Schema is a form of micro data found at Schema.org. Once it is added to a webpage, it helps to create an enhanced description (commonly called a rich snippet), that appears on a search engine results page.

The best search engines in the world including the likes of Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc. started collaborating with Schema way back in 2011. Essentially, schema markup tells search engines what your site or a specific page is about in very simple terms.

The Basics – Let us first understand what Schema actually is

In layman’s terms, Schema markup is a code that you put on your website to aid major search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. return more informative and detailed results to users. It is more or less like rich snippets.

Here’s an example of a local business that has markup on its event schedule page. This is how it is displayed on the Google search results page:

In the context of the above example, Schema has told the search engine to display a series of upcoming events in Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel. From the user point of view, this is exceptionally helpful.

The Schema markup conveys the meaning of your data to search engine, not just what it says

Let’s understand this with an example in terms of the search engine Google.

The word “Eric Haskell” appears on this article.  Google sees this, and produces an entry with “Neil Patel” on its search results page.

However, with the use of the right schema markup around the word “Eric Haskell,” I can convey the fact to Google that “Eric Haskell” is the author of this article. Google can, thus, display better information to users searching with the name “Eric Haskell.”

Schema helps in better ranking of your website

Schema markup can improve your website ranking for almost all kinds of content. There is a Schema for:

• Articles
• Jobs
• Local businesses
• Restaurant items
• TV shows as well as ratings
• Books and book reviews
• Cinemas
• Software apps
• Events
• Products, and so on.

There are several types of schema markups—from the ones above to medical dose schedules to garment stores, etc. If you have any type of data on your website, there is a good chance that it’s going to have an associated itemscope and itemtype.

Websites using schema markup will rank better on a SERP in comparison to the ones without. Right now, 1/3rd of search results on Google incorporate the use of rich snippets, which includes the use of schema markup. However, fortunately or unfortunately, less than 1/3rd of websites make use of the schema markup.

In other words, this has resulted in millions of businesses missing out on this massive potential of search engine optimization. If you use the schema markup, you will automatically stand out from the crowd of your competition.

Top 5 benefits of Schema Markup

Better understanding of your site’s content in terms of search engine comprehensibility

Adding schema to your site helps search engines understand what your site is about. This alone really is enough of a reason to use it. But that is just the beginning of the benefits.

Improve your brand’s presence with a comprehensive Knowledge Graph

You can dramatically boost your brand’s presence online with Schema.

So, what exactly is the Knowledge Graph? It is the big box that is placed on the right side of your Google desktop searches (typically placed in the center for searches on mobile devices). It contains most of the important and relevant business information for customers such as social media accounts, phone numbers, addresses, reviews, etc.

The problem is, many companies don’t have a complete knowledge graph. Google will only display knowledge graphs if it is satisfied that the information it contains is accurate and useful.

Help them trust your business information (and thus display a knowledge graph) by marking that information as structured data on your site. This way you can explicitly provide Google with your preferred logo, hours of operation, website link, etc.

Get rich results that grab attention

Maybe the number 1 benefit people are looking for from Schema is rich results (like the coveted stars). Google doesn’t just provide 10 simple blue links on its search results page. Rating stars for a movie, product price, recipe cooking time and more can now appear directly in search listings.

To get these special listings, add any schema that is relevant to your page.

Get a call to action right in Google search results

This is a question that many people do not know. Some products may receive a “Buy Now” CTA (call to action) directly on the Google search results page. For example, if you are an author or publisher, you can tag your book’s product page, which makes you eligible for a book listing in Google that includes a Buy It Now CTA. It’s pretty cool!

Position your site for voice search, Alexa and Google Assistant

If you read articles on emerging SEO trends, you’ll see a lot of people claiming voice search is on the rise. With the proliferation of mobile devices and home speakers, it’s easy to see why. With voice search results, usually only one result is provided. So getting to that top position on voice search is even more critical than regular search.

Fortunately, many of the best practices resulting in featured snippets in a normal search are the same as the ones in voice SEO. Structured data is one such practice. So use the scheme markup to increase your chances of surfacing as the number 1 result on voice search.

In addition, there is a new talkable scheme which is specifically for tagging the parts of your site that are meant to be spoken and therefore relevant to the results in terms of voice search.

So that’s basically it. I will sign off for the time being. Hope you had a great read.