Making the Most of the Data Highlighter in Google Search Console

Making the Most of the Data Highlighter in Google Search Console

Introduction

Google Search Console (GSC) is a powerful tool for webmasters and digital marketers that provides an unprecedented level of insight into how Google sees and processes your website. It can help you identify technical issues, monitor your website’s performance, and even optimize your website for the best possible results in the SERPs.

One of the lesser-known features of GSC is the Data Highlighter, which allows you to tag specific pieces of content on your website to be recognized by Google as Structured Data. Structured Data helps Google understand the structure of your website and provides additional context for your content, making it easier for Google to display relevant information in the SERPs.

In this article, we’ll cover what the Data Highlighter is, how to use it, and the potential benefits of using it on your website.

What is the Data Highlighter in Google Search Console?

At its core, the Data Highlighter is an automated tool in GSC that allows you to easily markup specific types of content on your website with Structured Data. Structured Data is a type of code that provides Google with additional information about your website and its content, such as what type of content it is, who created it, when it was published, and more.

For example, if you have a blog post about a specific topic, you can use the Data Highlighter to tag the blog post as a “BlogPosting”, which tells Google that the content on the page is a blog post. This allows Google to better understand the structure of your website and provides additional context for the content.

In addition to the basic Structured Data provided by the Data Highlighter, you can also use it to markup specific types of content, such as events, products, and recipes. This allows Google to display additional information in the SERPs for these types of content, which can help you stand out from the competition and potentially increase your click-through rate.

How to Use the Data Highlighter in Google Search Console

Using the Data Highlighter is relatively straightforward. Once you’ve logged into GSC, simply click “Data Highlighter” in the left-hand navigation menu. From here, you’ll be able to select the type of content you want to mark up (e.g. blog posts, events, products, etc.), and then you’ll be able to select the specific pages you want to tag.

Once you’ve selected the pages you want to tag, the Data Highlighter will open up a new window with the page loaded and ready for you to tag. To tag a piece of content, simply click the “Tag This Page” button and select the type of content from the list of available options. Once you’ve selected the content type, you’ll be able to enter additional information, such as a title, description, and any other relevant information.

Once you’ve tagged the page, simply click the “Save” button to save your changes, and then you’ll be able to preview the Structured Data to make sure everything looks correct. Once you’re satisfied with the preview, simply click the “Publish” button and your Structured Data will be submitted to Google for processing.

Benefits of Using the Data Highlighter in Google Search Console

Using the Data Highlighter in GSC can provide a number of benefits, both in terms of SEO and providing additional context for your content.

One of the primary benefits of using the Data Highlighter is that it helps Google better understand the structure of your website and the content on each page. This can help Google better index and rank your content, as well as display relevant information in the SERPs.

In addition, the Data Highlighter also allows you to markup specific types of content, such as events, products, and recipes. This can give you an edge over your competition, as Google may decide to display additional information in the SERPs for these types of content, which can help you stand out from the competition and potentially increase your click-through rate.

Finally, the Data Highlighter can also be used to provide additional context for your content, which can help improve the overall user experience. For example, if you have a blog post about a specific topic, you can use the Data Highlighter to tag it as a “BlogPosting”, which can help Google provide additional information about the topic in the SERPs, such as related topics and other relevant content.

Conclusion

The Data Highlighter is a powerful tool in GSC that can be used to markup specific types of content on your website with Structured Data. Structured Data helps Google better understand the structure of your website and provides additional context for your content, which can help improve its visibility in the SERPs.

Using the Data Highlighter is relatively easy and can provide a number of benefits, such as helping Google better index and rank your content, displaying additional information in the SERPs for specific types of content, and providing additional context for your content.

Overall, the Data Highlighter is an invaluable tool for webmasters and digital marketers that can help get the most out of Google Search Console and improve your website’s visibility in the SERPs.