#Yandex SEO services for local business growth

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Unlocking Success with Yandex SEO Services

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, businesses are constantly seeking effective ways to reach their target audience and maximize their online visibility. For those looking to tap into the Russian market, Yandex, the leading search engine in Russia, offers a powerful platform to connect with millions of users. To harness its full potential, businesses can leverage Yandex SEO services, which…

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Top Benefits of Working with an SEO Consultant for Small and Medium Businesses

In today’s digital age, online visibility is vital for the success of small and medium businesses (SMBs). However, navigating the complexities of search engine optimization (SEO) can be overwhelming for many business owners. This is where hiring an SEO consultant can make a significant difference. Whether you opt for an independent SEO expert or decide to hire an international SEO consultant, the benefits of working with a seasoned professional are numerous. Let’s explore how SEO consulting for business can transform your digital presence and why expert SEO advice is a valuable investment.

1. Tailored SEO Strategies

One of the main advantages of working with an SEO consultant is the development of a tailored SEO strategy specific to your business goals and industry. Every business is unique, and a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work in the world of SEO. An independent SEO expert will analyse your website, competitors, and market trends to create a customized plan designed to improve your search rankings and increase organic traffic.

For small and medium businesses, this personalized approach ensures that your marketing budget is spent wisely, targeting the areas that will provide the most return on investment (ROI).

2. Access to Expert SEO Advice

Navigating SEO without professional guidance can be risky and may lead to costly mistakes that hurt your rankings. By partnering with an SEO consultant, you gain access to expert SEO advice that helps you avoid common pitfalls. This expert insight can guide you in areas such as keyword research, link building, technical SEO, and content optimization.

Experienced consultants stay up-to-date with the latest algorithm changes and industry trends, ensuring that your SEO strategy is always aligned with best practices. Whether you're launching a new website or revamping an existing one, having an expert by your side is invaluable.

3. Cost-Effective Solutions for SMBs

Hiring an SEO consultant may seem like an added expense at first, but in the long run, it’s a cost-effective solution. Instead of hiring an in-house SEO team—which can be expensive and time-consuming—working with an independent SEO expert allows you to access specialized skills without the overhead costs.

For SMBs, where resources can be limited, an SEO consultant offers a flexible, scalable service. You can choose to hire them on a project basis, for ongoing support, or for a one-time consultation, depending on your business needs.

4. International SEO Expertise

For businesses looking to expand their reach beyond local markets, hiring an international SEO consultant can open up new opportunities. Whether you're targeting global audiences or entering foreign markets, an international SEO expert understands the nuances of different languages, cultural contexts, and regional search engine preferences.

Expanding your SEO strategy to an international level requires more than just translation—it involves localizing content, adapting to search engine algorithms like Baidu or Yandex, and building a global link-building strategy. With the guidance of an international expert, your business can achieve higher visibility across multiple markets.

5. Measurable Results

One of the biggest benefits of SEO consulting for business is the ability to measure the impact of your SEO efforts. A professional SEO consultant will provide regular reports and insights on key performance indicators (KPIs) such as organic traffic, keyword rankings, and conversion rates. This data-driven approach allows you to see what’s working and where adjustments are needed.

Having measurable results helps you stay informed about the effectiveness of your SEO strategy and ensures that your investment is driving growth.

6. Time Savings

For small and medium business owners, time is often a limited resource. By hiring an SEO consultant, you free up time to focus on other aspects of running your business. Instead of spending hours learning about SEO trends or fixing technical issues, you can leave the complexities of SEO in the hands of an expert. This allows you to prioritize what you do best—whether it’s managing your team, developing new products, or serving your customers.

Conclusion

Partnering with an SEO consultant provides numerous benefits for small and medium businesses. From customized strategies to measurable results, SEO consulting for business is an essential investment that can drive long-term growth. Whether you're working with an independent SEO expert or deciding to hire an international SEO consultant, the expert SEO advice you receive will guide your business to higher search engine rankings and increased online visibility.

By leveraging the expertise of a seasoned consultant, your business can unlock its full potential in the digital space—attracting more customers, building brand authority, and ultimately achieving greater success online.

[osumarenashikseo]

International SEO: How to Optimize Your Website for Other Countries

Expanding your digital presence beyond domestic borders is a game-changer for businesses looking to tap into global markets. International SEO is the key to reaching audiences in different countries, adapting your website to cater to varied languages, cultural nuances, and search engine preferences. Optimizing your website for international audiences can significantly boost your organic reach, conversions, and overall brand awareness. This guide will walk you through effective strategies for international SEO, helping you connect with global audiences and maximize your online success.

What is International SEO?

International SEO is the process of optimizing your website so that search engines can identify which countries and languages your content is tailored for. This practice involves adjusting various aspects of your site, such as language tags, localized content, and URL structures, to provide the best possible experience for users in different locations.

How to Optimize Your Website for Other Countries

Here are some actionable steps to set your international SEO strategy on the right path:

1. Conduct International Market Research

Before diving into optimization, understand your target markets. Research which countries have the most potential demand for your products or services and identify their preferred search engines, languages, and local competitors.

Identify Top Markets: Use tools like Google Analytics, Google Trends, and other market research tools to determine where your international traffic comes from and which regions present the best growth opportunities.

Understand Local Competitors: Analyzing local competitors can help you grasp the market landscape and identify gaps that your business can fill.

2. Use Hreflang Tags for Language Targeting

Hreflang tags are essential for indicating to search engines the language and geographical targeting of a web page. This helps ensure that the right content appears in the correct regional search results.

Set Up Hreflang Tags Correctly: Implement hreflang tags in your website’s HTML or via your sitemap to guide search engines in displaying the appropriate version of your page.

Avoid Duplicate Content Issues: Hreflang tags prevent search engines from penalizing your site for duplicate content by specifying which version of the content should be shown to each user.

3. Choose the Right URL Structure

Your URL structure plays a crucial role in how search engines and users perceive your site’s international content. Common structures include country code top-level domains (ccTLDs), subdomains, and subdirectories.

ccTLDs: Use country-specific domains like “example.de” for Germany or “example.co.uk” for the UK. This option provides clear regional targeting but requires managing multiple sites.

Subdomains: Create region-specific subdomains like “de.example.com” for Germany. This option keeps management centralized but still targets specific countries.

Subdirectories: Use language-specific folders, such as “example.com/de/.” This structure is easier to manage and offers consolidated domain authority.

4. Optimize Content for Local Languages and Preferences

Localization goes beyond translation; it involves tailoring your content to match local culture, slang, and consumer behavior.

Hire Native Speakers: Use professional translators or native speakers to create content that feels authentic and resonates with the local audience.

Incorporate Local Keywords: Research local keywords that people in each target market use. Search terms can vary significantly from one country to another, even if they speak the same language.

Adapt Visuals and Messaging: Adjust visuals, such as images and videos, to align with local preferences, and ensure that your messaging resonates with cultural norms.

5. Optimize for Local Search Engines

Google is not the dominant search engine in every market. For instance, Baidu leads in China, Yandex in Russia, and Naver in South Korea. Optimizing for these local search engines involves understanding their unique ranking factors and algorithms.

Tailor SEO Practices: Understand the SEO guidelines for local search engines, which may differ from Google's standards.

Submit Your Site to Local Search Engines: Ensure your site is indexed by submitting it to search engines like Baidu or Yandex through their respective webmaster tools.

6. Build Local Backlinks

Link building is a critical aspect of international SEO. High-quality backlinks from local websites signal to search engines that your content is relevant and authoritative within a specific region.

Guest Blogging on Local Sites: Write guest posts for websites that are popular in your target countries to gain relevant backlinks.

Partner with Local Influencers: Collaborate with local influencers or bloggers to boost your visibility and earn valuable links from their content.

7. Ensure a Fast Website Load Speed Globally

Page speed impacts user experience and SEO rankings. However, load times can vary greatly across different regions due to server locations and internet speeds.

Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): A CDN stores copies of your site on servers worldwide, ensuring faster load times for users across different locations.

Optimize Images and Code: Compress images, minify code, and reduce the number of HTTP requests to improve page speed.

8. Implement Country-Specific Schema Markup

Schema markup helps search engines understand the context of your content, boosting its relevance in local search results.

Add Local Business Markup: Use country-specific schema data to signal to search engines that your business caters to certain geographical areas.

Include Local Reviews and Events: Add markup for local reviews and events to enhance your presence in the local search ecosystem.

Why Work with Top SEO Companies in Gurugram?

Partnering with one of the Top SEO companies in Gurugram can help streamline your international SEO strategy. With their expertise in global SEO trends and local search engine algorithms, these companies can guide you through the complexities of optimizing for multiple countries. From implementing hreflang tags to crafting localized content and building valuable backlinks, these agencies provide tailored solutions to enhance your international reach.

Conclusion

International SEO is essential for businesses aiming to expand their digital presence globally. By implementing the right strategies, such as optimizing for local search engines, using the correct URL structures, and localizing your content, you can effectively connect with audiences worldwide. Consider partnering with one of the top SEO companies in Gurugram to elevate your international SEO efforts and drive traffic from across the globe.

For expert assistance in optimizing your website for international markets, visit gurugram.osumare.com to learn more about how we can help you succeed.

[topprojectstudio]

Site Promotion Service - How to Succeed in Russia

Раскрутка сайта позволяет улучшить позиции в поисковой выдаче от компании TOP-Project. Гарантируют результат. цены на раскрутку сайта 

Russia can be a challenging market for foreign companies to break into when it comes to global marketing. But with some careful research and tweaks to your marketing strategy, you can achieve success in this market.

