Key Points

  • Schema Markup is a Powerful SEO Tool: It can help search engines understand your content types better, leading to improved visibility in search results and higher click-through rates.
  • Schema.org is the Standard: While schema.org is the go-to resource for understanding schema types and properties, there are a variety of schema tools that can help ensure your website speaks the same language as search engines.
  • The Right Schema Types for Your Content: Different content types require different schema types (e.g., Article, NewsArticle, BreadcrumbList) to accurately describe them to search engines.
  • Schema Best Practices: Using the correct schema type, including all relevant properties, ensuring accuracy and consistency, validating your schema, and keeping it updated are crucial for maximizing the benefits of schema markup for technical SEO.

Schema markup, or structured data, is code that helps search engines better understand and browse your website's content strategy.

Think of schema markup as your site's organized backroom or stockroom. While readers might not see it, it needs to be designed for easy navigation, always keeping the front room stocked with exactly what your customers or users are looking for. 

Schema is like adding specific labels to the different elements of your content, making it easier for search engines to categorize and interpret what they find to present it to the appropriate audience.

As far as publisher SEO (Search Engine Optimization) goes, schema is a powerful technical SEO tool.

It can enhance overall visibility, which can impact things like click-through rates. It can also improve a search engine's understanding of your digital publishing properties, which means more accurate placement on SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). 

While schema isn't some magic bullet, it is another important element of your SEO toolkit. 

Matched with solid SEO best practices and content optimization, the right approach to schema can quickly amplify search traffic visibility. So, let’s peek under the hood, see what schema is all about, and discover basic but essential SEO tips for publishers like you.

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The Complete Guide to Schema for Website Publishers and Content Creators

Schema Vocabulary: The Language of Search Engines

If you’re looking for the definitive source for all things schema, Schema.org is your Rosetta Stone. It provides a standardized vocabulary for marking up different types of content. This will ensure your website speaks the same language as Google Search, Bing, and other search engines.

Schema.org provides a wide range of schema types, each designed to describe specific types of content. Here are a few examples that you might run into as a publisher:

  • Article/BlogPosting: Articles and blog posts
  • NewsArticle: Specific types of news articles
  • WebPage: General-purpose web pages
  • VideoObject: Videos

And that’s just scratching the surface. You can find dozens of schema types for various uses and applications. 

Then, there are also data types to understand.

Data types provide additional content information. For example, an article schema might include: 

  • name: The title of the article
  • author: The author’s name
  • datePublished: The date the article was published
  • image: The URL of an image representing the article

Here's an example of how an Article schema might look using JSON-LD, the most common schema format:

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

{

  "@context": "https://schema.org",

  "@type": "Article",

  "headline": "Example Article Title",

  "author": {

    "@type": "Person",

    "name": "John Doe"

  },

  "datePublished": "2023-03-30",

  "dateModified": "2023-03-31",

  "description": "This is an example article demonstrating the use of Article schema.",

  "image": "https://example.com/images/article-image.jpg",

  "publisher": {

    "@type": "Organization",

    "name": "Example Publisher",

    "logo": {

      "@type": "ImageObject",

      "url": "https://example.com/logo.png"

    }

  }

}

</script>

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Explore the Complete Schema Resource Center

Schema Types for Publishers

When it comes to SEO for publishers, schema know-how is non-negotiable. But don’t think you need to drink from the firehose to master this technical skill. We get it. 

As a publisher, this kind of coding expertise might feel out of reach. But don’t worry, we’re here to help.

To get started, let’s explore some of the essentials.

Articles and Blog Post Schema

The Article/BlogPosting schema is essential for marking up blog posts and articles. This will help search engines like Google understand that they are indeed articles, which can lead to better visibility in search results and increased traffic.

Here are the important properties to understand:

  • headline (required): The title of your article
  • author (recommended): Information about the author (name, affiliation, etc.)
  • datePublished (recommended): The date the article was published
  • dateModified: The date the article was last updated (if applicable)
  • image: A representative image for the article
  • description: A summary of the article
  • keywords: Relevant keywords or tags
  • articleBody: The main text content of the article

News Article Schema

NewsArticle schema is a bit different from Article schema. It can help your articles appear in Google News and other news-related search features. 

Playwire - News Schema

In addition to the properties in Article schema markup, the newsArticle schema also includes:

  • dateline: The location of the news event
  • printColumn: The column in which the article appeared in print (if applicable)
  • printEdition: The edition of the newspaper in which the article appeared (if applicable)

Here is what that might look like in JSON-LD:

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

{

  "@context": "https://schema.org",

  "@type": "NewsArticle",

  "headline": "Breaking News: New Tech Startup Raises $10 Million",

  "dateline": "Silicon Valley, CA",

  "datePublished": "2024-06-13",

  "image": "https://example.com/tech-startup.jpg"

}

</script>

Breadcrumb List Schema

Think of breadcrumbList as the map to your website. It defines breadcrumb navigation, which gives search engines the hierarchical lay of the land. 

Using this can lead to breadcrumb links appearing in search results, improving user experience and ultimately increasing click-through rates.

Key properties of a breadcrumbList include itemListElement, which is an array that lists each step in the breadcrumb trail, including the URL of each page. 

Here is what that looks like in JSON-LD code:

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

{

  "@context": "https://schema.org",

  "@type": "BreadcrumbList",

  "itemListElement": [{

    "@type": "ListItem",

    "position": 1,

    "name": "Home",

    "item": "https://example.com/"

  },{

    "@type": "ListItem",

    "position": 2,

    "name": "Blog",

    "item": "https://example.com/blog/"

  },{

    "@type": "ListItem",

    "position": 3,

    "name": "How to Make the Perfect Summer Salad",

    "item": "https://example.com/blog/summer-salad-recipe"

  }]

}

</script>

Best Practices for Schema Implementation

Much like other areas of SEO, there are generally accepted principles that every publisher needs to follow. If you’re just getting started, here are the basics:

  • Choose the Right Schema Type: Always use the most appropriate schema type for your content. For the full and lengthy list of types, refer to schema.org.
  • Be Thorough and Accurate: Fill out all the relevant properties with up-to-date and accurate info. No detail is too small.
  • Maintain Consistency: Use the same schema format (JSON-LD, Microdata, or RDFa) throughout your website. Also, ensure that your schema markup is consistent with the actual content on your pages.
  • Validate Your Schema: Regular testing is a must. Use tools like Google’s Rich Results Test or the Structured Data Testing Tool to catch errors and warnings before publishing your structured data. 
  • Keep it Fresh: Update your schema markup whenever you make changes to your content. This will ensure every search engine has the most accurate information about your site and its content.

Beyond the Basics of SEO for Publishers

For even the most advanced digital publisher, there is much to understand to master your SEO strategy. And to think, schema is just one technical SEO tool you need in your kit, giving search engines like Google the map of your quality content and site and allowing crawlers to do their job without roadblocks.

When you get it right, search engines know exactly where to place your relevant content on SERPs That not only means more traffic, but higher quality traffic too.

While this exploration of the basics is a great place to get started, professional help can catapult your content to the next level. 

Here at Playwire, our mission is to empower publishers like you with the digital publishing and advertising tools, and technical expertise to grow your business and revenue.

Get in touch with the team today to learn more about your options.

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