How a Structured Data Audit Transformed an E-commerce Site’s Presence on Google

Last year, we conducted a technical audit focused on Structured Data (Schema Markup) for one of our clients. Unfortunately, this client had to shut down earlier this year due to financial issues, but we still got valuable insights from the experience. Structured data will be a hot topic in 2025, so if you’re into SEO, keep reading.

With all the buzz around AI Overview and search engines like Search GPT, Schema Markup is more important than ever—especially for e-commerce sites. Google’s Shopping tab has evolved significantly, and using structured data can make a huge difference in visibility and conversions.

Before diving into our case study, let’s get two key concepts straight:

What Is Schema Markup?

Schema.org (also known as Schema Markup) is standardized code embedded in a website’s HTML. Its purpose is to improve how search engines display results. Structured data “tells” search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, and Yandex exactly what your website is about, enabling them to display rich results in search engine results pages (SERPs). This means better visibility and a more informative presentation, including ratings, prices, business hours, and other key details that can boost click-through rates (CTR) and enhance the user experience.

What Are Rich Results?

Rich results are enhanced search results that display additional information beyond the title and meta description. They can include product availability, ratings, prices, and business hours. These elements increase CTR and improve the user experience. If you want to provide clear and relevant answers to users’ queries, securing rich results should be a priority.

Schema Markup Audit: Identifying Critical Errors

When we analyzed our client’s website using Google’s Rich Results Test, we found major gaps in their structured data implementation:

• Missing Organization Schema: This markup is essential for providing Google with detailed information about the business, its industry, and its products or services.
• No Local Business Schema: Crucial for businesses with physical locations. Our client had over 15 locations across the country but wasn’t leveraging this markup to enhance their local search presence.
• Errors in Product and Merchant Listings: Many products weren’t generating rich results due to critical issues in structured data.

Implementation and Fixing Schema Errors

Over the next month, we focused on creating and implementing the missing schemas using Schema.org’s Schema Validator to ensure clean and error-free HTML code. Here’s what we implemented:

• Organization Schema: Structured key business information, helping Google better understand the e-commerce site’s relevance.
• Local Business Schema: Improved local search visibility, making it easier for users to find locations, business hours, and contact details.
• Fixing Product Schema Errors: We corrected minor issues like missing fields and misformatted currency symbols. This allowed product listings to generate rich results effectively.

Results: Increased CTR and Lead Generation

In less than two months, the results were clear:

Rich Results in Brand Searches

Google began displaying business hours and locations in brand-related searches.

Rich Results in Product Listings

Thanks to optimized product descriptions and properly implemented structured data, product pages started appearing in rich snippets, boosting CTR and visibility.

Rich Results in Informational Queries

An unexpected but highly valuable outcome: when users searched for informational queries (e.g., “How many buckets are in a bag of cement?”), Google highlighted our client’s products in featured snippets. This not only drove more traffic but also increased conversion potential.

AI Overview and the Future of Schema Markup

With AI Overview now in play, Schema Markup has become even more critical. In some cases, when users perform informational or even transactional searches, Google’s AI provides instant answers while highlighting relevant sources. Properly structured data helped our client’s products appear as key sources in these AI-generated results, driving more traffic and potential customers.

The takeaway? Schema Markup is no longer optional. It’s a must-have strategy to boost search visibility, increase CTR, and drive conversions. Whether you run an e-commerce site or any other type of website, make sure to implement structured data correctly to stay ahead of SEO trends in 2025.

The future of SEO is structured data!