If you’ve heard of Schema Markup but aren’t sure what it is, this blog will throw some light on what it can do and how it can help your business.
Schema Markup is also known as structured data. It is a kind of code that you can add to your website so search engines have a better understanding of your content.
In this blog, we’ll take a look at Schema Markup – what Schema is, how it works and how to use Schema Markup to improve search visibility and click-through rates.
What is Schema Markup and structured data?
Schema Markup is code that provides search engines with clear and unmistakable information on your web page. This helps them better understand both its purpose and context. If they understand your content, they can find it when someone searches for things that are in it. Think of it as adding labels to your website content so nothing significant is missed. Schema can also enhance the way your search result listing appears to encourage more clicks.
This highlights why structured data matters for SEO, but how does it work? It works by giving search engines content about your page entities. For example, instead of just indexing your page as a ‘holiday’, Schema Markup informs Google that it is a ‘holiday’ with important details like where it is, accommodation and star ratings. Having all this information means search engines can provide searchers with more accurate results. And this is how your web page’s content becomes relevant, and its visibility is boosted in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), especially true for AI-powered searches, which rely on speedy and precise responses.
How does Schema impact SEO?
The main benefits of Schema Markup for search rankings are:
- Higher click-through rates. You can make your result stand out with a star rating, an image of your product (or that represents your service), and a snippet of a review.
- Improved rankings. While Schema Markup isn’t directly a Google ranking factor, it can ultimately influence rankings as, for search engines including Google, structured data makes your content better understood. Signalling to search engines that a particular page provides users with helpful information can improve search rankings over time.
- Enhanced user experience. Schema Markup equips search engines to present structured data in rich snippets (rich result) formats. This means users are given the information they are looking for, sometimes without even needing to click on a page. This can lead to higher click-through rates and more time spent on site as it’s convenient for, and appreciated by, users.
Types of Schema Markup
Examples of Schema types include:
- Organisation. Organisation Schema is used for general business information, such as the company name, logo, contact details and social media accounts. It is particularly helpful for businesses that don’t have physical premises.
- Article. Article Schema is used for helping search engines understand the content in a website article, for example, blogs.
- Products. Product Schema presents key information about a product in a carousel at the top of search results. It typically includes information on price, promotions and reviews. It doesn’t apply to only physical products – it can be used for other purchasable items too, including tickets, beauty treatments, car rental, and so on.
- FAQs. FAQ Schema is code that you put onto your website that explains to search engines how this particular content is displayed ‘in a question and answer format’. It is possible it will make the relevant content eligible for rich snippets in SERPs and possible that it could appear in Google Assistant searches. There is never a guarantee, though.
- Events. Event Schema makes it easier for consumers to find events through search results and maps. Think type of event, where, when and so on.
- Reviews. Review Schema is a kind of structured data markup that you can add to your HTML code. It is used for reviews or product or service ratings. It includes properties such as the name of the reviewer, the date of the review, a snapshot of what they have to say and their rating.
How to implement Schema Markup on your website
To get started, use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper. It will guide you through the process.
Alternatively, you can add Schema manually with JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data), by embedding code in your website’s HTML code. With this method, you need to place JSON-LD scripts in the <head> or <body> sections of your HTML.
Or, there are content management systems (CMS) that offer plugins. WordPress plugins are a good example.
If time is tight, or you’re not too comfortable with this type of tech, a developer will be able to add Schema Markup to your website swiftly and effectively.
Common mistakes and best practices
Avoid these common Schema errors:
- Not focusing on the right pages. The pages that will benefit from rich results should be the focus, as this is the way Schema will get your website working for you.
- Not using relevant Schema. The Schema type needs to accurately match your web page.
- Not testing Schema with Google’s Rich Results Test. Testing is the only way to know that it’s working effectively.
- Not keeping structured data updated and relevant. Be mindful of details that can change frequently, such as business hours or prices.
