Schema Optimization Guide

If you care about SEO, it pays to keep a close eye on every update and put it to use as soon as it's relevant. Schema Data Markup is one of those updates: it has been around for a long time, yet very few sites have actually implemented it. Because of that gap, we want to walk you through Schema optimization in detail. Put simply, before we get into the specifics, Schema data markup is a set of commands, written in a specific format, that tell a search engine how to bring your content forward so it can be shown to users in a more descriptive way in search results. You can find every command for integration at schema.org. Like any other optimization effort, implementing the recommended Schema integration strategy correctly will strengthen the SEO value of your website.

In this article, we'll cover everything about schema integration: what it is, how to implement it, and what results you can expect.

What is Schema Integration?

First, let's get clear on the concept itself. Schema is a coding technique that lets you mark up specific parts of your pages so the search engine can present users with more illustrative results. If you've come across rich snippets before, you already have a head start on understanding Schema. Here's what your page can look like in the results once Schema is integrated:

In the example above, you can see that the rating is complete and shown directly in the search results. You can produce this yourself with code like the one below.

<div itemprop="aggregateRating" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/AggregateRating">

<span itemprop="ratingValue"> [Aggregate rating given] </span></span> stars – <span itemprop="reviewCount">[Number of reviews] </span></span> reviews

</div>

Schema Structured Data Marker Types

There's a very extensive list of ways to mark up content on your pages, from articles to products to contact information to comments. You'll find the full range of Schema data markup options on the Schemas page. Let's look at the most commonly used Schema data markers so you can get familiar with them and start exploring Schema for yourself.

Creative Work

The Creative Work structure covers many elements, including books, movies, music, photography, articles, and blogs. Most Schema labels sit under Creative Work. You can select and add properties such as:

• Author
• Published date
• Date of entry
• Rewards received
• Item related character
• Quotes
• Comments
• Type
• Title
• Language
• Sponsor
• Descriptive text

for the item you want to tag and highlight. You can find every Schema tag you might need from Google's Creative Work reference and the Schema.org Creative Work page. By the time you reach the later sections of this article, you'll have a full grasp of Schema.

Web Page

Since every web page fits under the Web Page structure, and the Schema tags listed here can be used within it, let's look at the most common and most important markup you'll find under Web Page. One of the most widely used markers in this category is the Breadcrumb structure. Breadcrumbs are the linking pattern that helps users understand your site's navigation and move between pages more easily.

The blue box in the image above shows how a Breadcrumb appears within the site.

This shows how the Breadcrumb structure appears in search results. So how should you set up a Breadcrumb structure? In general, it's recommended you outline it like this:

Keyword (Link to main page) > Keyword + Complementary Word (with Category Link) > Keyword + Complementary Word (with Subcategory link) > ….

For example:

Home Page (Home Page link) > Computers (Link to Computer category) > Laptop and Notebook (Link to Laptop and notebook subcategory) > Product Name

The page the user is currently on shouldn't be linked within the Breadcrumb structure, even where it's shown in the structure, as in the example above. That's why we don't show a link after "Product Name."

The coding for Schema looks like this.

1. <span itemprop="name">Bilgisayarlar</span> <meta itemprop="position" content="1" />

2. <span itemprop="name">Laptop ve Notebook</span> <meta itemprop="position" content="2" />

Organization

The Organization structure covers institutions such as schools, clubs, workplaces, and airports.

• Founder
• Brand name
• Legal name
• Logo
• Hits Scored
• Description of the organization
• Address, phone, e-mail contact information,

Details like these can be marked up within the Organization structure. Let's walk through an example so it's easier to picture.

Zeo Agency is at Rıhtım Avenue, İzzettin Street Nr: 1 Office: 8-9 Istanbul.

After using Schema;

<div itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/Organization">

<span itemprop="name">Zeo Agency</span>

İletişim Bilgileri:

<div itemprop="address" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/PostalAddress">

Adress:

<span itemprop="streetAddress"> Rıhtım Avenue, İzzettin Street Nr: 1 Office: 8-9 </span>

<span itemprop="addressLocality">İstanbul, Turkey</span>

Place

You could call the "Place" structure a subset of the "Organization" structure. Whatever you include in the Place structure has to exist physically, essentially, you're specifying a location, and that location needs to be a real, physical place.

Alongside general markings that can apply to any place, such as its name, address, and visuals, or assessments of the place, you can add more specific markings, like past or future events tied to the place, or whether smoking is permitted there. You'll find detailed information on Schema.org's Place category.

Product

Anything you'd think of as a product or service falls under Product. You could mark an insurance service, shoes, cosmetics, and more.

• Product category name
• Product description
• Product image
• Product brand
• Product nameÜrünün adı
• Product URL
• Similar product
• Related products

...and so on, as needed. Product markup is the most commonly used Schema data marker structure, especially in e-commerce. See Schema.org's Product Markings page for details.

Person

This group covers all persons, whether living, deceased, or imaginary.

• Full name of the person
• Place of birth, date of birth
• Place of death, date of death
• Gender
• Children
• Schools graduated from

You can mark personal information like this list above. It's a bit like a CV, isn't it?

Review

The Review structure, which belongs to the Creative Work category, covers evaluations of things people typically review, such as a restaurant, product, or shop.

• items assessed
• of the evaluations
• Scoring.

You can gather details like these under Review. For example, say your X-brand Y-model laptop, one of your products, scored 8 out of 10 based on 23 user reviews. You could mark it up as follows.

<div itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/Product">

<span itemprop="name" > X-brand Y model laptopr</span>