SEO (search engine optimization) is the process of promoting your website by increasing its ranking on search engines like Google and Yandex. Doing this increases both the quality and quantity of unpaid traffic to your site.

For Multiple Growth of Your Business

SEO is an efficient way to increase your online visibility and draw in new customers. Additionally, it helps establish your brand as a leader in its field while increasing customer trust.

Complex processes like website structure and geolocation, multilingual keyword research, website content optimization and link bait require expertise in local search engine strategies as well as cultural, legal and linguistic requirements of the targeted country.

For a company to be successful on the Russian market, it must tailor its content according to Russian consumers' demands. This means translating all information and creating an alternate version of their website in Russian - an absolute necessity since Russian users tend to purchase items from sites available in their native tongue.

The recent economic crisis in Russia has driven down the cost-per-acquisition for digital advertising, making now an excellent time to promote your business and gain market share here. Furthermore, Russia offers several key advantages that make it attractive for marketers: growth of Russian internet audiences, reduced domestic competition and lower cost-per-acquisition.

Affordable Internet Marketing Service

Russia is a vast and diverse country with an ever-increasing internet population. It provides ample opportunity for businesses to expand and thrive. While competition can be fierce, there are ways to stay ahead of it; one of which is selecting an effective website promotion service that will drive more visitors to your website.

For the most cost-effective results, outsource your marketing to a specialist. They can create and implement an extensive digital marketing strategy, from SEO and social media management to online advertising. The top digital marketing agencies employ experienced personnel with years of expertise in this area so that projects are completed on schedule and within budget.

Top internet marketing agencies provide a wide array of services, from SEO and PPC management to social media management. Some even bundle these together for an all-inclusive package. The top ones provide customer support through dedicated phone lines and emails, plus regular consultations to monitor results. Furthermore, some have analytics tools built-in so you can track them too. Cost is another factor worth considering since prices vary between companies; finding one offering more features at the most value could be your best bet.

Effective Solutions to Increase Sales

Sales growth is an integral component of business success, as not only does it boost profit margins but also customer loyalty and brand awareness. Furthermore, increasing sales can encourage repeat purchases from customers, leading to larger average transaction sizes.

One way to boost sales is by promoting the site on different search engines, social media networks and the internet as a whole. There are various tools available for doing this such as SEO, contextual ads on search engines and even classic offline advertising methods.

Another option is to utilize local suppliers, who often offer competitive prices and possess an established service network. This could be especially advantageous in Russia for international brands.

The Russian market can be a complex landscape for foreign companies, with numerous factors that can determine its success. When launching an e-commerce site in Russia, there are numerous issues to consider such as trademark registration or meeting state regulations.

If you want to promote your business in Russia without compromising the integrity of your brand, opt for an affordable site promotion service. This way, you can guarantee that your website will get noticed by a wide audience and generate maximum ROI from your marketing budget.

[bhuwanbhatt-blog]

1Digishop is Best SEO Company in Australia

Reasons Why Your Business Certainly Needs SEO:

Many brands and trades know (or think they know) that they need SEO for their digital properties and the be advantageous to they will get from that SEO work being executed on their behalf.

SEO will absolutely improve a website’s overall searchability and visibility, but what other real value does it offer? Why is SEO so significant?

These few reasons should offer some limpidity, regardless of the industry or business size, as to why trades need SEO to take their brand to the next rank.

Organic Search Is the Majority Often the Primary Source of

Website Traffic

:

Organic search is an enormous part of most business’s website performance, as well as a crucial component of the buyer funnel and eventually getting users to complete a conversion or engagement.

As marketers know, Google owns an outstandingly huge portion of the search market than challengers like Yahoo, Bing, Baidu, Yandex, DuckDuckGo, and the many, many others.

That’s not to say that all search engines don’t play a part into a brand’s visibility — they do — it’s just that Google is the owner of about 75 per cent of the overall search market. It’s the clear-cut chief and thus its guidelines are significant to follow.

But the be left-over 25 per cent of the market owned by other engines is clearly valuable to brands, too.

Google, being the majority visited website in the world (as well as particularly in the United States), also happens to be the majority popular email provider in the world (with more than one billion users). Not to mention YouTube is the second of considerable size search engine.

We know that a clear greater part of the world that has access to the internet is visiting Google at least once a day to get details.

Being appreciatively visible as a have faith in resource by Google and other search engines is always going to work in a brand’s favour. Quality SEO and a high-quality website pay a subscription to brands there.

SEO Constructs Trust & Credibility

The aim of any practical knowledge SEO is to establish a powerful foundation for a beautiful website with a clean, effective user practical knowledge that is easily discoverable in search with thanks to the confidence and credibility of the brand and its digital properties.

Many components go into establishing authority regarding search engines like Google. In inclusion to the factors mentioned above, authority is mounted up over time as a result of elements like:

Excellence backlink profiles.Positive user way of behaving.Machine-learning gestures.Optimized on-page components and be satisfied.

But put in place that authority will do more for a brand than the majority, if not all, other digital optimizations. The difficulty is, it’s impossible to build trust and credibility overnight — just like actual life. Jurisdiction is earned and built over time.

putting in place a brand as a jurisdiction takes patience, effort, and commitment, but also relies on offering a precious, quality product or service that allows customers to confidence a brand.

Of high-quality SEO Also Means a Better User Experience

Everyone wishes for better organic rankings and the highest visibility. Not many realize that optimal user experience is a large part of getting there.

Google has acquired a knowledge of how to interpret a favourable or unfavourable user experience, and affirmative user experience has become a central component to a website’s success.

Consumers know what they need. If they can’t locate it, there’s going to be an issue. And functioning will suffer.

An easy to understand example of building a strong user experience is how Google has become the majority and more of an answer engine offering the sought-after data straight on the SERPs (search engine results pages) for users.

The purpose of that is putting forward users the information they are looking for in fewer clicks, fast and easily.

Excellence SEO absorbs an affirmative user experience, leveraging it to work in a brand’s favour.

Native SEO Means Getting Bigger Engagement, Crowd & Conversions

With the make progress and growing rule of mobile traffic, native search has become a basic part of small- and medium-sized businesses’ success.

Native SEO points at optimizing your digital properties for a particular vicinity, so people can find you fast and easily, putting them one step closer to a transaction.

Native optimizations aim at particular towns, cities, regions, and even states, to establish a viable medium for a brand’s messaging on a local level.

SEO pros do this by optimizing the brand’s website and it's soothing, including native citations and backlinks, as well as native listings relevant to the location and business sector a brand belongs to.

To advertise engagement on the native level, SEO pros should optimize a brand’s Knowledge Graph panel, its Google My Business listing, and its social media outlines as a begin.

There should also be a powerful prominence on user reviews on Google, as well as other reviews places like Yelp, Home Advisor, and Angie’s List (surrounded by others), be contingent on the businesses.

SEO Impacts the Buying Rotation

Consumers do their research. That’s one of the of considerable size benefits of the internet from a buyer view.

Using SEO strategy to relay your messaging for of high-quality deals, ground-breaking products and/or services, and the significance and reliability of what you offer consumers will be a game-changer.

It will in addition doubtless affect the buying rotation in a positive way when done right.

Brands must be visible in the places people need them for a valuable link to be made. Native SEO increases that visibility and lets potential consumers find the answers, and the businesses providing those answer.

SEO Most Advantageous Practices Are Always Being Updated

It’s magnificent to have SEO strategies implemented on a brand’s website and across its digital properties, but if it’s a short-term engagement (budget restrictions, etc.) and the site isn’t re-evaluated steadily over time, it will reach a doorstep where it can no longer improve because of other hindrances.

The method the search world develops, basically at the discretion of Google, requires continual monitoring for changes to stay ahead of the competition and, hopefully, on Page one.

Being energetic and monitoring for the most important algorithm make different is always going to benefit the brands doing so.

We are aware Google does thousands of algorithms alters a year. Drop too far behind, and it will be exceptionally strenuous to come back. SEO pros help to make sure that stays away from.

Comprehending SEO Assists You Understand the Environment of the Website

With the always-changing the natural world that is the World Wide Web, it can be a dare to stay on top of the changes as they take place.

But remaining on top of SEO incorporates being in the loop for the major changes taking place for search.

Be aware of the environment of the Web, including strategy being used by other local, similar businesses and competitors will always be beneficial for those brands.

SEO Is Comparatively Inexpensive

Sure, it causes a loss of money. All the best things do, correct?

But SEO is comparatively Inexpensive in the grand scheme of things, and the payoff will most likely be considered in terms of a brand’s good and bottom line.

This isn’t a marketing cost; this is a true business venture. Of a high standard, SEO execution will hold water for years to come. And, like most things in life, will only be of higher quality with more attention (and investment) it gets.

It’s A Long-Term Master Plan

SEO can (and hopefully does) have a perceptible collision within the first year of action being taken and many of those actions will have a collision that lasts more than several years.

As the market develops, yes, it’s greatest to follow the tendency and changes closely. But even a site that hasn’t had a boatload of enormous SEO advises implemented will make better from basic SEO greatest practices being employed on an honest website with decent user experience.

And the to a greater extent SEO time, effort, and financial plan that is committed to it, the better and longer a website stand to being a value contender in its market.

It’s Quantifiable

While SEO doesn’t provide the easier-to-calculate ROI like that of paid search, you can take the measurements of almost anything with real tracking and analytics.

