Overview
To stay competitive in the digital marketing world we have to use all the tools that are currently available. Today, a third of Google’s search results are dominated by rich snippets and tags getting the most of Google’s organic ranking. Rich snippets originate from Schema.org, however, only 0.3% of websites are taking advantage of this phenomenon.
Although Schema has been around for some time, Google does not officially use Schema mark-up for its search ranking, however, the pages that achieve prominence in SERPs are ones that have rich snippets. If you are not very familiar with the subject matter, a Schema mark-up is basically various HTML tags that are found at Schema.org.
The website is essentially the result of the joint effort by search engine giants such as Bing, Google, Yandex, and Yahoo. By adding these tags to your webpage, you can develop superior descriptions that can be found in search results. These are what we call “rich snippets.”
Where rich snippets are frequently found
Most websites often use Schema to develop rich snippets for institutions providing information about the organisation, location, and product reviews. By using Schema, search engines like Google can process this information more efficiently and effectively. Further, Schema is also used to provide detailed information about products and services. Review ratings also play a role here allowing individuals searching via Google to have immediate access to reviews.
People also benefit from rich snippets as the information on the body of the site can help search engines provide better details about you. Furthermore, events such as concerts can benefit from Schema as information about the event’s date, location, time, and ticket price can be communicated easily in search results.
There are heaps of benefits to using Schema, some of them are enabling search engines to process your webpage properly, better search ranking as well as standing out in the search results, and an increase in click-through rates.
How do you add Schema to your Webpage?
Incorporating Schema mark-up to your webpage is fairly easy and straightforward. All you have to do is create tags based on the categories at Schema.org. Visit the Schema.org to find a complete list of tags that are currently available.
Google has developed a Structured Data Mark-up Helper tool that will help you create Schema tags. This development has made it extremely simple to create Schema tags as you eliminate the need to go back and forth with the HTML code. It is simple and is as follows:
- Select a category and then enter the address for your webpage
- Preview your website and look at the bar on the side with the tags that are available
- Highlight the section of the copy in the preview window and right click to find out what tags are available
- Select the tags that are appropriate and complete the required details in the sidebar
- Click on the “Create HTML” button and get the necessary HTML code
Simply add the code that was generated onto your webpage - Finally, use Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool to test your mark-up
Schema.org also has various types and subtypes but it is not important to use everything that is available.
Extensions can be created by adding a slash to the code that already exists which in turn adds a subtype. So it is an efficient user-friendly tool that can have a direct impact on the visibility of your website.
Although rich snippets are not necessary for websites, adding Schema to your webpage will make it stand out in search results which can lead to an increase in traffic. Increase in traffic will also directly impact the conversion rate of the website.
Final Thoughts
Technology is continuously evolving at a rapid pace, so it is important for everyone in the industry to adapt to the changes to stay competitive in a crowded marketplace. By being adaptive and embracing the changes in technology, you can ensure that your brand stays relevant.
And if you ever need a hand, give one of our experts a Shout!
