Key Points

  • Level up your Schema Game: Go beyond basic schema implementation by creating custom types to describe unique content on your website (e.g., tech review schema for product specs).
  • Unleash the Power of Connections: Nest schema types to show relationships between content types (e.g., product reviews within articles for richer search engine results).
  • Stay Dynamic with JSON-LD: The most common schema format, JSON-LD is perfect for frequently changing content (like product prices on an e-commerce website or breaking news on a news site) for accurate and up-to-date schema markup.
  • Shine in Search with Rich Snippets: Use schema to trigger rich snippets like star ratings and recipe cooking times, boosting click-through rates.

To truly master your publisher SEO strategy, you need to understand schema.

What is schema? It’s a way to structure data on web pages to help search engines, like Google, better understand your content, which is excellent for SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

But if you’re here for the basics, we recommend checking out our guide to schema basics. This article, well, goes a bit deeper, touching on several essential schema tips you can use to take your digital publishing game to the next level.

Why? Leveraging advanced schema techniques helps you stand out in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPS). 

From increased visibility to higher click rates, the right approach to schema can help you find your edge in a competitive niche. So, without further ado, here are four actionable schema strategies to transform your website into a technical SEO powerhouse.

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Schema Pillar

The Complete Guide to Schema for Website Publishers and Content Creators

Custom Schema Types: Tailoring Schema to Your Content Strategy

First on our list are custom schema types, which are user-defined data structures that go far beyond the vocabulary of even sites like Schema.org. 

Custom schema types allow publishers like you to describe unique content or industry-specific information that standard schemas may not fully cover.

This tip can be particularly valuable if you're in a niche industry or vertical. 

So, what might a custom schema type look like in practice? Here are a few examples:

  • A tech review site might use TechProductReview schema to include detailed product specifications, pros/cons, or user ratings.
  • A travel blog might develop TravelDestination schema markup to give users in-depth info on specific locations, attractions, or activities.
  • A health and wellness website might use either MedicalCondition or ExerciseRoutine schema to offer structured data on specific health topics.

If custom schema types seem like a good fit for your content, your first step is to determine what specific information on your site is not adequately described by existing schema. Next, you’ll want to define and create properties that represent that data.

After that, you’ll combine those properties into a new schema type; just make sure you adhere to Schema.org’s guidelines. 

Last is the implementation and test phase. Here, you’ll add the custom schema to your site’s HTML using either JSON-LD, Microdata, or RDFa and validate with a schema tool. 

Nested Schema Markup: Unleashing the Power of Combined Data

Nested schema involves embedding one schema type within another. This creates a more complex hierarchical structure of information.

Nested schema creates a more comprehensive and detailed description of your content. 

This can help search engines such as Google Search better understand relationships between different entities on a page, which improves relevant content and leads to higher rankings. Moreover, it can make your quality content eligible for a wider range of rich results like review snippets, event carousels, and more.

Here are a few use cases for nested schema:

  • Product Review Article: Nest Product schema within Article schema to provide detailed product information alongside the review, allowing search engines to display both in rich results.
  • Recipe Page: Nest Review schema within Recipe schema to showcase user ratings and reviews along with the recipe details.
  • Event Listing: Nest Place schema within Event schema to provide location information for the event, potentially triggering a map display in search results.

And in JSON-LD code, that might look like this:

<script type="application/ld+json">

{

  "@context": "https://schema.org",

  "@type": "Article",

  "headline": "Review: The Latest Smartphone",

  "author": {

    "@type": "Person",

    "name": "Tech Reviewer"

  },

  "mainEntityOfPage": {

    "@type": "WebPage",

    "@id": "https://example.com/latest-smartphone-review"

  },

  "review": {

    "@type": "Review",

    "itemReviewed": {

      "@type": "Product",

      "name": "Latest Smartphone",

      "brand": "Brand X"

    },

    "reviewRating": {

      "@type": "Rating",

      "ratingValue": "4.8"

    }

  }

}

</script>

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Schema Resource Center

Explore the Complete Schema Resource Center

Dynamic Data with JSON-LD: Adapting to a Changing Landscape

JSON-LD is a JavaScript-based notation that allows for easier integration with dynamic content. Unlike Microdata or RDFa, you can add JSON-LD as a separate script tag, which can simplify management and optimization.

In short, JSON-LD is ideal for dynamic content.

Not only is it the preferred format for websites with frequently changing content, like e-commerce sites with fluctuating prices or news websites with breaking news content, but it also offers better flexibility. This ensures schema markup remains accurate and up-to-date, even when pages change.

There’s also the seamless integration with SPAs.

SPAs, or single-page applications, rely on JavaScript to load content dynamically. This makes JSON-LD the preferred choice. It can easily inject into your page’s HTML as content changes without the need for complex server-side rendering.

Here is an example code snippet to get you started:

<script type="application/ld+json">

{

  "@context": "https://schema.org",

  "@type": "Product",

  "name": "Product Name",

  "offers": {

    "@type": "Offer",

    "priceCurrency": "USD",

    "price": "59.99" // This value can be updated dynamically using JavaScript

  }

}

</script>

Schema Markup for Rich Snippets: Standing Out in Search Results

Rich snippets are a technical SEO essential for publishers. In fact, research shows that snippets receive around 35% of the total clickshare on SERPs.

These enhanced search results go far beyond standard titles and descriptions. They can include everything from images and star ratings to FAQs and other eye-catching elements. Snippets stand out in search results; it’s as simple as that. 

So, where does the structured data come into the picture?

Well, you can trigger rich snippets with the right approach to schema. Let’s take a look at some examples:

  • Review Snippets: These display star ratings and review summaries, perfect for product pages, local business listings, or any content with user-generated reviews. The magic behind these snippets is the Review schema, which tells search engines the rating value and the number of reviews.
  • Recipe Snippets: Hungry searchers love recipe sites! These snippets show cooking time, ratings, and even images right in the search results. The Recipe schema is your key to unlocking these delicious snippets.
  • HowTo Snippets: Guide readers through tasks with step-by-step instructions that appear in search. The HowTo schema makes this happen.

Here’s an extra tip: Use Google's Rich Results Test tool to learn if your schema markup is eligible for rich snippets and to troubleshoot any potential issues.

Going Beyond SEO Best Practices with Playwire

The right approach to structured data can unlock new doors when working on SEO for publishers. It can further define your content strategy behind the scenes, giving search engines extra information to describe and rank each of your quality content types.

While you don't necessarily need to be an SEO expert, it’s important to develop a firm schema strategy alongside other SEO efforts. Combined, they can be the key to driving search traffic.

After traffic comes monetization. That’s where Playwire comes into play. We’re your go-to content monetization partner. We provide the ad tech tooling and expertise; you provide the quality content and engaged readers.

Ready to get started on your own monetization journey? Get in touch with the team today. 

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