In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, staying ahead of the competition requires adopting new strategies and tools. One such tool that has gained significant importance in recent years is schema markup.
Schemas provide a way to enhance a website’s visibility, improve search engine optimization (SEO), and offer a better user experience.
In this blog, we will explore the schemas that digital marketers should consider implementing on their websites in 2023 to stay relevant and maximize their online presence.
Role of Schema in SEO
Here’s how schemas help in SEO:
1. Enhanced Visibility in Search Results:
Schema markup allows websites to give search engines detailed content information. This data is displayed in search results as rich snippets, knowledge panels, and other enhanced SERP features.
To get more attention and clicks, websites can utilize these visually beautiful and informative snippets to differentiate themselves from the competition.
2. Improved Click Through Rates (CTR):
Schema markup’s rich snippets commonly include ratings, reviews, pricing, event details, and many more in search results. These characteristics make the search listing more appealing and relevant, increasing the likelihood of a click.
A higher CTR indicates to search engines that the website is offering valuable and relevant content, which can positively impact its ranking.
3. Voice Search Optimization:
Schema markup optimizes material for voice searches as voice assistants and voice searches grow. Schema tags like FAQ and Q&A enable search engines to extract and offer direct responses to voice search queries, boosting their likelihood of showing up in voice search results.
4. Structured Data Understanding:
Algorithms interpret online material for search engines. Schema markup helps search engines understand your content better. It also helps search engines categorize and display your material, improving your ranking for relevant search queries.
5. Competitive Advantage:
Implementing schema markup sets you apart from competitors who may not be utilizing it effectively. Rich snippets and better search results make your website more appealing and trustworthy than your competitors. Visibility and credibility can boost rankings, organic traffic, and conversions.
Schemas That Digital Marketers Should Use
The following are the schemas that digital marketers must use:
1. Organization Schema:
Organization Schema markup helps brands show that they are credible and authoritative. It tells about the organization, such as its name, logo, contact information, and social media accounts.
By using Organization Schema, digital marketers can increase the exposure of their brand, get it into knowledge graphs, and make users trust the brand more.
Best practices for implementing Organization Schema include using verified profiles and providing comprehensive and consistent information across various online platforms.
Below is a screenshot of the organization schema in action for the search term WPoets. It shows
Screenshot 1: Organization Schema in action
Organization Schema should be added to the following web pages
- Homepage
- About Us
- Our Work or a similar page,
- What We Do or a similar page,
- And other pages.
2. BreadCrumb Schema
The BreadcrumbList Schema allows you to specify the hierarchical structure of your website’s pages using a list of breadcrumbs.
Each item represents a step in the navigation path and typically includes the page title and URL. The order of the items in the list reflects the hierarchy of the pages.
By implementing the BreadcrumbList Schema on your website, you provide search engines with structured data that can be used to enhance search results.
When search engines recognize the schema markup, they may display the breadcrumb navigation in the search results, making it easier for users to understand the website’s structure and navigate directly to specific pages.
Below is a sample of breadcrumbs displayed in SERPs.
Screenshot 2: BreadcrumbList Schema in action
BreadcrumbList Schema should be implemented on all the website pages.
3. Article Schema
Article schema markup is important for websites that are based on their content. It helps search engines figure out how articles are put together and what they’re about, including the article body, author, date of publication, word count, keywords, and many more.
By using the Article Schema, digital marketers can make their content more visible in search results and increase the chance that it will show up in Google’s Top Stories or other rich results.
Correctly structuring an Article Schema means using the right headline tags, giving information about the author, and following schema rules.
The Article Schema should be used on web pages that give detailed information or content in the form of articles:
- Blog Posts
- News Articles
- Documentation Pages
- Editorial Pages
- Magazine or Journal Articles
4. FAQ Schema
FAQ Schema markup makes it easy for websites to answer frequently asked questions directly in search results. It makes your site more visible and makes it more likely that it will show up in featured snippets, especially in voice search results. Digital marketers should use FAQ Schema by finding important questions and answers, organizing the content with the right HTML tags, and making sure it works well with voice search queries.
