Schema Markup and Structured Data are hot buzzwords in the SEO industry, and for good reason. The most talented SEO experts around the world benefit from structured data because it has been proven to be extremely effective. Today we are going to discuss what Schema Markup is and how you can use it to increase click-through rate and drive more organic traffic to your website.
Topics we'll be covering
What is Schema Markup?
The Different Types of Schema Markup
What are RDFa, Microdata and JSON-LD?
How can I generate a Schema for my HTML?
Schedule Testing Tools
Structured data and semantic search
Start taking advantage of Schema Markup
What is Schema Markup?
Schema.org is the product of a collaboration between multiple search engines that makes it easier for webmasters to provide search engines with information about their websites, posts, and pages so that search engines like Google can more easily understand your content. Adding Schema markup to your site's HTML can also make your page eligible for a number of different rich snippet types - we'll discuss this in more detail later in this post.
The different types of Schema Markup
Now that we've covered exactly what Schema Markup is, you might be wondering: What type of content is structured data for? Some of the most commonly available types are:
Articles
Local businesses
Restaurants
TV episodes & ratings
Book reviews
Movies
Software applications
Events
Products
But here is the up-to-date, official and complete list of all available Schema Markup types. There are literally hundreds to choose from, so rest assured, chances are if you have a certain type of data on your site that is useful to searchers in some way, there will be an associated item scope and item type.
What are RFDa, Microdata and JSON-LD?
RDFa, Microdata, and JSON-LD are all code languages that can be added to HTML to embed structured data (such as Schema markup) on a web page.
JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Objects – JSON-LD
JSON-LD stands for JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Objects and is widely accepted as the recommended language for structured data markup. JSON-LD can be implemented by pasting it directly into a web page, which is a big part of why it's considered the best way to implement a Schema.
Google’s John Mueller made it clear that Google preferred JSON-LD structured data. Personally, we prefer it as well because it’s easier to implement. The scripting language follows a set of easily learned rules and can easily be added or removed from a site.
How can I generate a Schema for my HTML?
There are a number of ways to add structured data to your website. If you use WordPress, which is widely used for blogs and simple websites, adding Schema Markup is really easy. With the Schema plugin, you have a simple and lightweight integration that makes adding Schema data extremely easy. Do you want complete control or do you not have a WordPress website? RankRanger offers a great solution with which you can enter the data yourself and then generate the HTML code. Can't figure it out yourself? Send us a message. Chances are that we can help you fairly quickly, even if you have a website that is not built by Bakklog.
Schedule Testing Tools
Because it is important that the Schema data is structured in the right way, you should definitely test it as soon as you have or will put the data online. You can validate the Schema Markup with the tools below.
Schema Markup Validator
If you don't use WordPress and can't use the Schema plugin, typos or minor discrepancies would make your website ineligible for winning the rich snippet, which is obviously the goal and the reason you're adding structured data to your website. This can be easily done with a number of tools:
- Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool
- Google’s Rich Results Testing Tool
Both tools show if your website qualifies for rich results with rich snippets.
Structured data and semantic search
The main purpose of using structured data is to better communicate to search engines what your page is about. This is because when Google can understand entities and content, it can provide the best possible results to searchers. The added benefit is that your site is eligible for rich results — including rich maps, rich snippets, the knowledge graph, and more — proven to increase click-through rates.
Does Schema Help You Rank in Google?
This is the burning question. Does Using Schema Formatting Really Help You Rank Better in Google? To date, there are no studies showing that using structured data actually helps your site rank. That said, while they won't help your site rank, as mentioned above, there are studies that have shown that rich snippets increase organic click-through rates (CTRs), meaning you're likely to see an increase in search traffic that always happens anyway. the desired end result.
What are the benefits of structured data?
Winning rich snippets is helpful, as it helps to increase your website's overall visibility in search results (occupying extra "real estate" on search engine results pages) and sometimes - as in the case of FAQ schema - provide users with an additional method of interaction. A page that qualifies for the extended results of FAQ gets extra space below the regular search snippet in the form of FAQ tabs added with in-page markup. As you might expect, the extra space in Google search results equates to more clicks to your site, and therefore a better click-through rate. In addition, using structured data can qualify your site for an action made available in the Google Assistant, making your site the source of information when people use voice search to ask questions.
Start taking advantage of Schema Markup
Hopefully any fears you had when you heard the word "Schedule" or "Structured Data" have been allayed. Schema is much easier to apply than it looks and it is a good practice to incorporate into your web pages. The work may seem tedious or boring. But if you put in the time and effort, you will surely reap the benefits. The easiest way to use this information right away is to spend some time going through your existing content and see if there are places where you could potentially add Schema Markup to make it easier for search engines to understand and understand your content. potentially make your site eligible for rich search results (such as rich snippets). If you have any questions about structured data or schema data not covered in this blog, feel free to drop us a line at any time.