The considerable size issue is trying to connect the dots on the back end since there is no definitive way to understand the connection between all actions taken.

Quiet, it is value understanding how sure actions are supposed to affect show and growth, and hopefully, they do.

Any of a high standard SEO is going to be focusing on those developments, so connecting the dots should not be a challenge.

Brands also require to know and understand where they were, where they are, and where they’re going in periods of digital show, especially for SEO when they have a person/company that is being paid to carry out on its behalf.

There’s no superior way to show the favourable outcome of SEO, either. We all know the data at no time lies.

SEO Conducts New Golden Opportunities to Light

High-quality SEO will always discover a means of finding and influencing new golden opportunities for brands to, not just be discovered, but to emit light.

Providing quality SEO to brands means submersing an SEO team in everything that is that brand. It’s the only way to truly market a brand with the desire and understanding that brand’s stakeholders have for it: becoming a stakeholder.

The of higher quality a brand is understood, the more opportunities will become apparent to help it flourish. The same can be utter about SEO.

If You are Not on Page One, you are Not Winning the Clink

It’s no confidential in the world of SEO that if you’re not on page one, you’re likely not achieving the organic search game.

The latest study shows that the first three organic search ranking places result in nearly 40 per cent of all click-throughs, while up to 30 per cent of all results on Page 1 and 2 don’t get clinked at all.

What is this signify? Two things:

If you’re not on Page One, you require to be.

There are still too numerous occasions when a user types a search query and can’t find precisely what it’s looking for.

Why SEO Is Important For Your Business?

SEO (Search engine Optimization) is the most polpular way to genrate organic traffic. Organic traffic is the best and quality traffic because it helps to bring more traffic to customers website. and your website and content solve customers problem.

When you solve the customer's problem then they trust you and trust means ultimately sales.

In Seo we Have 3 types:

On page SEO

Technical SEO

Off page SEO

On page SEO:

In this we Optimize your website pages and content as accoroding to the Search engine algorithms. To have more visibility on Search engines like google, Bing and etc.

Technical SEO:

In this We Fix Technical Issues Just Like indexing and crawling issues.

Off page SEO:

In this we creating backlinks to have more brand authority on the eyes of search engines. SEO Is the long term process its wants time and dedication.

Conclusion

Executing strong, quality SEO on a brand’s website and digital properties is always going to be advantageous to that brand and its marketing attempts.

It’s thinking about a “new age” marketing technique, but it’s censorious to a brand’s web existence in this day and age, especially as available data and rivalling opposing side continue to increase and get bigger.

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5 Ways To Work Best With Your Local SEO Firm

Google’s system places a excessive worth on linking, so the extra brand-related links you ship out, the better. Are Native Apps Best for you? Having a native app definitely rounds out your company’s cellular presence, but the event process will be an expensive and time-consuming endeavor. It’s essential to conduct thorough market analysis to ensure your app will effectively improve your providing in the eyes of your goal demographic. In some rare circumstances, you might discover that a native app supplies little to no advantages to your company. Perhaps, your company targets an elderly demographic that doesn’t use smartphones. Or maybe your finances merely can’t handle the cost of making an amazing, helpful app and providing regular updates as app software continues to advance. It’s definitely not value creating a buggy, clunky app that no one will use. Every aspect of your on-line presence — your website, your social media accounts, and your apps — are an extension of your brand and Parasite backlinks may convey a consistent look and message. These are all important avenues that work in tandem to show customers about your model and provide a possibility for worthwhile two-means communication. Add worth to your current and potential consumers’ lives by making a nicely-rounded digital presence on your brand. And add value to your brand by benefitting from the more targeted, engaging advertising opportunities that apps present. Laxman Sankaran is an inventor and entrepreneur with greater than 18 years of expertise in programming and software growth for organizations, together with the U.S. Fortune a hundred companies. He’s proficient in native app growth and leads product teams in structure, e-commerce, cellular, and SaaS. Laxman constructed AppNotch as a result of he needs to empower all people with an concept or enterprise to develop their own app.

5 CRM Integration Modules for Drupal Sites That you simply Shouldn't Miss Out On

Analysis and preparation

Keyword stuffing, which is squeezing as many SEO key phrases onto a web page as bodily attainable

Native level English (our crew contains 15 different nationalities and thirteen languages)

Other Apps

Alignment - Writers understand the intent and targets of the content material

Creating personas

Entitled, "5 Warning Signs of a bad SEO Client," I determined to turn this around into a optimistic article about, naturally, what makes an excellent partnership between an SEO agency and its clientele. 1. They title-drop books, blogs, and different Maps SEO associated materials in practically each dialog. 2. They insist on web design gimmicks that detract from the person expertise. 3. They demand outcomes on an unrealistic time table. 5. They ask for keyword analysis after which override your findings with their "sense" of what their firm should rank for. Now, if we dissect each of these five warning indicators rigorously, we see that the vast majority of clientele conduct and angle is rectifiable, explicable, and - most importantly - communicable. Firstly, accessibility and content. Accessibility on this context means how straightforward it's for potential local prospects to seek out your corporation. So much has modified with the way Google’s search algorithms - either native or nationwide - that it’s important to keep up. Dover says, "Google is saying that over 20% of searches contain some kind of reference to locality, be it a metropolis, state, or nation, one thing like that. That's a big deal." Specifying one’s location and service space on a site might be an important element in local SEO success. Make certain that your content is updated always, consistently, and that it contains essential terms or phrases relevant to your corporation. These are often known as "keywords" in Google’s lingo, and they dictate how the search engine’s results display on the SERP (quick for search engine outcomes page), among many other factors. John Williams is an SEO expert.

Within the recent previous, I've been getting loads of enquires! Surprisingly, they were not for seo writing from purchasers, however from several seo writers internationally. Our seo writing firm too has been discovering it troublesome to get initiatives for fairly a while. I see a large amount of decline in article orders. I've been researching the online businesses to seek out out the reason behind the dry period in content material writing. After a thoughtful research I have found a quite just a few reasons that have created the current state of affairs within the seo writing enviornment. Of the several causes that have made the life of freelance seo writers miserable, I list out a number of that has had detrimental impact on the ESL seo writers. Indian seo writers had been essentially the most most well-liked ones for his or her mastery over the language whether it is British or American. However, as you might be aware today’s seo writing is targeted only for search engines like google and filled with key phrases and never for the human readers. The second tier seo writers from other developing nations have captured the market with their lowly English and fees.

People not only call things by different phrases in different international locations (an "elevator" within the U.S. Do country-specific keyword research, slightly than relying on your data of the tradition and language.Also, don’t rely on the employees in your overseas workplace. Many companies call a product one factor, while searchers and potential customers call it something else, each within the U.S. 2: Optimize your site to rank within high search market targets. This implies following the most effective practices of the favored search engines in that nation, which may not always be Google. In Russian it’s Yandex, in China it’s Baidu. And their best practices should not essentially Google’s, which implies your translation SEO is more than just following Google’s best practices. It means it is advisable work with SEO professionals who have extensive experience in these nations. 3: Don’t duplicate pages from other web sites. Even in the event you translate to a different language, it’s by no means a good suggestion to duplicate pages, until there’s a reason to do it. Rather, make sure that your translator can be an honest author who can rewrite the copy enough so it’s utterly completely different. Otherwise, you possibly can nonetheless endure the identical duplicate content material "penalties" that other net designers see when they repost the identical content material on completely different web sites. Translation SEO, if performed properly, will help an organization obtain the identical online success they have seen of their home country. It’s a matter of discovering the very best key phrases, and dealing with experienced SEO professionals who understand how the opposite country’s search engines like google and yahoo work. Learn from an SEO Consulting professional member of Rostin Ventures about Translation SEO, Black Hat optimization of your webpage, and on-line advertising and marketing can construct your business month over month. Tap into SEO Coaching right now!

Here is more information on low cost backlinks check out our own internet site.

[lenguaepro1]

5 Ways Professional Translations Can Help in Business Growth | LenguaePro

What does it take for a business to grow?

Localization strategy is a prime step that helps in eliminating any linguistic barriers for a business. Maintaining local relevance is important for a company when it comes to expansion. Brand messages must be translated into the target language.

Amidst a highly competitive environment, expansion to foreign markets is necessary for any business to increase its global reach. To have a long-lasting impact on your brand on the target markets, you need to connect with your audiences and provide them a customized experience. For better connectivity, the prime step required is a translation of your online content into their mother tongue.

Language barriers are one of the biggest hurdles that slow your traffic rate of conversion of prospects. Catering to a diverse audience is not easy, one needs to communicate in a language that they can easily understand so that they get interested.

A website is a place where potential clients visit and fetch information about your products and services. What kind of content is available decides your professional efficiency as content language as local language decides your place in the target market.

For quality translation-related work for your website and advertising material, one should hire reliable, qualified, and experienced translation professionals. They add value to your services through tailoring content to suit targeted consumers. Global success can only be achieved if you hire a professional translation service provider for the creative translation of your brand profile to gain online visibility as well as credibility.

We have shared our thoughts regarding the importance of business translation as translation can help achieve sustainable business growth.

Here we represent 5 points:

Easy Access to Global Markets

It’s indeed true that English is the most spoken language in the world but it's certainly not true. To capture the lucrative markets and while expanding your business around the world, one is required to get websites translated into their native language. Because expansion is not an easy task but, if you present content in the native language of consumers you can become successful as soon as they get to know about your products and services. Multilingual websites make it easier to access multiple foreign markets. Therefore, it is always advised to outsource services of professional translation partners for transforming the entire content into their native tongue. To be internationally successful, your business is required to have a suitable appeal to the target audience.

