30/10/2015
Why Schema is Important for Search Engine Optimisation
Though search engines are becoming increasingly clever, a little help from schema attributes improves page interpretation considerably. Google's latest algorithm updates have included reliability of content, how questions are posed and of course, whether your site is mobile friendly. However, search engines still like things simple and in some cases - obvious.
What is a schema?A schema is a method which tells search engines what different types of content represents, for instance you would use a schema attribute to say "This is the authors name" and so on. It is an addition to regular HTML coding which helps search engines to understand what it is interpreting on your page, so that it can be indexed correctly. Using schema's helps search engines avoid having to use their knowledge to make an educated guess on what the content represents, as it defines the content to help make results richer overall.
Where could schema be used?There are a number of common places schemas could be used, and to help there have been specific schema references made for these. The list is extensive, but the most common on Google's Structured Data Markup are:
- Articles
- Local businesses
- Restaurants
- TV episodes and ratings
- Book Reviews
- Movies
- Software Applications
- Events
- Products
How can schema's help my SEO?If you can take up any extra room on a search engine's results - its a good thing. Schema's help by enabling rich snippets to appear in results, this could include dates of upcoming events appearing beneath your meta description, or a star rating you have given a in a review. This will in turn help boost your click through rate, and could therefore increase sales. There's no actual proof from search engines, but its commonly assumed that the use of schemas will also affect your direct ranking as you're helping the search engine's crawlers to better understand your site.
How can I implement schemas on my website?There are numerous methods of going about this, starting with some serious studying of coding - but that isn't for everyone. One good method is to use Google's Structured Data Markup Helper this is a simple step-by-step method that is self-explained as long as you know the basics of HTML. It works on you highlighting and tagging sections of your site, and it then creates schema codes to paste into your site's own HTML. If that method seems too tricky and complex, you can use plugins such as Schema Creator for Wordpress CMS systems which helps to take any manual aspects away.
Top tipsRemember that although it may seem like an extra bit of work, it can seriously pay off by getting you that extra bit of exposure in search results, and helping your content to be best showed off and utilised. The more pages you can mark-up, the better!
Need some assistance?If you are unsure about the implementation of schema or require some consultation advice, why not make the whole process that extra bit easier and let us help your business? We’ve had over 10 years’ experience working with various implemented web technologies.
We have worked with over 600 businesses on over 1,000 web projects. If you are interested in finding out more or seeing some of the work for yourself – don’t hesitate to contact us by email:
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