Content:
- What is website microdata markup — basic concepts
- Types and kinds of structured data
- What data can be marked up?
- How to create website microdata markup?
- How to add microdata markup to a website?
- How to verify the markup?
- Conclusion
What is website micro-markup - basic concepts
Semantic micro markup for a website, or structured data, is a special set of information marked directly within the HTML structure of a document. By reading this special structured data, a search engine robot determines the content of the page, specifically the value of each individual element, provided it is marked up.
The obtained data does not directly impact the ranking of the page but can be used to generate a snippet in search results. Modern search engine algorithms understand page content well. Currently, implementing semantic markup is an official method for managing snippets in search or social networks.
Types and categories of structured data
Semantic markup consists of a vocabulary and syntax, which in turn have various types. The vocabulary comprises a predefined set of variables and their content.
Current dictionaries:
- Data Vocabulary - A fairly popular format, but currently not relevant as Google no longer supports it;
- Schema.org - The most popular vocabulary for search engines;
- Microformats - Small HTML templates from microformats.org, suitable for brief descriptions;
- Open Graph - Markup devised by Facebook, the primary vocabulary for social networks. Generates link previews;
Syntax - These are the rules for writing the markup itself or the rules for using the vocabulary. Analogous to spelling in programming.
Basic syntaxes:
- Microdata or microdata - placed directly in the HTML code in the form of special tags and attributes;
- RDFa - the primary syntax for social networks, placed in the <head> section;
- JSON-LD - the most current and newest syntax. Unlike the others, it is placed within the <script> tag and is based on JavaScript syntax. It is easily readable by search engine robots. Not suitable for projects under Yandex as it is not supported by this search engine.
What data can be tagged?
You can markup almost everything on a page. However, the question lies in whether it is meaningful to do so. On one hand, search engines encourage the use of markup for all content on the page; on the other hand, markup does not correlate with ranking in search results but adds additional load to the page. I recommend using only those markups that directly influence the generation of snippets in search results. To find out which markups these are, you can visit the official search engine resources such as Google Search Central and Yandex Help.
Here is a list of the most popular and commonly used markups:
- Organization - allows you to markup contact information on the page such as phone numbers, addresses, business hours, and more. Recently, Google recommends not using it as it can find this data on its own.
- Product - a very important markup for product cards, allows you to specify the price or price range, availability of the product, images, description, and so on. Often used in conjunction with review and rating markup.
- Recipe - practically mandatory markup for any website with recipes.
- Site search window - Often used but not the most useful. It displays the site search window directly in the search results, but only works for a vital query.
- Carousel (Listing) - Designed for any listing on the website, it displays the listing in a "product carousel" in search results.
- Breadcrumb Navigation - A very useful markup that creates page hierarchy (breadcrumb trails) in search results.
- Critic's review (Rating markup) - Actually intended to display the rating (star) in search results;
- Questions and Answers - Displays your FAQ block in search results. Does not work in conjunction with rating markup.
How to make micro markup for a website?
You can create any markup using various syntaxes. The choice of syntax will depend on the search engine preferences, website engine limitations, and project goals. It is also important to adhere to the rules provided by the services where the markup will be placed. For more detailed information, you can read through the link provided.
There are several ways to create micro markup.
The most difficult and most flexible approach is to write markup manually from scratch. For instance, by using the hierarchy of objects and properties from Schema.org, one can create highly customizable markup tailored to their needs
But what if you don't possess knowledge of the syntax? In that case, there are several other options. The first one is an official tool - the Structured Data Markup Helper. However, I do not recommend using it because its functionality is quite limited, and the rendering of elements is not always correctly interpreted.
The second option is to use third-party services, such as Schema Markup Generator. You input the required data, and the tool automatically generates the markup from it.
How to add micro markup to a website?
Now that you know what structured data markup is and what types it comes in, let's say you've created your markup and want to place it on your site. But how do you do that? The simplest and best way is to hand it over to your programmer, who will integrate the markup directly. No joke, this method is recommended by search engines because it minimizes structural clutter.
If there's no possibility to involve a programmer, then there are alternative solutions. You can add markup using Google Tag Manager or use third-party extensions for your CMS.
How to check the markup?
It's quite simple here. I recommend using the official tools provided by the services for which the markup is intended. For example, for Google, it's the Structured Data Testing Tool. For Yandex, it's the Semantic Markup Validator. And in the case of Open Graph markup for social networks, it's the Share Debugger.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I want to say that structured data markup is an important tool, the proper implementation of which can significantly increase the CTR (Click-Through Rate) of your website and, as a result, lead to high-quality and targeted traffic.
