How to Use Schema Markup to Improve SEO Performance

We’ve said this before, and you will hear us saying it again: if you are playing the search engine optimisation (SEO) game, staying ahead of the curve is something that you need to prioritise at all times. 

When it comes to shaping up a solid SEO strategy (and trying to keep on top of the tricky Google algorithm changes), one of the most important unsung heroes is Schema Markup.  

As you might already know, rich results are an important asset if you want to increase your CTR, with FAQ rich results topping the charts with a staggering 87% click-through-rate.  
 
Rich results are closely linked to schema markup and structured data (keep on reading to find out more!) – so, if you want to maximise your chances of getting the best possible CTR results, it’s really important that you put schema markup on your SEO strategy radar. 

By the way, if you are after a wider marketing strategy – we have a full range of digital marketing services at the ready for you. 

In this structured data guide we will take a deep dive in the schema world and look at what schema markup is, why it’s important for SEO, how it can help you get the most out of your SEO strategy and we also will give you some tried and tested tips and tricks to implement it effectively, while we’re at it. 

Let’s Get Started: What is Schema Markup? 

Schema Markup, or structured data, is a form of microdata that you can add to your website’s HTML to instruct google about the semantic value of your page and boost the chances for your page to appear in rich snippets and rich results. 

 It creates an enhanced description (rich snippet, for friends) that appears in the search results page. This markup helps search engines understand the context of your content, leading to more informative and engaging search results for users. 

There is a bit of technical terminology involved when we explore the topic of schema markup and structured data; before we continue exploring how schema markup can benefit your SEO performance – let’s take a step back and round all our definitions up.  

Imagine for a second that your website is like a travel guide.  

Can you picture it clearly? Ok, so:  

• Schema Markup: adding schema markup to your website is like pinning detailed signposts and labels to a map to ensure that travellers (search engines) can easily navigate and understand the destinations 
   

• Structured Data: in your travel map/website context, structured data represents a well-organised itinerary, listing places, landmarks, and key details in a structured format that the travellers (search engines, again) can understand 
   

• Rich Results: these are the beautifully illustrated travel brochures and online reviews that make certain destinations stand out on your travel map and itinerary, to catch the attention of travellers and passers-by. 
   

• Rich Snippets: last, but absolutely not least, rich snippets are the equivalent to quick travel tips and highlights that give people an at-a-glance idea of what to expect before they book a trip 

In essence, this is what you are doing when you implement schema markup on your website. 

Although schema markup is not strictly a ranking factor according to Google, properly organising and tagging your content so that it is accessible to search engines to show on rich results provides several SEO benefits.  

One example above all? Users click on rich results 58% of the time, as opposed to 41% of the time on non-rich results.  

Think about how many more opportunities to let your products and services shine you could get by harnessing the power of structured data. It’s definitely worth a shot in our opinion!  

So, Why is Schema Markup Important for SEO? 

Including structured data in your wider SEO strategy and implementing well-thought Schema Markup can offer several SEO benefits for your website, including: 

• Enhanced visibility: rich snippets in SERP make your listings more eye-catching to users, potentially increasing click-through rates. As ever, you need to think of SERP as sought after real-estate ground, you want your website to rank well and to take as much valuable space as possible. Aiming to rank for rich results is a fundamental part of it, so don’t forget about the power of structured data to help you gain those coveted rich snippets.  
   

• Improved rankings: as mentioned, structured data is not a direct ranking factor, but it can certainly help search engines to understand your website’s content better, which can lead to improved rankings 
   

• Voice search optimisation: voice search is here to stay, and as part of a well-executed SEO strategy it’s important to put some focus on optimisations geared towards it. Here is where structured data can help: schema markup crucial for search queries, as it provides clear and concise answers that voice assistants can relay – so, don’t skip it if you want to target voice search 
   

• Local SEO boost: for businesses with a physical presence that want to optimise their website for local SEO, local business schema can enhance visibility in local search results and really set them apart from their competitors  
   

• Better content categorisation: schema helps search engines categorise and understand your content (like a good old-fashioned librarian would have categorised physical archives back in the day) making it easier to match with relevant search queries and hence giving you a chance at better rankings  
   

• Increased user trust: providing additional details such as star ratings, reviews, author information and event dates enhances credibility and engagement. Having solid social proof and user trust goes a very long way in the days of doom scrolling and very short user attention span online, so make sure you use schema to build as much credibility and trust as possible with your users 

Types of Schema Markup You Can Use 

We would like to start this section with a small disclaimer: if we were to cover every single type of schema available, we would keep you here a VERY long time.  