You will get a gradual success rate and can have a positive impact while expanding business, but only keeping your target audience in mind.

Effective marketing campaigns require translation no matter what your product is. Hence translators are hired to understand the needs of the local market and also to understand their language.

Content strategy is to overcome the linguistic barrier.

Effective Localization

Another perk of outsourcing translation services for your business is to design culturally tailored content for a foreign target audience. Professional translations customize the content keeping in mind the cultural sensitivities and nuances. In short, professional translation services guide you to resonate with a foreign audience and eventually improve your credibility. Localization makes your rate of conversion increase.

Fruitful Marketing Resource

Content translation of your website can boost your marketing efforts and ultimately helps your business to grow. In addition to the website translation and online material, marketing content should also be targeted to attract foreign audiences with customized content. So impactful translation services can be valuable for your business.

Increased Customer Satisfaction

Non- English speaking audiences should feel comfortable and have a pleasant experience when interacting with your brand. When a customer visits your website, one should find the content tailored in the language which is suitable as per their regional and cultural preferences. Customers feel valuable if they find related content that can provide regular and new customers with an enhanced experience. Translation services improve your customer engagement and increase customer retention that can add to your business growth in the long run.

SEO

Translation of the company's website is done to enhance online visibility. Expert translators can assist you in boosting your SEO, drive local traffic, and get higher rankings for your website on multiple search engines. Multilingual translation in SEO can help your website to get improved ranking on search engines including Google, Yandex, etc.

Credible translation service providers are mandatory for your business growth, and also focuses on attracting foreign markets, LenguaePro can help you achieve that. A meticulously translated content can be an effective tool for your marketing and thus improves your online brand visibility.  One must consider taking translation services if they want to have a successful global presence.

LenguaePro providing translation Services in Bridgeport and services in Norwalk.

Language diversity among overseas customers and suppliers appreciate products and services content to be in their native language. It eliminates communication barriers with employees and suppliers and makes customers feel valued.

[epackingvietnam]

The Strategic Value of Structured Data Implementation on SME Websites

Posted by CrystalontheWeb

Structured data is one of the most effective ways to increase the visibility of your website content and increase the sustainability of your SEO as Google implements regular updates to the SERP environment. Over the last five years, many of Google’s most game-changing SERP features have been driven by the use of structured data from across the web. Google for Jobs, Google Shopping, featured snippets, how-to instructions, recipe cards, knowledge panels, and other rich snippets all serve content from sites with structured data.

So, when we think about how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can compete in today's ever-evolving SERP landscape, time and time again, well-implemented structured data is what makes the difference.

In this blog I’ll explain the following:

What is structured data?

Why should SMEs prioritize structured data implementation?

How do you identify which structured data is best for your SEO strategy?

Strategies for adding schema to your site

How to measure and demonstrate the impact of structured data

In my experience, well-implemented structured data is effective for websites of all sizes and in all verticals. For my own clients, schema implementation has enabled growth, improved performance on search and created opportunities to reach new audiences.

For an established national retail brand with a thriving social media following, schema optimisations contributed to a 50% increase in organic conversions within a month. And six months on, the improvements we made to product markup, organisation, and blog schema had helped drive a 230% increase in organic conversion value.

For a local recruitment site, we combined niche targeted schema and sitemap optimization to increase both organic clicks and impressions by over 80% each, within four months.

For an international B2B retailer, improving existing schema formed the basis for marketing strategy that enabled us to grow our tally of ranking keywords by an average of 70% across three countries, increase our revenue by 35% when compared to the previous period, and create new marketing channels, within 6 months.

For a professional services provider, we built E-A-T centric schema optimisations into a blog and were able to improve average ranking position by 30% in 3 months and by 43% within a year.

Though the target markets, objectives and audiences differed in each case, I was able to use schema markup as a strategic underpinning of a wider SEO and marketing strategy. This is because schema has become a fundamental element of scalable SEO.

What is structured data in SEO?

On a website, structured data is a means of defining content with a uniform set of names and values, so that bots and machines can better read, index, understand, and serve the content of your site. While the phrase “structured data” can include elements like open graph for social media, microdata, or indeed any set of data that is organized uniformly (think of your CRM), generally when SEOs talk about structured data, we’re referring to structured data markup in JSON-LD as specified by Schema.org and recommended by Google.

Why is Schema.org structured data so strategically important?

Schema.org has become structured data HQ, because its framework — sets of vocabularies and relationships — was created and is maintained through a cross-platform partnership between Google, Microsoft, Yandex, and other major search engines. They regularly create new schema types and relationships aimed at making the information on the web more easily accessible to users.

Schema.org breaks down content into common vocabulary of predefined @types, which each have predefined properties, and can then be expressed using a common Javascript notation (JSON-LD). Like entries to the Oxford English Dictionary, the team behind Schema.Org are constantly adding new @types and properties in order to keep pace with user needs. At present, there are 778 types, but that number will continue to grow. Each new type brings more clarity, consistency, and ease of access to the information on the web — something that’s brilliant for search engines, and great for your traffic.

What does that mean in practice?

Sometimes when I'm explaining structured data to clients, I describe it as a means of essentially turning your beautiful website into a spreadsheet for robots. They can prioritize and process the critical information about the content of the page without having to understand the layout of your particular Wordpress theme, reams of CSS, or navigate your Joomla configuration.

This means that information a bot has on a page can be more consistent and resilient, even if the content changes day-to-day. So, in the example of a retailer with seasonal specials and campaigns that change the front end home page layout, structured data tells Google the same information about the page in the same way every time:

Why should SMEs prioritize structured data implementation?

Simply put, structured data gives you the chance to jump the queue on the SERP.

When we look at the ways in which Google has enhanced its SERPs over the last few years, what we see consistently is the use of JSON-LD structured data in combination with Google APIs to create new features and new channels for content. Rich snippet SERP features like Google for Jobs, Google Shopping, featured snippets, how-to instructions, recipe cards, knowledge panels, and other monumental changes to the SERP have all been driven or improved by the creation and utilization of structured data frameworks.

Users love these features because they’re multi-media search enhancements, and are impossible to miss as they often take up the entire viewport on mobile:

Left to right: rich results for Google for Jobs, recipes, video

Not a plain blue link in sight.

In many cases, your content cannot be included in these attractive rich snippets without structured data. So, if you literally want to get ahead of the competition, structured data needs to be a component in your SEO strategy.

What are the other advantages of structured data for small businesses?

Along with increased visibility, structured data implementation offers the following advantages for small businesses:

You will likely outpace your local competitors. SMEs are likely to feature within local pack search results with other small businesses. Here, competition for keywords is fierce, but many have yet to incorporate structured data into their sites. This is an opportunity to increase your visibility, gain more market share, and therefore increase conversions.

Schema markup is a fully scalable optimization. While some SEO tasks like content creation can require pages to be optimized one-by-one, Schema markup can be built into the structure of the page. This means that once it’s set up, every new product listing page, for instance, would already have the optimization as you expand the site, whether you stock six products or six thousand. The time this saves is especially significant for small marketing teams.

Schema markup implementation can be carried out as a single project within a few months. This can be a win for clients and SEOs, because in many cases, there is a clear demarcation before and after, followed by solid results which help to build confidence in further SEO activities, give clear ROI and satisfy clients looking for quick wins.

How do you identify which structured data is best for SEO strategy?

With almost 800 types of schema markup available to add to a website, it can be difficult to decide which are the best for your page, but to start, you can introduce or improve some new elements to help you better perform online and complement your existing content or e-commerce SEO strategy.

Does your site pass the schema markup need-to-have checklist?

There are certain sets of schema markup that apply to almost every site, and others — like Product and Job Postings — that are niche critical to effective SEO. As a general rule of thumb, every time I get a new client, I run through the following initial checks:

Do the homepage and about pages have Organisation or Local Business schema?

Do the blogs have schema for Articles or Blog Postings?

Do the team pages have Person schema?

If it’s an e-commerce site, does it have the niche critical Product schema?

If it is a recruiter site, does it have the niche critical Job Postings schema?

If the business is in another niche with dedicated Google SERP features, does it have the necessary markup?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions and the site doesn’t have the appropriate markup, then you should add schema markup to your site.

If the answer to these questions is “yes”, then it’s important to test the quality of the implementation before moving on to the next step. To do this, take a look at Search Console’s Rich Results Report to review pages at scale, or use their Structured Data Testing Tool and Rich Results Test to inspect individual pages. If you see errors, they should be addressed.

How to Find Address Schema Errors

Valid schema markup in Search Console

First, take a look at Search Console’s Rich Results Report to review pages at scale and identify which content is being read as Valid, Valid with Errors or Error.

Valid: If your markup is ‘Valid’, then it is being crawled and indexed correctly. These pages are unlikely to require further action.

Errors: Pages with markup that is identified with an ‘Error’ tend to have incorrect syntax, so you should review the individual page and correct the code as soon as possible. When the changes are complete, use the Validate Fix button, to request reassessment.

Valid with Warning: If your content is showing as ‘Valid a Warning’, then you are likely displaying schema markup with a Missing field. These warnings do not make the page or the markup invalid, but they can make the page less competitive, because the content is less targeted. Review your content to ensure that your schema is reflecting as much of the on page content as possible in order to reduce these errors, and therefore increase the performance of your schema markup.

