3 Easy Schema Markups for Your Website

What is Schema Markup?

According to Moz, schema is “a semantic vocabulary of tags (or microdata) that you can add to your HTML to improve the way search engines read and represent your page in SERPs.” 

By adding certain tags known as structured data, website owners are able to signal to Google and other search engines what kinds of content they have on their webpages and what their content is about. This, in turn, helps crawlers index sites more effectively. 

How Does Schema Markup Impact SEO?

Adding schema markup to your web pages can definitely make it more likely to rank organically on search engine results pages (SERPs). In fact, John Mueller, the Webmaster Trends Analyst at Google, recently admitted that schema markups are a slight ranking factor. 

As stated before, structured data helps crawlers understand what is being featured on the page. With a better understanding of what is included on a search page, this makes it more likely for search engines to rank the page.   

Additionally, some structured data can be used to boost a brand’s presence on SERPs or add bonus information that can increase clicks to their website. For example, by using structured data, websites are more likely to be featured in knowledge graphs, rich snippets, or people also ask drop downs depending on the type of schema used on the website. 

How to Use Moz Add Schema Markup to Your Website

Luckily, SEOs don’t need to learn any additional coding in order to add schema markups to a webpage. For example all you need to do is visit Schema.org — a website that provides a collection of structured markup tags that SEOs and developers can use to specify the type of content on their website. — to find the proper HTML tags. 

Moz provides tools and features that analyze schema implementation on a site, helping website managers detect the presence of structured data, identify missing or incomplete fields, and flag errors that might prevent rich results from appearing in search.

Specifically, Moz’s Site Crawl feature scans a website and identifies pages that are missing schema markup or have errors in their structured data. For example, it can detect:

• Missing required fields (like name, url, or image) in JSON-LD markup
• Invalid or incorrectly nested schema
• Pages eligible for FAQ, Product, or Article schema but lacking implementation

While Moz doesn’t automatically insert schema for you, it can provide guidance on which types of schema to implement based on page content and SEO goals. 

Alternatively, you can use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to generate the HTML for your pages. In this instance, all you need to do is: 

• select the type of data you would like to add.
• paste the URL or HTML source of your page into the Data Markup Helper
• select which elements you want to markup
• create the HTML

This will generate the HTML that you can copy and paste onto your web page.

3 Easy Ways to Add Schema Markup to Your Website

Looking to add structured data to your website? Here are a few ways to add schema markup to your website. 

1. Highlight the functionality of your site
2. Add organization schema
3. Include local business schema

Highlight the Functionality of Your Site

The web contains many different kinds of content, such as music, movies, photographs, articles, menus, and, of course, websites. 

For example, if you have a search feature on your website, you can add structured data so a sitelinks search box appears SERPS. In other words, you could make Google your own search engine.

Kellyco, for example, effectively added structured data to create a sitelinks search box. 

Kellyco was rewarded with a search box in Google’s search results.

To implement a website structured data, you'll need the URL for your homepage. This works better if you have a search feature on your site. You can also add the URL to your site search within this Schema. Simply post this code on your homepage, not every page of your site.

Another way to do this is, for example, is to add a sitelinks search box to your snippet. If your site is example.com and your internal search queries run from your /search page and use a q to designate the query:

If you're using WordPress, you already have site search. In this case, you'd add your domain name followed by /?s={query} as the "target" in the above example.

2. Add Organization Schema 

Organization Schema tells Google about the organization that owns a site, allowing them to populate the Knowledge Graph about your company.

The Knowledge Graph appears in the search engine result when someone searches for a topic in Google. The Graph contains extra information, which appears in the right-column of the search results.

If Google considers your company important enough to be a topic, you can appear in the Knowledge Graph, too.

For example, W. W. Grainger successfully implemented the organization Schema on its website.

Google’s Knowledge Graph of W. W. Grainger includes a list of the company’s social media profiles. This allows users to go straight to those social media pages.

Use this to help people looking for your company so that they can find all the information they need in one place.

Required Data for Organization Schema

You’ll need your organization's name and your homepage's URL. You can add more information to this markup as well:

• Does your organization have a preferred logo? This is especially helpful if you've recently rebranded your company.
• Are you active on social media? List your social profiles in Google's Knowledge Graph for your company.
• Is there a preferred phone number which someone could reach you? Feel free to add multiple numbers for different uses: sales, support, shipping, etc.