Online, you can find official schema directories that list them all if you ever need to consult them, and if the taxonomy bug bit you (no judging, we must admit that we have a bit of a crush on structured data ourselves), you can also find schema hierarchy documentation to get up close and personal with structured data.  

Said this, understanding the various types of schema markup and how they differ from each other is important for effective implementation and to reap all the SEO benefits, so we have recapped for you some of the most used schemas.  
 
Remember, you don’t need to use all the fields that a schema supports if they don’t apply to your webpage, but you want to make sure that you use as many as possible to cover every important aspect. It’s a bit of a balancing act – the more you do it, the easier it will become.  

But sorry – we digress. Here are the most used schema types: 

• Article Schema: this type of schema is ideal for news articles and blog posts, as it can help search engines displaying them prominently in Google News and other relevant sections 
   

• Product Schema: this type of schema provides detailed information about products, including price, availability and reviews. Essential for e-commerce websites to increase conversions, alongside its relative – Offer Schema – that you can use to showcase offers on your website 
   

• Local Business Schema: this schema is really useful for businesses who want to optimise their content for local SEO as part of their strategy, as it highlights essential details about your business, such as address, opening hours, and contact information.  
   

• BreadcrumbList Schema: this is maybe a slightly more technical type of schema markup, but still quite a useful one that search engines will like a lot. It displays the page’s position within the site’s hierarchy, aiding user navigation and improving internal linking 
   

• FAQ Schema: this schema markup does what it says on the tin: it structures frequently asked questions and answers on your website, making them eligible for rich results and improving search appearance. Since FAQ rich results have very high CTR rates, this is a schema markup you really don’t want to miss out on – if your website has a frequently asked questions section 
   

• Event Schema: this type of schema markup is useful to display details for crucial event your business might hold, such as dates, venues, and ticket information, increasing visibility for event organisers 
   

• Recipe Schema: ideal for food blogs and cooking websites, the recipe schema organises structured data in a way that it can provide details like ingredients, preparation time, and nutritional information and make them really accessible to search engines and improve user experience on SERP 

• Video Schema: if you have video content on your website – don’t overlook this type of schema as it helps search engines understand video present on your website, making it more likely to appear in video search results. And we all know how much video content is key for digital marketing these days, right? 
   

• Job Posting Schema: this type of schema is important if you have job openings or careers listed on your website as it enhances job listing visibility by showing key details such as salary, location, and application deadlines 
   

• Organisation Schema: this type of schema might be last on our list, but it might be one of the most used all-rounders you can have on your website when it comes to structured data. It highlights every aspect of an organisation, going down to very granular level of detail, and it can help highlighting key aspects of your business 

 
On the off chance that you’re now on the way to become a structured data enthusiast, here are a few more schema types for you to consider: 

How to Implement Schema Markup on Your Website 

Now that we have covered some basics of structured data (while getting moderately carried away), let’s look at ways to implement schema markup on your website: 

1. Do your research to identify relevant schema types: as with anything SEO related, you want your schema markup to be relevant and just the right amount. Not too little and not too much. Carry out some groundwork research to determine which schemas align with your content and business objectives as the first step in your schema markup implementation and choose schemas that accurately reflect your website’s services and your SEO strategy goals 
    

2. Generate the markup: structured data is code, so – if you are not familiar with the syntax of JSON-LD, don’t improvise yourself a developer and use tools like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper or a JSON-LD schema generator to create the necessary code and avoid errors creeping through. JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) is the preferred format as it is easier to implement and maintain, but you can also use microdata to implement schema (if you are feeling particularly niche, or cannot use JSON-LD for any reason) 
    

3. Add schema markup to your website: there are a few ways to insert the generated code into your site’s HTML, either manually or via Google Tag Manager’s custom HTML for structured data (again, get some help here if you are not used to deal with code, errors can be tricky to spot) or via a content management system (CMS), for example in WordPress, using plugins like as RankMath or Yoast SEO 
    

4. Test and Validate: repeat after us – “testing structured data is not a skippable step!” as it can save you many headaches down the line by spotting errors prior to injecting your code on the website. Use the Rich Results Test and the Schema Markup Validator to ensure your markup is correctly implemented and error-free 
    

5. Monitor Performance: once your schema markup is up and running, give it some time (a few weeks actually) to simmer nicely and then use Google Search Console to track how it is performing and troubleshoot any errors or warnings that may appear 
    

6. Update Regularly: last, but certainly not least, do not forget about your structured data. Keep your schema markup up to date with changes in your content and industry best practices to ensure it stays fresh and remains effective, so you can get the most SEO benefits. 