Schema markup warnings in Search Console

Structured Data Testing Tool and Rich Results Test allow you to troubleshoot improvements to structured data on individual pages. Each of these tools you can enter the URL in question and you will receive itemised information on any errors or warnings.

Warnings on structured data testing tool

Warnings on rich results test

The missing fields highlighted here correspond to properties within the Event schema type. So, to improve this markup, you would look up the definitions of the relevant properties on schema.org and, where applicable, use their example HTML to guide your optimizations.

Property definitions in schema.org

Example "performer" HTML script from schema.org

In this instance, to improve the performance of my schema, I may need to build new performer fields into the CMS, or to work with the dev team to add the content from existing CMS data fields into the schema regex.

In either case you will be making improvements that help you better target and serve users.

Strategies for adding schema to your site

If you need to add schema to your site there are a few options for implementation.

Adding schema to single static pages

For some single pages with largely static content, adding markup types like Local Business, Organization, or a single FAQ page, can be a straightforward process of generating the code and placing it into the HTML of the page. Major CMS platforms like Shopify and Wordpress have plugins to assist with generating the markup for these pages which is easy to implement. Those with custom CMS configurations can use tools like the Schema Markup Generator to generate the JSON-LD, then pass it onto the development team to push it live.

Adding scalable schema for bulk implementation

Bulk schema implementation is almost essential for high volume content creators. This applies to e-commerce shops, but also to those who regularly post standard format content like recipes, blogs, articles, job vacancies, events, training courses, etc.

For these pages, the most effective way to get the most out of the schema on your site is to automate the process by building it into the structure of your site. In most instances, this involves a four phase approach, working in coordination with your developers and clients.

Start with your sitemap. You should have a dynamic XML sitemap that helps Google index pages as they are created, and includes the elements that are listed within the structured data. For an e-commerce site, this means having a sitemap that includes the product listings pages, but also the image sitemap and customer service pages.

Optimize for on-page SEO: Ensure that you have strong on-page SEO with good keyword research, headings, and accurate information. Schema offers increased targeting opportunities, so this will help you to double down on any on-page SEO efforts.

Organize your content. For bulk implementation, you should work with your content, and try to assign a type and property to each standard field for content on your page. Treat it like a formula that can be applied to each page with the same format. If you don’t have fields that correspond with the required properties for your schema type, add them. If you have a bulk of information, try to ensure that you have properties that support the USPs of your content. Then work with your developers to update your template so that the schema generates consistently across the site.

Connect with relevant Google APIs. Once your sitemap is solid, your content is optimised and your markup is in place. check to see if the schema you're using has an API and, if it does, get your site connected to it. Some of the most-used rich results connect directly with dedicated Google APIs, which further integrate with PPC tools to round out your marketing mix.

Examples of Schema Types with Dedicated Google APIs

Lodging schema connects with the Hotel API and can be used with Google Hotels PPC

Job Posting schema connects with the Indexing API to enable inclusion in Google for Jobs

Product schema connects with Content API to enable inclusion in Google Shopping search results and ad listings.

How to measure and demonstrate the impact of schema markup

Measuring Schema Enable Rich Results in Search Console

The impact of schema markup which generates rich results, can be easily monitored and measured in Search Console. Within the Enhancements tab, you can monitor the quality of your implementation and any current or recent errors.

View schema-enabled rich content in the Search Console Enhancements tab

To monitor impressions, rankings, clicks and CTR, visit the Search Appearance tab under Performance. This tab provides historic data that can be compared to earlier configurations of the site.

Visit Performance > Search Appearance tab to see rich result performance

Within Google Analytics, your tracking and monitoring will depend upon your implementation. For instance, google-jobs-apply clicks may show as a separate source from standard search results within Organic. But I’ve also seen Google Shopping clicks show as part of the (other) channel. In either case, annotate your implementation dates to monitor relevant content for changes in clicks, impressions, and conversions.

For many small businesses, Search Console data should be sufficient but there are also tools which can help you drill down further into the data.

In summary

Taking a strategic, integrated approach to structured data implementation helps SMEs to stay competitive in today’s search environment because of its scalability, versatility and measurability. Furthermore, the applicability of schema markup as the underpinning of a cohesive content and advertising strategy, brings much needed efficiencies for SME marketers who want to make the most out of their content.

Want to learn more about technical SEO? Check out the Moz Academy Technical SEO Certification Series, an in-depth training series that hones in on the nuts and bolts of technical SEO.

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[krishnaseoconsulting]

Why Your Business Needs an International SEO Consultant for Global Expansion

Expanding your business globally presents a world of opportunities, but it also comes with unique challenges—especially when it comes to visibility online. If your business is aiming for international success, having a solid global SEO strategy is essential. This is where the expertise of an international SEO consultant comes into play. Whether you’re looking to hire an independent SEO expert or engage an experienced professional, SEO consulting for business can significantly improve your chances of ranking higher in international search engines and reaching a global audience. In this blog, we’ll explore why your business needs an international SEO consultant to facilitate seamless expansion and why expert SEO advice is invaluable for global growth.

1. Understanding Global SEO Dynamics

Global SEO is far more complex than just translating your website content into multiple languages. It requires a deep understanding of how different search engines operate, as well as knowledge of the cultural and linguistic nuances of target regions. An SEO consultant with international experience can help navigate these complexities. They understand the importance of:

Localized keywords: Optimizing your website with region-specific keywords ensures that your content resonates with the local audience.

Different search engines: While Google is dominant in many countries, other search engines like Baidu (China), Yandex (Russia), and Naver (South Korea) have different ranking algorithms and SEO requirements.

Content localization: Cultural differences affect how people search for products and services. An international SEO consultant can ensure that your website’s content is both linguistically accurate and culturally relevant.

2. Customized SEO Strategies for Each Market

Hiring an international SEO consultant ensures that your business develops a unique, localized SEO strategy for each target market. An independent SEO expert can conduct thorough research on regional search behavior, competitors, and consumer preferences to tailor your SEO efforts accordingly.

For instance, a keyword that ranks well in the U.S. may not be as effective in a different country due to language differences or search behavior. Having an expert guide the process means your business will rank well in each region you’re targeting, improving overall visibility and conversions.

3. Technical SEO for Global Sites

International SEO involves managing technical aspects of your website to ensure it functions effectively across different regions. This can be challenging for businesses without specialized knowledge. An SEO consultant can handle essential technical SEO elements, such as:

Hreflang tags: These tags inform search engines about the different language versions of your website and ensure that the correct version is shown to users in each region.

Geotargeting: This helps search engines understand the specific countries or regions your website is targeting, which improves your chances of ranking higher in localized search results.

Site architecture: An expert can help create a logical site structure that supports easy navigation and optimal user experience across different countries and languages.

Getting these technical aspects right is crucial for delivering a seamless experience to your international audience and boosting rankings.

4. Gain Competitive Advantage with Expert SEO Advice

As your business expands into new markets, you’ll face competition from both local businesses and other international players. To stay ahead, you’ll need to employ a well-informed SEO strategy based on expert SEO advice. An international SEO consultant provides the in-depth knowledge needed to identify gaps in your competitors’ SEO efforts and capitalize on them.

With their help, you can pinpoint areas where your competitors are underperforming, such as weak backlink profiles, poorly optimized content, or ineffective mobile optimization. This insight will allow you to position your business more strategically in the global market, giving you a competitive edge.

5. Maximizing ROI with Data-Driven SEO Consulting for Business

Investing in SEO consulting for business is not just about boosting rankings—it’s about maximizing your return on investment (ROI). An experienced SEO consultant will use data-driven insights to make informed decisions that lead to measurable results.

By hiring an independent SEO expert or international consultant, you’ll receive regular reports on critical SEO metrics, including traffic, conversions, and keyword performance. This transparency ensures that your global SEO strategy is not only effective but also aligned with your broader business goals.

6. Avoiding Costly Mistakes

International SEO is complex, and without proper guidance, businesses can make costly mistakes that hurt their rankings and online presence. For example, not implementing proper hreflang tags can result in duplicate content issues, or using the wrong domain structure can confuse search engines about which country or language your website is targeting.

By working with an international SEO consultant, you can avoid these common pitfalls. Their expert SEO advice ensures that your global strategy is robust, compliant with international SEO best practices, and optimized for long-term success.

Conclusion

Expanding your business globally is an exciting venture, but it requires careful planning and execution—especially when it comes to SEO. By hiring an international SEO consultant, you’ll benefit from specialized expertise, customized strategies, and technical precision that will help your business succeed in the global marketplace.

Whether you're looking to hire an independent SEO expert or seeking SEO consulting for business, the right professional can guide you through the complexities of international SEO, ensuring your website ranks high in multiple markets and resonates with diverse audiences. Take advantage of expert SEO advice to avoid costly mistakes, outperform competitors, and maximize your global reach. With the right international SEO partner, your business is poised for long-term growth and success.

[bfxenon]

The Strategic Value of Structured Data Implementation on SME Websites

Posted by CrystalontheWeb

Structured data is one of the most effective ways to increase the visibility of your website content and increase the sustainability of your SEO as Google implements regular updates to the SERP environment. Over the last five years, many of Google’s most game-changing SERP features have been driven by the use of structured data from across the web. Google for Jobs, Google Shopping, featured snippets, how-to instructions, recipe cards, knowledge panels, and other rich snippets all serve content from sites with structured data.

