Google today introduced two new features which will let webmasters add structured data to their sites and emails more easily. The first feature is an expansion of Data Highlighter to seven new types of structured data while the second feature is a new tool, dubbed as the Structured Data Markup Helper.
In order to get started, you need to visit Webmaster Tools, select your site, click the “Optimization” link in the left sidebar and click “Data Highlighter.” After doing this, you will be prompted to enter the URL of a typically structured page on your site and “tag” its key fields with your mouse.
The tagging process takes about 5 minutes for a single page, or about 15 minutes for a pattern of consistently formatted pages. Once done, you will have the chance to verify Google understands of your structured data and, if it’s correct, “publish” it to Google.
The second tool Structured Data Markup Helper will generate sample HTML code with microdata markup included in it. This code can be downloaded and used as a guide as you implement structured data on your website.
The feature supports a subset of data types, including all the types supported by Data Highlighter along with several types used for embedding structured data in Gmail. Consult schema.org for complete schema documentation.
