Posted On : 21 October 2021
Have you heard the term schema markup but don't know what it is? Schema markup is the newest form of SEO services that plays a great role in ranking search engine pages. In this blog, we will discuss scheme markup in detail so you can use this strategy to boost search engine ranking.
How Does Schema Markup Work
Also called structured data – it is the specific code that is written on the HTML of your website and helps search engine understand your content for better search results. In exchange of the HTML code, they provide the users with better and accurate information under the title tag. In other words, schema markup tells search engine result pages what information they should show to the users. And if your schema markup is on point, it is bound to drive users to your website to generate organic traffic.
Why Is Schema Markup Important?
Search engines find it hard to understand the page content. So, the purpose of schema markup is to assist search engine in this regard, so the website may appear in the first page of the relevant search result. And if it appears in the top searches, the chances of clickthrough rate will increase.
Once Google understands your content it will get rid of snippets and the website will be categorized in Google's knowledge graph.
Rich Snippets
Rich snippets are referred to as the additional information that appears in the SERP; between URL and meta description.
It shows up when you provide Google with the information it needs. When Google displays your web page in rich snippets, it is more likely to drive traffic to your page because rich snippets are attractive.
Knowledge Graph
Through schema markup, you are providing the information to Google's knowledge graph. A knowledge graph plays an important role in understanding user search queries and provides them with relevant results.
Schema.org is a website that was designed through a collaboration by Google, Yahoo and even Bing and is used for making schema markup. According to research not more than 1/3 of websites are using schema markup to get their website ranked. It means the majority of companies are missing a great chance of getting their website ranked.
Schema Markup – Improve User Experience Remarkably
Schema markup was initiated to show the users the relative information in search engine results against a particular search query. So, the companies that incorporate schema markup are likely going to get ranked higher than the websites that don't.
Using Schema Markup for Improved SEO?
It is the best strategy to get your website up in search engine results and increase visibility to users.
Another way to get schema markup code is through Google structured data markup helper.
Use this step by step guide to get schema markup for your website.
Step 1
Search and launch Google's structured data markup helper.
Step 2
Choose the category of content from the list given below.
Step 3
Add URL for the content you wish to schema markup then select the start tagging option. After this, a new page will appear in the next step of markup.
Here, web page will be displayed on the left side and the data-items will be displayed on the right side of the page.
Step 4
Identify the article title to add it into the markup tagged as 'Name'.
Step 5
Go on the tab to add markup items.
Step 6
Once you have finished adding markup items click on create HTML appearing on the right corner. And on the next page, you will view the HTML for the web page with relevant microdata.
Step 7
In this step, you will incorporate the schema markup onto your website. Locating schema markup code through scroll bar or you can download an auto-generated HTML code to add in the source-code. Click on Finish for the next step to launch.
Step 8
If you want to test how your page will appear once you add schema markup to it, use structured data testing tool for it.
Go to the testing tool, paste your code and go to the next step for preview. The results will show how your article or content will appear in search results of Google. If you want to make any changes in schema markup you can do it when the testing tool appears.
Different Types of Schema Markup Formats
Following are the formats which are commonly used in search engines.
JSON-LD
JSON-LD as known as ‘JavaScript objective notation for linked data’
JSON-LD is supported by both Google and Bing. It is the recommended technique by Google for adding mark ups to your website. It is superior to other marking-up methods as it can be written in <script> tag and it doesn't need to be positioned inline which requires changes in HTML.
Microdata
Tags that are added in HTML which helps you in marking up your page. microdata includes the following tags
Item Scope Tag
It helps in identifying which item has been referred.
Item Type
Item type refers to the category of product to which microdata is addressing; for instance, local business, article, or recipe.
Itemprop
Used for marking up the property.
RDFa
Resource description framework in attributes or RDFa is used for marking web pages. It is inherently an extension of HTML file and is similar to microdata in many ways.
What Are The Different Types Of Schema Markup Commonly Used?
When a search engine goes through your pages and is not able to understand it especially if there are videos or reviews, the website falls short in the ranking race. To make it easier for search engines to understand your content schema markup is used. There are many types of schema markups that are used depending upon the need of a website or business. Below we will discuss some of the common types of schema markup.
Local Business Schema Markup
This type of schema markup is for a local company or any of its branches. It provides users with company’s location, description, contact number, and other information.
Product And Offer Schema Markup
Product in office schema markups is used for selling an item or service, it provides general information about the product such as price, status, etc.
The product schema markup requires only the name of the product whereas the offer schema markup requires the name and price of the product.
Bread Crumbs Markup Schema Markup
This type of schema markup helps reduce the bounce rate as it takes the user directly to the target page and helps users in viewing the location.
Article Schema Markup
This type of schema markup is used for blogs and articles. Thus, making it easier for search engines to classify and understand content.
Recipe Schema Markup
This kind of schema markup is designed especially for recipe web pages. Try to provide the following information in your content
- Image
- Nutritional information
- Reviews
- Total time required to cook
- Ingredients
Video Schema Markup
Search engines find it hard to understand video content so adding video schema markup is a good way to get your videos ranked so they appear in search results.
Event Schema Markup
Event schema markups are used to inform about events such as festivals, seminars, concerts, etc. It gives industry information about the timing, date, and location of that event.
Final Thoughts
Schema markup is a very helpful strategy if used correctly. And despite its surprising benefits for search engine optimization, not many websites are using it. Are you using schema markup to drive organic users to your site or do you need help with it? Beat your competitors and stay ahead of them by working on the right strategies.
At BThrust, we provide SEO services of all types that will help your web page appear in SERPs. our experts will handle schema markup for your web pages and make sure your webpage gets ranked.
If you need any help, feel free to contact our strategist, we are looking forward to helping you.