So, when we think about how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can compete in today's ever-evolving SERP landscape, time and time again, well-implemented structured data is what makes the difference.

In this blog I’ll explain the following:

What is structured data?

Why should SMEs prioritize structured data implementation?

How do you identify which structured data is best for your SEO strategy?

Strategies for adding schema to your site

How to measure and demonstrate the impact of structured data

In my experience, well-implemented structured data is effective for websites of all sizes and in all verticals. For my own clients, schema implementation has enabled growth, improved performance on search and created opportunities to reach new audiences.

For an established national retail brand with a thriving social media following, schema optimisations contributed to a 50% increase in organic conversions within a month. And six months on, the improvements we made to product markup, organisation, and blog schema had helped drive a 230% increase in organic conversion value.

For a local recruitment site, we combined niche targeted schema and sitemap optimization to increase both organic clicks and impressions by over 80% each, within four months.

For an international B2B retailer, improving existing schema formed the basis for marketing strategy that enabled us to grow our tally of ranking keywords by an average of 70% across three countries, increase our revenue by 35% when compared to the previous period, and create new marketing channels, within 6 months.

For a professional services provider, we built E-A-T centric schema optimisations into a blog and were able to improve average ranking position by 30% in 3 months and by 43% within a year.

Though the target markets, objectives and audiences differed in each case, I was able to use schema markup as a strategic underpinning of a wider SEO and marketing strategy. This is because schema has become a fundamental element of scalable SEO.

What is structured data in SEO?

On a website, structured data is a means of defining content with a uniform set of names and values, so that bots and machines can better read, index, understand, and serve the content of your site. While the phrase “structured data” can include elements like open graph for social media, microdata, or indeed any set of data that is organized uniformly (think of your CRM), generally when SEOs talk about structured data, we’re referring to structured data markup in JSON-LD as specified by Schema.org and recommended by Google.

Why is Schema.org structured data so strategically important?

Schema.org has become structured data HQ, because its framework — sets of vocabularies and relationships — was created and is maintained through a cross-platform partnership between Google, Microsoft, Yandex, and other major search engines. They regularly create new schema types and relationships aimed at making the information on the web more easily accessible to users.

Schema.org breaks down content into common vocabulary of predefined @types, which each have predefined properties, and can then be expressed using a common Javascript notation (JSON-LD). Like entries to the Oxford English Dictionary, the team behind Schema.Org are constantly adding new @types and properties in order to keep pace with user needs. At present, there are 778 types, but that number will continue to grow. Each new type brings more clarity, consistency, and ease of access to the information on the web — something that’s brilliant for search engines, and great for your traffic.

What does that mean in practice?

Sometimes when I'm explaining structured data to clients, I describe it as a means of essentially turning your beautiful website into a spreadsheet for robots. They can prioritize and process the critical information about the content of the page without having to understand the layout of your particular Wordpress theme, reams of CSS, or navigate your Joomla configuration.

This means that information a bot has on a page can be more consistent and resilient, even if the content changes day-to-day. So, in the example of a retailer with seasonal specials and campaigns that change the front end home page layout, structured data tells Google the same information about the page in the same way every time:

Why should SMEs prioritize structured data implementation?

Simply put, structured data gives you the chance to jump the queue on the SERP.

When we look at the ways in which Google has enhanced its SERPs over the last few years, what we see consistently is the use of JSON-LD structured data in combination with Google APIs to create new features and new channels for content. Rich snippet SERP features like Google for Jobs, Google Shopping, featured snippets, how-to instructions, recipe cards, knowledge panels, and other monumental changes to the SERP have all been driven or improved by the creation and utilization of structured data frameworks.

Users love these features because they’re multi-media search enhancements, and are impossible to miss as they often take up the entire viewport on mobile:

Left to right: rich results for Google for Jobs, recipes, video

Not a plain blue link in sight.

In many cases, your content cannot be included in these attractive rich snippets without structured data. So, if you literally want to get ahead of the competition, structured data needs to be a component in your SEO strategy.

What are the other advantages of structured data for small businesses?

Along with increased visibility, structured data implementation offers the following advantages for small businesses:

You will likely outpace your local competitors. SMEs are likely to feature within local pack search results with other small businesses. Here, competition for keywords is fierce, but many have yet to incorporate structured data into their sites. This is an opportunity to increase your visibility, gain more market share, and therefore increase conversions.

Schema markup is a fully scalable optimization. While some SEO tasks like content creation can require pages to be optimized one-by-one, Schema markup can be built into the structure of the page. This means that once it’s set up, every new product listing page, for instance, would already have the optimization as you expand the site, whether you stock six products or six thousand. The time this saves is especially significant for small marketing teams.

Schema markup implementation can be carried out as a single project within a few months. This can be a win for clients and SEOs, because in many cases, there is a clear demarcation before and after, followed by solid results which help to build confidence in further SEO activities, give clear ROI and satisfy clients looking for quick wins.

How do you identify which structured data is best for SEO strategy?

With almost 800 types of schema markup available to add to a website, it can be difficult to decide which are the best for your page, but to start, you can introduce or improve some new elements to help you better perform online and complement your existing content or e-commerce SEO strategy.

Does your site pass the schema markup need-to-have checklist?

There are certain sets of schema markup that apply to almost every site, and others — like Product and Job Postings — that are niche critical to effective SEO. As a general rule of thumb, every time I get a new client, I run through the following initial checks:

Do the homepage and about pages have Organisation or Local Business schema?

Do the blogs have schema for Articles or Blog Postings?

Do the team pages have Person schema?

If it’s an e-commerce site, does it have the niche critical Product schema?

If it is a recruiter site, does it have the niche critical Job Postings schema?

If the business is in another niche with dedicated Google SERP features, does it have the necessary markup?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions and the site doesn’t have the appropriate markup, then you should add schema markup to your site.

If the answer to these questions is “yes”, then it’s important to test the quality of the implementation before moving on to the next step. To do this, take a look at Search Console’s Rich Results Report to review pages at scale, or use their Structured Data Testing Tool and Rich Results Test to inspect individual pages. If you see errors, they should be addressed.

How to Find Address Schema Errors

Valid schema markup in Search Console

First, take a look at Search Console’s Rich Results Report to review pages at scale and identify which content is being read as Valid, Valid with Errors or Error.

Valid: If your markup is ‘Valid’, then it is being crawled and indexed correctly. These pages are unlikely to require further action.

Errors: Pages with markup that is identified with an ‘Error’ tend to have incorrect syntax, so you should review the individual page and correct the code as soon as possible. When the changes are complete, use the Validate Fix button, to request reassessment.

Valid with Warning: If your content is showing as ‘Valid a Warning’, then you are likely displaying schema markup with a Missing field. These warnings do not make the page or the markup invalid, but they can make the page less competitive, because the content is less targeted. Review your content to ensure that your schema is reflecting as much of the on page content as possible in order to reduce these errors, and therefore increase the performance of your schema markup.

Schema markup warnings in Search Console

Structured Data Testing Tool and Rich Results Test allow you to troubleshoot improvements to structured data on individual pages. Each of these tools you can enter the URL in question and you will receive itemised information on any errors or warnings.

Warnings on structured data testing tool

Warnings on rich results test

The missing fields highlighted here correspond to properties within the Event schema type. So, to improve this markup, you would look up the definitions of the relevant properties on schema.org and, where applicable, use their example HTML to guide your optimizations.

Property definitions in schema.org

Example "performer" HTML script from schema.org

In this instance, to improve the performance of my schema, I may need to build new performer fields into the CMS, or to work with the dev team to add the content from existing CMS data fields into the schema regex.

In either case you will be making improvements that help you better target and serve users.

Strategies for adding schema to your site

If you need to add schema to your site there are a few options for implementation.

Adding schema to single static pages

For some single pages with largely static content, adding markup types like Local Business, Organization, or a single FAQ page, can be a straightforward process of generating the code and placing it into the HTML of the page. Major CMS platforms like Shopify and Wordpress have plugins to assist with generating the markup for these pages which is easy to implement. Those with custom CMS configurations can use tools like the Schema Markup Generator to generate the JSON-LD, then pass it onto the development team to push it live.

Adding scalable schema for bulk implementation

Bulk schema implementation is almost essential for high volume content creators. This applies to e-commerce shops, but also to those who regularly post standard format content like recipes, blogs, articles, job vacancies, events, training courses, etc.

For these pages, the most effective way to get the most out of the schema on your site is to automate the process by building it into the structure of your site. In most instances, this involves a four phase approach, working in coordination with your developers and clients.

Start with your sitemap. You should have a dynamic XML sitemap that helps Google index pages as they are created, and includes the elements that are listed within the structured data. For an e-commerce site, this means having a sitemap that includes the product listings pages, but also the image sitemap and customer service pages.

Optimize for on-page SEO: Ensure that you have strong on-page SEO with good keyword research, headings, and accurate information. Schema offers increased targeting opportunities, so this will help you to double down on any on-page SEO efforts.

Organize your content. For bulk implementation, you should work with your content, and try to assign a type and property to each standard field for content on your page. Treat it like a formula that can be applied to each page with the same format. If you don’t have fields that correspond with the required properties for your schema type, add them. If you have a bulk of information, try to ensure that you have properties that support the USPs of your content. Then work with your developers to update your template so that the schema generates consistently across the site.

Connect with relevant Google APIs. Once your sitemap is solid, your content is optimised and your markup is in place. check to see if the schema you're using has an API and, if it does, get your site connected to it. Some of the most-used rich results connect directly with dedicated Google APIs, which further integrate with PPC tools to round out your marketing mix.