Screenshot 3: FAQ Schema in action
In fact, we have written a comprehensive article on adding FAQ Schema to WordPress with and without plugins.
The FAQ schema should be used on websites that list Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and the answers to those questions. A few examples could be,
- FAQ Pages
- Product Pages
- Service Pages
- Support or Help Pages
5. Local Business Schema
Local Business Schema markup is very important for companies that want to reach people in their area locally. It tells you where the business is, when it’s open, how to contact them, their address, and what other customers have said about them (basically, Google reviews).
Digital marketers can improve their visibility in local search results, improve their Google My Business listing, and attract possible customers in their area by using the Local Business Schema.
Name, address, and phone number (NAP) consistency, getting real customer reviews, and optimizing for mobile devices are all important parts of the Local Business Schema.
Below is a screenshot of the Local Business schema in action showing Opening Hours.
Screenshot 4: Local Business Schema in action
The Local Business Schema should be implemented on the web pages that represent individual local businesses:
- About Us page
- Contact Us page
- Home page
- Any location or place-specific page
6. Web Page Schema
Web Page Schema is a type of schema markup that provides structured data about a specific web page on your website. It allows search engines to understand the content and context of your web pages more effectively.
By implementing the Web Page Schema markup, you can enhance the visibility, accuracy, and presentation of your web page in search engine results pages (SERPs).
The Web Page Schema should be implemented on all the individual web pages of your website:
- Content Pages
- Landing Pages
- Product and Service Pages
- Category Pages
- Home page
And among others.
7. Video Schema
Video schema markup is a type of schema that provides structured data about a video on your website. It allows search engines to understand the video content, its metadata, and other relevant details.
By implementing Video Schema markup, you can enhance the visibility and appearance of your video in search engine results pages (SERPs) and potentially increase the chances of it being featured in video-specific search results.
The Video Schema should be implemented on web pages that contain videos or provide information about specific videos:
- Gallery Pages (if the gallery contains videos)
- Article Pages with embedded videos
- Landing Pages with videos
Basically, all the web pages that consist of videos.
Below is a screenshot for a particular keyword displaying video in SERPs.
8. Event Schema
Event schema markup is helpful for businesses that host events or promotions. It has a lot of information about the event, like the date, time, location, organizer, and people who will be performing, among others. Digital marketers can make events more visible in search results and thus get more people to attend by using Event Schema.
To optimize the Event Schema, it’s important to include correct and up-to-date information and use structured data testing tools to make sure everything is correct.
The Event Schema should be implemented on web pages that provide information about specific events:
- Event Listing Pages
- Individual Event Pages
- Calendar Pages (if your website has one)
- Landing Pages (created for promoting specific events)
The following image shows an example of an event schema being used on the meetup.com website.
9. Review Schema
Every business, no matter what they do, should implement the Review Schema on their website. This is because reviews are such a big part of how most people decide what to buy.
Before buying something, almost 90% of people read reviews. So there’s no reason not to show good reviews if you have them.
Review snippets will show the number of reviews your product, local business, or software product has gotten, along with the yellow stars.
Following is a screenshot of a product search query. Notice that the yellow stars are below the SERPs.
Screenshot 5: Review Schema in action
Web pages with user-generated reviews or testimonials should use the Review Schema:
- Product Pages
- Business Listings
- Testimonial Pages
10. Product Schema
Product schema markup tells search engines about a product’s name, price, availability, and reviews, among other things. By using Product Schema, digital marketers can make their goods more visible in search results and attract people who might buy them.
It can also be used for adding schema for services.
Screenshot 6: Product Schema in action
The Product Schema should be implemented on web pages that provide information about specific products:
- Product Details Page
- e-Commerce Category Page
- Featured Product Section
- Review Pages
- Comparison pages
Conclusion
In conclusion, leveraging schema markup on your website is a powerful strategy for digital marketers in 2023.
Schemas provide a structured way to communicate essential information about your web pages, videos, and other content to search engines, helping them understand and present your content more effectively to users.
By incorporating schema markup, you can potentially enhance your SEO efforts and improve your website’s visibility and ranking in search engine results. If you want to know more about how to add these schemas to your WordPress website, get in touch with our web experts.
