabulary from Schema.org. It provides predefined types such as:

Person
Organization
Product
Event
Article
Recipe
Review

Using these standard types ensures that search engines correctly interpret webpage information.

Benefits of Using Structured Data

Improves search engine understanding of content
Helps webpages appear as rich search results
Increases visibility and click-through rates
Supports voice search and smart assistants
Improves SEO performance

Microdata vs Other Structured Data Formats

Microdata is embedded directly inside HTML tags. Other common formats include:

JSON-LD
Placed inside a script tag and recommended by Google.

RDFa
Another attribute-based structured data method.

Among these, JSON-LD is widely preferred today, but Microdata is still useful for learning structured markup concepts.

Conclusion

HTML Microdata and Structured Data enhance webpages by adding meaningful information about content rather than only displaying it visually. By clearly describing products, articles, people, and events, websites become more search engine friendly and improve their chances of appearing prominently in search results.