What is Schema Markup?
Schema Markup or Structured Data refers to microdata added to your website to help the search engines a better understanding of your webpage and return more informative results for users.
In 2011, Schema Markup was a collaboration between Google, Bing, Yandex, and Yahoo. If you have ever searched for a specific recipe or celebrity, the chances are that you have seen the result of the Schema Markup in the form of rich snippets.
The primary function is markup is to give search engines more data which makes them understand your content. The by-product of more data means that your extra information can show up as rich snippets. Rich snippets translate into higher clickthrough rates when compared to ‘normal’ searches, meaning more traffic to your site.
The chances are that your competition may not yet be using Schema Markup, and makes a great SEO opportunity. If Google understands your content better than your competitors, it can put you ahead.
Types of Schema Markups
Schema Markup allows you to use it for a range of industries and formats. These different formats can include all kinds of things, people and places on the web. A full list can be found on Schema’s website.
Common markups used:
- Articles and blogs
- Events
- Products
- Services
- People
- Organisations
- Local Businesses
- Reviews
- Recipes
- Medical conditions
This extra information can be added to your site and allow search engines to understand your site better. If your content is formatted correctly, search engines use this data to showcase information through rich snippets.
Types of Schema Languages
There are different Schema markup languages you can use on your website and can be added to your site through HTML. The three major languages are:
- RDFa – Stands for Resource Descriptive Framework in Attributes, it adds a set of attribute extensions to HTML, XHTML and XML.
- Microdata – The implementation for microdata is similar to RDFa
- JSON-LD – Stands for JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Objects and is a style of annotation added to the head of a webpage. JSON-LD is considered the easiest way to implement schema data.
How to add Schema Markup to your website
There are many tools and methods to implement your schema markup and all without learning to code. Plugins are also a popular option to implement schema markup, and there are also websites that you can use.
Plugins:
Schema Pro
I must first say that Schema Pro is a paid plugin, but it makes adding markups easy and fast. It boasts a range of schema markup options and offers automation, meaning you can add the schema to multiple pages at a time. Schema pro offers monthly and yearly subscriptions with options to buy a lifetime license.
Schema – All in One Schema Rich Snippets
This plugin is well built and simple. Schema – All in One Schema Rich Snippets built by Team Brainstorm Force, the same creator of Schema Pro.
It provides you with simple schema markups and is FREE (though not ad-free from promoting Schema Pro). It’s a good option if you have a small website and wanting to do it yourself. The only drawback of this plugin is that you don’t get the automation as you would using Schema pro.
WP SEO Structured Data Schema
WP SEO Structured Data Schema is another free plugin, and it contains all the basics you need for schema markup. It supports schema types including:
- Organisations
- Local Businesses
- News Articles
- Blog Postings
- Events
- Products
- Videos
- Services
- Reviews
- Aggregate Ratings
- Restaurants
The downsides are that it doesn’t support custom posts types and automation.
Websites:
As I said before, some websites can help you create your schema code. Here are just a few:
- Rank Ranger Schema markup generator
- Hall Analysis JSON-LD generator
- Technical Seo’s schema markup generator
- Google’s markup helper
If you are looking to test your code, you can use Google’s rich results test and Schema validator.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Schema Markup is an important SEO technique that will be around for a long time. It is the data behind rich snippets and makes your website stand out from the competition. If you haven’t started on your Schema Markup, now is the best time to learn and implement it on your website. Contact us today if you need help in creating Schema Markup for your website.
