If you're a marketer, then you know the importance of SEO. It helps your website rank higher in search engine results pages. However, SEO is not a static discipline; it's constantly evolving as Google refines its algorithms. One of the latest trends in SEO is the use of schema markupCode added to a website to help search engines understand the content..
You've probably heard of schema before, but you may not know what it is or why it's essential for digital marketers. This post will briefly explain what is schema in digital marketing and how you can use it to improve your website's ranking.
Schema is a code that helps search engines understand the content on your website. It is a type of structured data that helps search engines easily interpret your content and provide accurate results to searchers.
Adding schema markup to your website's HTML code can give search engines more information about your business, products, services, etc., which helps your website rank higher in SERPs.
There are various schema markup types, including organizations, people, products and reviews, events, and local businesses. Each type provides specific information about the related content on your website, such as customer ratings for a product or the location of a local business.
There are 32 types of schema markup, according to Google. Some of which include:
The better your site is at getting picked up by search engines, the more likely you will get traffic (and potential customers) to your site. In other words, schema can help you improve your SEO. Digital marketing relies heavily on SEO.
When it comes to search engines, first impressions are everything. Search engines use crawlers to scan websites and gather information, organizing it into what is known as a "schema."
This schema helps search engines determine the content and purpose of a website, improving its chances of showing up in relevant search results. Without proper schema markup, a website may not show up for its intended audience, resulting in missed opportunities for traffic and conversions.
For example, you have a blog post about the best dog breeds for families. With schema code, you can tell Google that this particular blog post is about dogs, which will help Google show it when someone searches for "best family dog breeds."
Well-structured data can also help you earn richer search results snippets, which can further help you stand out from the competition and increase click-through rates.
Implementing schema is relatively simple. All you need to do is add a few lines of code to your website's HTML. Check out Google’s official documentation about schema markups. Any website owner can implement schema using plugins. If the process sounds confusing, you can contact SEO professionals for help.
Here’s how to add schema markup to your website:
If you’re using WordPress, you can check plugins that will quickly do this for you. You can also install a schema builder extension or use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to write the markups.
However, these are basic markup generators that only cover the basics. You still need to adjust the code yourself if you want to go beyond.
When you’re done generating and adding information to your site’s schema markup, download it and upload it to your page. The Schema Markup Generator will have a list of specific instructions you have to follow to accomplish this step.
You must test the site to know that the schema markup is working correctly. You can use Google’s Rich Results test tool to see if you did the steps correctly. The tool is straightforward and will display errors and warnings if something goes wrong.
To correct the issues, you can edit the code directly on the page and “Run Test” to check if the changes work. This helps you in fixing the schema markup on your original page.
Another tool to help test your scheme markup is SEM Rush’s Site Audit tool.
Schema markup is a relatively new addition to the world of SEO, but it's already having a significant impact on SERP rankingsThe position at which a website appears in the SERP.. If you're not already using schema on your website, we strongly recommend that you start doing so as soon as possible.
Learn more about improving your site’s SEO ranking with the articles on the Blissdrive blog.