What Is Schema Markup and Does Your Website Need It?

In simple terms, schema markup is structured data or code that is added to your website (invisible to users) to help Google or other search engines understand the content on your site. Basically, it looks like little signposts telling the Google Bot: “This is an address” or “This product is a candle”. A slightly more in-depth version might look like this:

You write “Avengers: Endgame won Best Visual Effects”

But to Google this could be a film, a sports event, an award – or nothing at all. By using Schema markup you can tell the search engine:

• “Avengers: Endgame” is a film
• “Best Visual Effects” is an award
• Other background information like the year it won or the awards event in question.

But who cares if Google understands your content?

Well, you should. By helping a search engine to understand the content on your website, you also help that search engine to serve you up in search results. And you definitely want that if you would like people to come to your website and give you money for things. As Schema markup provides context to your content, it will be more easily (and accurately) understood and therefore indexed accordingly. (This is the process where the Google Bot knows your page exists, has read the content and allows it to appear in the search results.)

Learn about other types of SEO here

Okay then, so, what’s a Featured Snippet?

Now, a Featured Snippet is something you really want. You’ve probably seen or even used a Featured Snippet before, even if you didn’t know that that was what it was. These appear in what we call “position zero” at the top of the search results page and give the searcher a brief answer extracted from a webpage that directly answers the user’s question. You can think of it a bit like the next evolution of the “people always ask” feature.

It probably doesn’t take a genius to point out why you want your website featured here, but let’s look at why Schema Markup matters here: The Featured Snippet is purposely designed to answer a question – and Schema Markup helps by telling Google “this is an FAQ section” or “this is a recipe for Goat Curry”, which could be the specific marker Google is looking for to answer said question. While Schema doesn’t guarantee a featured snippet, it does increase your chance by helping Google to interpret your content in a more timely and precise way, both of which are incredibly important to the person asking the question.

Structured for success: The future’s already Marked Up

Many websites are already implementing Schema, and if this means Google understands and trusts their content more than it does yours… You could get left behind. Search Engines continue to evolve towards semantic search (the ability to understand the meaning behind a question or search) and AI-driven results, Schema Markup will help ensure your website’s content doesn’t fade into obscurity.

This also means content needs to answer real questions rather than be stuffed with Keywords – read more about content marketing for SEO here

If you feel like this is all getting a bit too complicated for your liking and you’d really like somebody who speaks Google to tell you:

• If your website includes Schema Markup
• If it needs Schema Markup
• Or if you just need reminding that you are doing a great job and have everything under control

contact us here.