Examples of Schema Types with Dedicated Google APIs

Lodging schema connects with the Hotel API and can be used with Google Hotels PPC

Job Posting schema connects with the Indexing API to enable inclusion in Google for Jobs

Product schema connects with Content API to enable inclusion in Google Shopping search results and ad listings.

How to measure and demonstrate the impact of schema markup

Measuring Schema Enable Rich Results in Search Console

The impact of schema markup which generates rich results, can be easily monitored and measured in Search Console. Within the Enhancements tab, you can monitor the quality of your implementation and any current or recent errors.

View schema-enabled rich content in the Search Console Enhancements tab

To monitor impressions, rankings, clicks and CTR, visit the Search Appearance tab under Performance. This tab provides historic data that can be compared to earlier configurations of the site.

Visit Performance > Search Appearance tab to see rich result performance

Within Google Analytics, your tracking and monitoring will depend upon your implementation. For instance, google-jobs-apply clicks may show as a separate source from standard search results within Organic. But I’ve also seen Google Shopping clicks show as part of the (other) channel. In either case, annotate your implementation dates to monitor relevant content for changes in clicks, impressions, and conversions.

For many small businesses, Search Console data should be sufficient but there are also tools which can help you drill down further into the data.

In summary

Taking a strategic, integrated approach to structured data implementation helps SMEs to stay competitive in today’s search environment because of its scalability, versatility and measurability. Furthermore, the applicability of schema markup as the underpinning of a cohesive content and advertising strategy, brings much needed efficiencies for SME marketers who want to make the most out of their content.

Want to learn more about technical SEO? Check out the Moz Academy Technical SEO Certification Series, an in-depth training series that hones in on the nuts and bolts of technical SEO.

Sign Me Up!

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

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The Strategic Value of Structured Data Implementation on SME Websites

Posted by CrystalontheWeb

Structured data is one of the most effective ways to increase the visibility of your website content and increase the sustainability of your SEO as Google implements regular updates to the SERP environment. Over the last five years, many of Google’s most game-changing SERP features have been driven by the use of structured data from across the web. Google for Jobs, Google Shopping, featured snippets, how-to instructions, recipe cards, knowledge panels, and other rich snippets all serve content from sites with structured data.

So, when we think about how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can compete in today's ever-evolving SERP landscape, time and time again, well-implemented structured data is what makes the difference.

In this blog I’ll explain the following:

What is structured data?

Why should SMEs prioritize structured data implementation?

How do you identify which structured data is best for your SEO strategy?

Strategies for adding schema to your site

How to measure and demonstrate the impact of structured data

In my experience, well-implemented structured data is effective for websites of all sizes and in all verticals. For my own clients, schema implementation has enabled growth, improved performance on search and created opportunities to reach new audiences.

For an established national retail brand with a thriving social media following, schema optimisations contributed to a 50% increase in organic conversions within a month. And six months on, the improvements we made to product markup, organisation, and blog schema had helped drive a 230% increase in organic conversion value.

For a local recruitment site, we combined niche targeted schema and sitemap optimization to increase both organic clicks and impressions by over 80% each, within four months.

For an international B2B retailer, improving existing schema formed the basis for marketing strategy that enabled us to grow our tally of ranking keywords by an average of 70% across three countries, increase our revenue by 35% when compared to the previous period, and create new marketing channels, within 6 months.

For a professional services provider, we built E-A-T centric schema optimisations into a blog and were able to improve average ranking position by 30% in 3 months and by 43% within a year.

Though the target markets, objectives and audiences differed in each case, I was able to use schema markup as a strategic underpinning of a wider SEO and marketing strategy. This is because schema has become a fundamental element of scalable SEO.

What is structured data in SEO?

On a website, structured data is a means of defining content with a uniform set of names and values, so that bots and machines can better read, index, understand, and serve the content of your site. While the phrase “structured data” can include elements like open graph for social media, microdata, or indeed any set of data that is organized uniformly (think of your CRM), generally when SEOs talk about structured data, we’re referring to structured data markup in JSON-LD as specified by Schema.org and recommended by Google.

Why is Schema.org structured data so strategically important?

Schema.org has become structured data HQ, because its framework — sets of vocabularies and relationships — was created and is maintained through a cross-platform partnership between Google, Microsoft, Yandex, and other major search engines. They regularly create new schema types and relationships aimed at making the information on the web more easily accessible to users.

Schema.org breaks down content into common vocabulary of predefined @types, which each have predefined properties, and can then be expressed using a common Javascript notation (JSON-LD). Like entries to the Oxford English Dictionary, the team behind Schema.Org are constantly adding new @types and properties in order to keep pace with user needs. At present, there are 778 types, but that number will continue to grow. Each new type brings more clarity, consistency, and ease of access to the information on the web — something that’s brilliant for search engines, and great for your traffic.

What does that mean in practice?

Sometimes when I'm explaining structured data to clients, I describe it as a means of essentially turning your beautiful website into a spreadsheet for robots. They can prioritize and process the critical information about the content of the page without having to understand the layout of your particular Wordpress theme, reams of CSS, or navigate your Joomla configuration.

This means that information a bot has on a page can be more consistent and resilient, even if the content changes day-to-day. So, in the example of a retailer with seasonal specials and campaigns that change the front end home page layout, structured data tells Google the same information about the page in the same way every time:

Why should SMEs prioritize structured data implementation?

Simply put, structured data gives you the chance to jump the queue on the SERP.

When we look at the ways in which Google has enhanced its SERPs over the last few years, what we see consistently is the use of JSON-LD structured data in combination with Google APIs to create new features and new channels for content. Rich snippet SERP features like Google for Jobs, Google Shopping, featured snippets, how-to instructions, recipe cards, knowledge panels, and other monumental changes to the SERP have all been driven or improved by the creation and utilization of structured data frameworks.

Users love these features because they’re multi-media search enhancements, and are impossible to miss as they often take up the entire viewport on mobile:

Left to right: rich results for Google for Jobs, recipes, video

Not a plain blue link in sight.

In many cases, your content cannot be included in these attractive rich snippets without structured data. So, if you literally want to get ahead of the competition, structured data needs to be a component in your SEO strategy.

What are the other advantages of structured data for small businesses?

Along with increased visibility, structured data implementation offers the following advantages for small businesses:

You will likely outpace your local competitors. SMEs are likely to feature within local pack search results with other small businesses. Here, competition for keywords is fierce, but many have yet to incorporate structured data into their sites. This is an opportunity to increase your visibility, gain more market share, and therefore increase conversions.

Schema markup is a fully scalable optimization. While some SEO tasks like content creation can require pages to be optimized one-by-one, Schema markup can be built into the structure of the page. This means that once it’s set up, every new product listing page, for instance, would already have the optimization as you expand the site, whether you stock six products or six thousand. The time this saves is especially significant for small marketing teams.

Schema markup implementation can be carried out as a single project within a few months. This can be a win for clients and SEOs, because in many cases, there is a clear demarcation before and after, followed by solid results which help to build confidence in further SEO activities, give clear ROI and satisfy clients looking for quick wins.

How do you identify which structured data is best for SEO strategy?

With almost 800 types of schema markup available to add to a website, it can be difficult to decide which are the best for your page, but to start, you can introduce or improve some new elements to help you better perform online and complement your existing content or e-commerce SEO strategy.

Does your site pass the schema markup need-to-have checklist?

There are certain sets of schema markup that apply to almost every site, and others — like Product and Job Postings — that are niche critical to effective SEO. As a general rule of thumb, every time I get a new client, I run through the following initial checks:

Do the homepage and about pages have Organisation or Local Business schema?

Do the blogs have schema for Articles or Blog Postings?

Do the team pages have Person schema?

If it’s an e-commerce site, does it have the niche critical Product schema?

If it is a recruiter site, does it have the niche critical Job Postings schema?

If the business is in another niche with dedicated Google SERP features, does it have the necessary markup?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions and the site doesn’t have the appropriate markup, then you should add schema markup to your site.

If the answer to these questions is “yes”, then it’s important to test the quality of the implementation before moving on to the next step. To do this, take a look at Search Console’s Rich Results Report to review pages at scale, or use their Structured Data Testing Tool and Rich Results Test to inspect individual pages. If you see errors, they should be addressed.

How to Find Address Schema Errors

Valid schema markup in Search Console

First, take a look at Search Console’s Rich Results Report to review pages at scale and identify which content is being read as Valid, Valid with Errors or Error.

Valid: If your markup is ‘Valid’, then it is being crawled and indexed correctly. These pages are unlikely to require further action.

Errors: Pages with markup that is identified with an ‘Error’ tend to have incorrect syntax, so you should review the individual page and correct the code as soon as possible. When the changes are complete, use the Validate Fix button, to request reassessment.

Valid with Warning: If your content is showing as ‘Valid a Warning’, then you are likely displaying schema markup with a Missing field. These warnings do not make the page or the markup invalid, but they can make the page less competitive, because the content is less targeted. Review your content to ensure that your schema is reflecting as much of the on page content as possible in order to reduce these errors, and therefore increase the performance of your schema markup.

Schema markup warnings in Search Console

Structured Data Testing Tool and Rich Results Test allow you to troubleshoot improvements to structured data on individual pages. Each of these tools you can enter the URL in question and you will receive itemised information on any errors or warnings.