For example, the Organization Schema (as JSON) for Reliable Acorn would include:

Like your Website Schema, your organization's data won't change often. Simply add it as JSON to every page of your site or use GTM to do it for you.

3. Local Business Schema

Local Business Schema tells Google about your brick-and-mortar location. The Local Business Schema provides basic information about the place where you do business, such as:

• Number of locations
• City
• Address
• Phone number

Some local SEO experts suggest that local Schema is a ranking signal in the local pack. This may or may not be true, but it’s undeniable that the Local Business Schema provides key information about your business in an easy-to-access format.

Required Data for Local Business Markup

Make sure to include your NAP:

• Name
• Address
• Phone number

Also ensure that your NAP is consistent across the web.

You can provide many other pieces of information, including:

• Business hours
• Phone number
• Geographic coordinates for a business
• Link to your menu
• Reservation information

All this information ensures that potential customers can find you.

How can you add this to your site?

Many websites already display this information on every page of their site (in the footer, for instance).

Simply update the HTML to include the relevant microdata. If you don't have your location's information on your footer, or can't change it, then add it as JSON through Google Tag Manager.

Did You Implement Schema Correctly?

There are a couple free tools that are indispensable for correct Schema implementation.

Google's Structured Data Testing Tool

Use Google's tool to check a particular webpage for properly implemented Schema. You can also give the tool a snippet of Schema code and ask the tool to test it by itself.

This is particularly helpful when writing Schema before publishing it on your site.

I take a snippet of Schema (from the Schema.org site) and modify it for my purposes. Once I have it valid, I simply add it to my site.

Google Search Console

The old version of Search Console (which you can revert to after logging in to your account) shows you all the pages on your site with Schema markup. It also shows any errors or warnings as well.

Search Console lets you know if Google is picking up your Schema in the first place.

Common Schema Errors

Implementing schema markup correctly is essential for your pages to be eligible for rich results, but even small mistakes can prevent search engines from reading your structured data.

It’s common for SEOs to miss required fields, use incorrect formatting, or choose the wrong schema type for the content.

Understanding these errors, ensures that you can fix them so your structured data works as intended. 

Some of the most common schema errors include:  

1. Missing Required Properties: Every schema type has required fields (e.g., name, url, image for Article schema).
2. Invalid Syntax or Incorrect Nesting: Errors in JSON-LD formatting, brackets, commas, or improperly nested schema types.
3. Using the Wrong Schema Type: Applying a schema type that doesn’t match the content on the page.
4. Duplicate or Conflicting Schema: Adding multiple schemas that overlap or contradict each other on the same page.
5. Incorrect URLs or Images: Linking to broken or incorrect URLs/images in schema fields.
6. Marking Up Invisible or Irrelevant Content: Using schema on content that is not visible to users or doesn’t exist.
7. Outdated Schema Types: Using deprecated or unsupported schema types or properties.
8. Ignoring Validation Tools: Not testing schema with tools like Google Rich Results Test or Schema Markup Validator.

Schema Are Easy, Helpful SEO Tools

Adding Schema to your website is easy, unlike many SEO projects, which may take weeks or months. Even if the SEO benefits from Schema are small, they’ll still help boost your site’s rankings. They also make key information about your company easy to find.

Consider implementing Schema for your own business.

FAQs About Schema Markup

Why is schema markup important for SEO?

Schema helps search engines interpret your content more accurately, increasing the chances of appearing in rich results, featured snippets, and knowledge panels. It can boost visibility, CTR, and ultimately drive more qualified traffic.

Does schema guarantee rich results in Google?

No. While schema helps Google understand your content and makes your pages eligible for rich results, it doesn’t guarantee they will appear. Google considers many factors, including content quality, relevance, and site authority.

How does schema impact mobile and voice search?

Structured data can improve how content appears on mobile search results and voice assistants. Schema types like HowTo, FAQPage, and Recipe can enhance the chances that Google Assistant or other voice platforms use your content for spoken answers.

What is JSON-LD, and why is it preferred for schema markup?

JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) is a structured data format recommended by Google. It’s preferred because it can be added directly to the HTML head without altering visible content, making it easier to implement and maintain