May 31, 2019

Schema Markup And SEO: Why Is It So Important?

Did you know that over 10 million websites utilise Schema.org markup? This universal language for website elements has the power to not only clarify the context of your site but can improve your overall search visibility and enhance your SEO. For those that aren’t already using schema data, understanding what it is, why it’s so important and how it can help your SEO is integral. Here’s what we know:

So, Why Is Schema Markup So Important?

Schema markup can be a powerful tool in helping search engines to understand and better rank your website within the SERPs. Users want relevant content and any helping hand we can give to Google to understand our content can help put our pages in front of the right audiences. Schema markup offers:

  1. Better Local Search Results – Schema allows clarification of what a website is about which is vital in a competitive local search sphere.
  2. Clear Business Information In The SERPs – Contact information, social media accounts, blogs, logos and other relevant data can be clarified using schema.
  3. Event Promotion – Does your business host events? Using schema, details of these can appear as rich snippets in the SERPS.
  4. Better SEO Rankings – Through schema, your SERP listings can appear more attractive and engaging, encouraging a higher click-through rate and ultimately, better rankings.
  5. Improved Relevancy – Schema data allows a search engine to better understand the context of your content and list your site in the SERPs with better relevancy.
  6. Easy Navigation Around Your Website – Some search results feature additional links underneath the main URL. Schema data can help Google determine the best links for this feature.


What Exactly Is Schema Markup?

Schema is essentially bits of code or structured data that are implemented within websites that will guide a search engine through the elements on your pages. This can be anything from details about a product or person for relevancy to images, videos, tables, lists and more. Through schema markup, you can better show important details including opening times, upcoming events, founders, ratings and more.

Schema can be used across a range of content types, including articles, events, people, products, TV episodes and ratings, movies, reviews, recipes and business or organisational information. While this is by no means an extensive list, schema can offer the potential to return rich and featured snippets which ultimately improve visibility, click-through rates and engagement.

How Can Schema Be Useful For Your SEO?

While schema isn’t a direct ranking signal, it certainly works to help determine relevancy and gain a more effective ranking. Schema data not only helps Google to clarify relevancy, but it can improve your click-through rate from the SERPs and makes your webpage more competitive overall.

For those with limited knowledge of coding or web development, implementing schema is made simple using Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper. The tool uses a highlight-style format to connect the right markup to the right elements of your website. You just need to follow these steps:

Step 1 – Choose the kind of data you are looking to markup.

Step 2 – Enter the URL of your page, or upload the raw HTML file.

Step 3 – Begin highlighting the elements on your page according to the data entries in the panel on the right.

Step 4 – Click ‘Create HTML’ for a full HTML code with the microdata implemented correctly.

Step 5 – Use this file to implement the microdata into your website’s HTML.

To find out more about Schema markup and how it helps your SEO, read the full article here.