How content is created, managed, and delivered is a constant focal point, especially for organizations aiming to optimize content operations and improve organizational efficiency. One of the most impactful solutions for enhancing content management, achieving scalability, and improving user experience is structured content.
Structured content refers to breaking down content into standardized components, which can be easily reused, repurposed, and dynamically delivered across different platforms. The content model aims to improve content consistency and streamline workflows for content creators and developers, making it significant in content management and delivery.
In this guide, readers will be introduced to the concept of structured content, explore its place in modern content management, and learn how it can transform content strategies for better engagement.
Understanding Structured Content
What Is Structured Content?
Structured content is content organized into reusable, well-defined fields, allowing for flexible reuse and presentation across different channels. The process involves breaking down a piece of content into various elements, including titles, headers, dates, authors, categories, and more. Structured content is typically stored in data storage systems with rigid schemas or content management systems (CMS) that understand the relationship between fields and treat content like data.
dotCMS approaches structured content like all our solutions, with your needs and goals in mind. We provide you with the necessary tools tailored to your business to help you create powerful, engaging, and consistent customer experiences across all your channels. Content is stored in a central repository and structured by content types, which are completely customizable without any coding required. Content can be tagged, categorized, related, and shared across pages and sites.
Structured vs. Unstructured Content
While structured content refers to information that is organized and follows a predefined format, unstructured content lacks organization, making it increasingly difficult to process, analyze, or retrieve systemically.
Examples of structured content include:
Database records
Spreadsheets
Product catalogs
CSV files
Examples of unstructured content include:
Emails
Social media posts
Text documents
Multimedia files
Benefits of Structured Content
Structured content provides organizations with several advantages that aim to improve functionality and content processes. Key benefits include:
Enhanced Content Reusability
By breaking down and organizing content into reusable components, content creation specialists and authors only need to create content once and can reuse it across multiple platforms and contexts, saving time and effort. This is particularly beneficial in scenarios where content duplication needs are high.
Improved Scalability
When dealing with large volumes of data, structured content is much more scalable than unstructured data. Databases and digital asset management tools are equipped to handle vast amounts of structured data, ensuring content remains organized as its volume grows.
Better Personalization
When data is structured and organized into well-defined fields, it can be presented in user-friendly interfaces. This allows users to create customized experiences for various audiences, enhancing the overall user experience.
Streamlined Multi-Site Management
By following a predefined format, structured content is easier to manage, making updates and content localization more efficient and the sharing and reusing of content across sites more manageable.
Key Elements of Structured Content
Structured content consists of several key elements enabling it to be easily stored, searched, retrieved, and reused. The core elements include:
Metadata and Taxonomies
Metadata and taxonomies play essential roles in structured content. They provide context and categorization for better searchability, enhancing the value of digital content.
Content Modeling
Content modeling is a crucial aspect of structured content and involves defining and organizing content elements, such as fields, attributes, and relationships, to ensure consistency, efficiency, and reusability. The content structure serves as a blueprint that outlines how content is to be structured, categorized, and presented.
Content Types and Fields
Content types define the structure and format for specific types of content, making it easier to manage structured content and maintain consistency across various channels. Examples of common content types include blog posts, product descriptions, news articles, legal documents, and event details.
Use Cases for Structured Content
Due to its organized and standardized format, structured content serves a purpose in various industries and scenarios. By leveraging structured content, organizations can improve experiences for team members and target audiences.
Common use cases for structured content include:
Omnichannel Content Delivery
Organizations that present content across multiple channels, including webpages, mobile apps, social media, and others, often face the challenge of delivering consistent and personalized content. By enabling content to be organized and formatted so that it can be easily repurposed, structured content empowers businesses to ensure the right content remains consistent, timely, and relevant, no matter the intended channel.
Localization
As businesses expand their operations and reach new, diverse markets, delivering consistent and culturally appropriate content across different regions and languages becomes increasingly challenging. Structured content provides organizations with a consistent framework to manage content in various languages, streamlining content adaptation for global audiences.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization is a critical strategy for improving the visibility of content on search results pages. However, creating website content optimized for search engines can pose a challenge when intending to deliver content across multiple platforms. Structured content helps greatly improve SEO by providing a framework that allows for better tagging, which enhances discoverability through structured metadata.
Examples of Structured Content in Action
E-commerce Product Information Pages
Product title: 4K Ultra HD Smart TV
Price: $799.99
Specifications:
Screen size: 65 inches
Resolution: 3840x2160 pixels
Features: HDR, Wi-Fi
Product page description: Sleek 4K Ultra HD Smart TV offers the ultimate viewing experience with stunning picture quality and Wi-Fi integration for smart capabilities.
Customer reviews: Structured into individual review components.
FAQ Databases
Question: How do I reset my password?
Answer: Click on the Forgot Password link, enter your email address, and follow the instructions.
Categories: Organized into relevant sections
Tags: Password reset, Account recovery, login help
Blog CMS Platforms
Title: 10 Tips for Better Structured Content Creation
Author: Author’s name
Date published: January 7, 2025
Body content: Organized into sections with headings and subheadings using HTML tags
Categories: Structured content, content management
Tags: Structured content tips, better management of new content
Related posts: Suggest posts based on similar topics
How to Implement Structured Content
Successfully implementing structured content requires a well-thought-out plan involving appropriate tools and technologies. To ensure you’re implanting structured content correctly, consider the following:
Assess Your Current Content
Auditing unstructured content allows you to identify gaps, inconsistencies, areas for structure implementation, and areas for content reuse.
Develop a Content Model
Develop a content model to outline how different types of content are structured. This aims to ensure consistency and reusability of structured content. Developing a content model involves creating fields and metadata, which can be accomplished by understanding your content needs, defining your metadata schema, and structuring fields.
Choose the Right CMS
When choosing a structured content platform, it’s critical to consider several key factors, such as:
Content flexibility and content components
Integration capabilities
Scalability and performance
User experience and interface
Search and content discovery
Security and compliance
Support
Future proof features
Get Started with Structured Content
Structured content provides numerous benefits that enhance how businesses create, manage, and deliver meaningful content. Adopting structured content is a necessity for those wishing to remain competitive in their industries. To learn more about structured content and its importance in content creation, contact dotCMS today to schedule a free demo of our solutions.