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Schema markup, sometimes called structured data, is code that you add to your web pages to help search engines better understand your content.
This helps them show up. Display your content in a rich format. Like this:
In this example, Google has shown the image, star rating, number of reviews, and cooking time directly in the search results. These elements make your website stand out from the rest.
Why Is Schema Markup Important for SEO?
Schema markup matters for SEO, not because it has a direct impact on your rankings in search results. But for its other benefits.
First, schema markup helps search engines understand the context and content of your pages more effectively.
This better understanding can allow your pages to be shown for more relevant search queries. This leads to increased traffic.
Second, schema markup can make your page appear better in search results.
This means people are more likely to pay attention to your page and click through above. Improve your click-through rate (CTR).
And third, schema can give you a competitive advantage.
Many websites still don’t use schema markup. So when you do, you’ll have a head start. It’s a competitive advantage that helps your site stand out.
All of this can contribute to better overall and On-Page SEO performance for your site.
Types of Schema Markup
There are many different types of schema markup. For example, Google supports a total of 35 types. You don’t need to use all of them on your site. Only schemas that are relevant to your content.
In this section, we’ll explore several types of structured data for SEO that apply to most websites.
Product Markup
Product markup gives Google more information about your product. so people can see more details right on the results page.
They include images, ratings, prices, shipping information, return information, and product availability.
This schema markup is ideal for e-commerce sites. >
Review Markup
Review markup adds a star rating to the bottom of your results page.
It tells searchers what others think about your product, service, or company. This is useful because customers use this information before making a purchase.
This schema markup is ideal for sites with content about books, movies, products, courses, etc.
Article Markup
Tagging articles provides Google with detailed information about the content of the article. Such as title, featured image, author, and publication date.
Google displays this information directly in search results.
This markup is especially useful for articles, blog posts, and sports articles.
Course Markup
Course tagging provides Google with detailed information about courses offered by an online platform or organization.
The details include the course name, a brief description, the name of the course instructor or organization, and other relevant information.
Google can display this information directly in search results, giving potential learners an overview of what the course is about.
This schema markup is ideal for websites that offer courses.
Organization Markup
Organization tagging provides Google with comprehensive information about an organization.
This information includes details such as the organization’s name, logo, contact details, location, social media profiles, and other relevant information.
Google can use all of this information. to create a knowledge panel (a special sidebar on the right side of a search results page that displays key details about an organization).
This panel appears when someone searches for your business. It also provides potential customers or interested parties with quick and easy access to essential business information.
Organizational schema markup is especially useful for businesses, nonprofits, organizations, and any group that wants to provide users with clear and direct business information.
Local Business Markup
Tagging a local business provides Google with detailed information about the local business.
This information includes the name, address, phone number, and opening hours of the business. enterprise. Among other things.
Google can use this information to create local knowledge panels. This board appears when someone searches for your business name.
Or display this information directly on Google Maps.
This markup is especially important for businesses (or websites) looking to attract nearby customers or make local SEO efforts. For example, a physical store, service provider, or restaurant.
Note: The presence of schema markup does not guarantee that Google will display the page (or pages) web) in a rich format. (like what we saw above). Sometimes, even with the code, Google may choose to display your site listing in the standard blue link format.
Ultimately, it’s up to Google whether or not it wants to display rich formats. is up to Google.
Three Ways to Communicate Schema Markup
There are three ways to communicate schema markup to Google. These are essentially encoding methods in which your schema markup is formatted. It is therefore machine readable. Including:
- JSON-LD
- Microdata
- RDFa
Here is a brief overview.
JSON-LD (Javascript Object Notation for Related Objects link)
JSON-LD is a JavaScript-based method for implementing schema markup. This method is very easy for developers to implement. It uses JSON syntax (where data is organized into name-value pairs, like in a phone book, and the pairs are separated by commas).
When seen this, Google knows:
We’re tagging an article
The title is “My First Article”
The author is John Doe
Published date is date November 11, 2023
Most websites use JSON-LD to maintain schema markup, as this is Google’s preferred method.
Microdata
This method uses HTML tags and attributes and is quite easy to understand if you know HTML.
However, the code can be long compared to JSON-LD. And is therefore often unpopular.
RDFa (Resource Description Framework in Attributes)
Like microdata, RDFa uses HTML tags and attributes. And it’s lengthy. Therefore, the better choice is often to use JSON-LD because it is simpler.
How to Use Schema Markup For SEO On Your Website (Step by Step)
You don’t there is no need to have any coding skills to create these schema codes. Some tools can generate them for you.
You just need to use the appropriate tool and deploy the code on your website.
Here’s the process:
Access the Google Structured Data Markup Helper
Here’s the link: https://www.google.com/webmasters/markup-helper/
Select a Data Type
Select one of the common data types from the given list. In this example, we selected “Posts”.
Paste Your URL
Paste the URL of the page you want to add markup to. You also have the option of pasting HTML code. Next, click “Start Tagging”.
The tool will load your page so you can start tagging it. Your web page will appear on the left and data elements will appear on the right.
Start Marking Up Your Page
Highlight the option you want to mark up first, then move on to the next step. Select the “Name” data item from the menu that appears when you click the title of an article.
The tool will place the article’s title on the right-hand side next to “Name” and take its place.
Then, select the Author data item and highlight the author’s name.
The tool will take the author’s name and place it next to “Name” on the right-hand side.
As many markup properties as possible are being added.
Generate HTML
When the “Create HTML” button appears at the top right of the screen, click it when you’re finished.
The code will be added to your page for you. It will be formatted in JSON-LD by default. However, if you want to choose a different microdata format, you can click the drop-down menu at the top.
Add the Markup to Your Page
Add your code to your page in the header section of its HTML once you have it.
The tool’s user interface allows you to copy the code quickly.
Now it’s time to test the HTML you’ve added to your page.
Test Your Schema markup
Google suggests testing your schema markup with its Rich Results Test tool:
Enter your code snippet or URL. On the right-hand side of the screen will display errors, warnings, and detected schema markup:
You can edit your code on the left side of the page if you need to fix any errors. To revalidate: click the “RUN TEST” button at the bottom of the page after making changes.
Schema Markup Best Practices
When working with schema, keep in mind these best practices:
Choose the ideal schema. Choose the schema type that best complements your website’s content. Use “Article” for articles, “Product” for product pages, and “Recipe” for cooking recipes, for instance.
Use the LD format for JSON. Google advises schema use with JSON-LD. Compared to other formats like Microdata or RDFa, it is simpler to implement and maintain.
provide in-depth details. Identify as many pertinent properties as possible. Google can interpret and display your content better the more detail your schema markup.
Use the Rich Result Test feature on Google. Use tools like the Rich Result Test to constantly test your schema with those that Google has suggested. This helps to ensure that your markup is error-free and correctly implemented.
Maintaining the most recent markup. If your page’s content changes, make sure to update your schema markup frequently. This ensures that the schema’s information is accurate in its description of the content.
Avoid profanity. Avoid using schema markup in a misleading or spammy manner. This includes using unfavorable markup on a page’s content or trying to manipulate search rankings unfairly.
Stay up to date with updates. Google’s schema markup guidelines are constantly revised. Keep up with these modifications to make sure your schema markup is still effective and compliant.
Implement Your First Schema Markup Code
It’s time to implement your first one now that you are familiar with how to implement schema markup by best practices.
Use the Structured Data Markup Helper tool to create the code, select the schema type that best fits your content, and include it in the HTML header section.