Best Practices for Schema Markup and SEO 

To maximise the benefits of Schema Markup and get it to positively influence the SEO performance of your website, there are a few whings that you should keep in mind when it comes to best practices: 

• Use JSON-LD Format (instead of microdata): straight from the horse’s mouth, Google itself recommends JSON-LD over microdata or RDFa as it is easier to implement and less prone to errors 
   

• Keep learning: the world of structured data is far from a static one, and Schema.org regularly updates their website with new types and properties. Keeping on top of these changes ensures your markup remains current and you can futureproof your schema markup to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to reach results  
   

• Be accurate and truthful: pretty straightforward if you ask us, but it needs to be put out there: your structured data should accurately represent the content on the page. Misleading or incorrect information can lead to penalties, which will give you the opposite effect of what you want – hindering your website’s performance on SERP 
   

• Combine multiple schemas: where relevant, combine different schema types on the same page. For example, a blog post can include both Article Schema and FAQ Schema to maximise its potential. Go full Optimus Prime here (we’re putting the link for those of you who have not grown up with flashy Japanese cartoons in the 1980s. If that is you, we are a little bit jealous of your ability to stay out partying until 4am every weekend, just so you know).  
   

• Avoid Overstuffing: this is a mini disclaimer on our previous point. Combine and be crafty – yes. Cram in schema markup for the sake of– no. Implement schemas that are relevant to your content. Irrelevant markup can confuse search engines and users 
   

• Make Use of Automation: if you manage a large website, implementing schema markup can become a mammoth task quickly. Use automation tools or CMS plugins to apply schema markup efficiently across multiple pages so that you can gain back valuable times 
   

• Keep Performance on your radar: as with anything in the SEO game, regularly audit your website’s structured data using Google Search Console to identify and fix any issues promptly 

Common Mistakes to Avoid With Structured Data  

We’ve nearly reached the end of our guide and we have covered quite a lot of ground to show how structured data and SEO can work well together.  

There is just one more topic we would like to cover with you, and it is: a short list of dont’s. 

As we said, schema markup is made of code. If you don’t have a permanent developer (or SEO) hat on, there are a couple of common areas that could be tricky and lead to errors.  

While implementing Schema Markup, be mindful of these common pitfalls: 

• Incorrect placement: where and how you deploy your schema, matters. If the schema markup is not added to the correct sections of your HTML, you can find your hands full of parsing errors. Don’t have a dev team or the expertise to check these? We’re here to help.  
   

• Outdated schemas: using deprecated schemas can lead to errors and missed opportunities, making your quest to have your website appearing on rich results a lot harder than it should be. Always refer to Schema.org for the latest updates. 
   

• Ignoring validation: always test your markup to catch and rectify errors before search engines index your pages – and please, please, please, do not ignore warnings. Unverified schema may not produce the desired results. 
   

• Keyword stuffing in schema: keywords stuffing is a big no-no in any area of SEO, including structured data. Avoid stuffing structured data with excessive keywords to try and manipulate rankings. Search engines do not like this in the slightest and can penalise you for it.  
   

• Duplicate schema implementations: some websites apply the same schema multiple times (by mistake or by design), which can cause confusion for search engines. A confused search engine is not a happy search engine. Do not try this at home.  
   

• Overlooking mobile compatibility: mobile optimisation is key, even for structured data. Make sure that structured data elements, such as rich snippets, display correctly on mobile search results. 

Wrapping it all up: Schema Markup for Great SEO Results 

If you’ve made it to the end of this guide, it should be quite clear to you now that schema markup is a potent tool you want to have in your SEO arsenal, as it can offer enhanced visibility and improved user engagement.  

By getting to grips with schema markup types, ways to implement structured data on your website and best practices, you can truly harness its full potential to boost your website’s performance in search results and step up your SEO game and harness. 

Does this all sound great, even if a tiny bit out of your reach maybe – or simply a task you don’t have time for? 

The great news is that you don’t have to figure everything out alone. At Logic Digital we’re passionate about all things SEO and structured data, and we would love to help you out for all your schema markup needs.  

If you want expert guidance on structured data and SEO services tailored to your business, contact us today and discover how we can help you attract the right customers, boost conversions, and smash your targets.