Warnings on structured data testing tool

Warnings on rich results test

The missing fields highlighted here correspond to properties within the Event schema type. So, to improve this markup, you would look up the definitions of the relevant properties on schema.org and, where applicable, use their example HTML to guide your optimizations.

Property definitions in schema.org

Example "performer" HTML script from schema.org

In this instance, to improve the performance of my schema, I may need to build new performer fields into the CMS, or to work with the dev team to add the content from existing CMS data fields into the schema regex.

In either case you will be making improvements that help you better target and serve users.

Strategies for adding schema to your site

If you need to add schema to your site there are a few options for implementation.

Adding schema to single static pages

For some single pages with largely static content, adding markup types like Local Business, Organization, or a single FAQ page, can be a straightforward process of generating the code and placing it into the HTML of the page. Major CMS platforms like Shopify and Wordpress have plugins to assist with generating the markup for these pages which is easy to implement. Those with custom CMS configurations can use tools like the Schema Markup Generator to generate the JSON-LD, then pass it onto the development team to push it live.

Adding scalable schema for bulk implementation

Bulk schema implementation is almost essential for high volume content creators. This applies to e-commerce shops, but also to those who regularly post standard format content like recipes, blogs, articles, job vacancies, events, training courses, etc.

For these pages, the most effective way to get the most out of the schema on your site is to automate the process by building it into the structure of your site. In most instances, this involves a four phase approach, working in coordination with your developers and clients.

Start with your sitemap. You should have a dynamic XML sitemap that helps Google index pages as they are created, and includes the elements that are listed within the structured data. For an e-commerce site, this means having a sitemap that includes the product listings pages, but also the image sitemap and customer service pages.

Optimize for on-page SEO: Ensure that you have strong on-page SEO with good keyword research, headings, and accurate information. Schema offers increased targeting opportunities, so this will help you to double down on any on-page SEO efforts.

Organize your content. For bulk implementation, you should work with your content, and try to assign a type and property to each standard field for content on your page. Treat it like a formula that can be applied to each page with the same format. If you don’t have fields that correspond with the required properties for your schema type, add them. If you have a bulk of information, try to ensure that you have properties that support the USPs of your content. Then work with your developers to update your template so that the schema generates consistently across the site.

Connect with relevant Google APIs. Once your sitemap is solid, your content is optimised and your markup is in place. check to see if the schema you're using has an API and, if it does, get your site connected to it. Some of the most-used rich results connect directly with dedicated Google APIs, which further integrate with PPC tools to round out your marketing mix.

Examples of Schema Types with Dedicated Google APIs

Lodging schema connects with the Hotel API and can be used with Google Hotels PPC

Job Posting schema connects with the Indexing API to enable inclusion in Google for Jobs

Product schema connects with Content API to enable inclusion in Google Shopping search results and ad listings.

How to measure and demonstrate the impact of schema markup

Measuring Schema Enable Rich Results in Search Console

The impact of schema markup which generates rich results, can be easily monitored and measured in Search Console. Within the Enhancements tab, you can monitor the quality of your implementation and any current or recent errors.

View schema-enabled rich content in the Search Console Enhancements tab

To monitor impressions, rankings, clicks and CTR, visit the Search Appearance tab under Performance. This tab provides historic data that can be compared to earlier configurations of the site.

Visit Performance > Search Appearance tab to see rich result performance

Within Google Analytics, your tracking and monitoring will depend upon your implementation. For instance, google-jobs-apply clicks may show as a separate source from standard search results within Organic. But I’ve also seen Google Shopping clicks show as part of the (other) channel. In either case, annotate your implementation dates to monitor relevant content for changes in clicks, impressions, and conversions.

For many small businesses, Search Console data should be sufficient but there are also tools which can help you drill down further into the data.

In summary

Taking a strategic, integrated approach to structured data implementation helps SMEs to stay competitive in today’s search environment because of its scalability, versatility and measurability. Furthermore, the applicability of schema markup as the underpinning of a cohesive content and advertising strategy, brings much needed efficiencies for SME marketers who want to make the most out of their content.

Want to learn more about technical SEO? Check out the Moz Academy Technical SEO Certification Series, an in-depth training series that hones in on the nuts and bolts of technical SEO.

Sign Me Up!

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

[xaydungtruonggia]

The Strategic Value of Structured Data Implementation on SME Websites

Posted by CrystalontheWeb

Structured data is one of the most effective ways to increase the visibility of your website content and increase the sustainability of your SEO as Google implements regular updates to the SERP environment. Over the last five years, many of Google’s most game-changing SERP features have been driven by the use of structured data from across the web. Google for Jobs, Google Shopping, featured snippets, how-to instructions, recipe cards, knowledge panels, and other rich snippets all serve content from sites with structured data.

So, when we think about how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can compete in today's ever-evolving SERP landscape, time and time again, well-implemented structured data is what makes the difference.

In this blog I’ll explain the following:

What is structured data?

Why should SMEs prioritize structured data implementation?

How do you identify which structured data is best for your SEO strategy?

Strategies for adding schema to your site

How to measure and demonstrate the impact of structured data

In my experience, well-implemented structured data is effective for websites of all sizes and in all verticals. For my own clients, schema implementation has enabled growth, improved performance on search and created opportunities to reach new audiences.

For an established national retail brand with a thriving social media following, schema optimisations contributed to a 50% increase in organic conversions within a month. And six months on, the improvements we made to product markup, organisation, and blog schema had helped drive a 230% increase in organic conversion value.

For a local recruitment site, we combined niche targeted schema and sitemap optimization to increase both organic clicks and impressions by over 80% each, within four months.

For an international B2B retailer, improving existing schema formed the basis for marketing strategy that enabled us to grow our tally of ranking keywords by an average of 70% across three countries, increase our revenue by 35% when compared to the previous period, and create new marketing channels, within 6 months.

For a professional services provider, we built E-A-T centric schema optimisations into a blog and were able to improve average ranking position by 30% in 3 months and by 43% within a year.

Though the target markets, objectives and audiences differed in each case, I was able to use schema markup as a strategic underpinning of a wider SEO and marketing strategy. This is because schema has become a fundamental element of scalable SEO.

What is structured data in SEO?

On a website, structured data is a means of defining content with a uniform set of names and values, so that bots and machines can better read, index, understand, and serve the content of your site. While the phrase “structured data” can include elements like open graph for social media, microdata, or indeed any set of data that is organized uniformly (think of your CRM), generally when SEOs talk about structured data, we’re referring to structured data markup in JSON-LD as specified by Schema.org and recommended by Google.

Why is Schema.org structured data so strategically important?

Schema.org has become structured data HQ, because its framework — sets of vocabularies and relationships — was created and is maintained through a cross-platform partnership between Google, Microsoft, Yandex, and other major search engines. They regularly create new schema types and relationships aimed at making the information on the web more easily accessible to users.

Schema.org breaks down content into common vocabulary of predefined @types, which each have predefined properties, and can then be expressed using a common Javascript notation (JSON-LD). Like entries to the Oxford English Dictionary, the team behind Schema.Org are constantly adding new @types and properties in order to keep pace with user needs. At present, there are 778 types, but that number will continue to grow. Each new type brings more clarity, consistency, and ease of access to the information on the web — something that’s brilliant for search engines, and great for your traffic.

What does that mean in practice?

Sometimes when I'm explaining structured data to clients, I describe it as a means of essentially turning your beautiful website into a spreadsheet for robots. They can prioritize and process the critical information about the content of the page without having to understand the layout of your particular Wordpress theme, reams of CSS, or navigate your Joomla configuration.

This means that information a bot has on a page can be more consistent and resilient, even if the content changes day-to-day. So, in the example of a retailer with seasonal specials and campaigns that change the front end home page layout, structured data tells Google the same information about the page in the same way every time:

Why should SMEs prioritize structured data implementation?

Simply put, structured data gives you the chance to jump the queue on the SERP.

When we look at the ways in which Google has enhanced its SERPs over the last few years, what we see consistently is the use of JSON-LD structured data in combination with Google APIs to create new features and new channels for content. Rich snippet SERP features like Google for Jobs, Google Shopping, featured snippets, how-to instructions, recipe cards, knowledge panels, and other monumental changes to the SERP have all been driven or improved by the creation and utilization of structured data frameworks.

Users love these features because they’re multi-media search enhancements, and are impossible to miss as they often take up the entire viewport on mobile:

Left to right: rich results for Google for Jobs, recipes, video

Not a plain blue link in sight.

In many cases, your content cannot be included in these attractive rich snippets without structured data. So, if you literally want to get ahead of the competition, structured data needs to be a component in your SEO strategy.

What are the other advantages of structured data for small businesses?

Along with increased visibility, structured data implementation offers the following advantages for small businesses:

You will likely outpace your local competitors. SMEs are likely to feature within local pack search results with other small businesses. Here, competition for keywords is fierce, but many have yet to incorporate structured data into their sites. This is an opportunity to increase your visibility, gain more market share, and therefore increase conversions.

Schema markup is a fully scalable optimization. While some SEO tasks like content creation can require pages to be optimized one-by-one, Schema markup can be built into the structure of the page. This means that once it’s set up, every new product listing page, for instance, would already have the optimization as you expand the site, whether you stock six products or six thousand. The time this saves is especially significant for small marketing teams.

Schema markup implementation can be carried out as a single project within a few months. This can be a win for clients and SEOs, because in many cases, there is a clear demarcation before and after, followed by solid results which help to build confidence in further SEO activities, give clear ROI and satisfy clients looking for quick wins.

How do you identify which structured data is best for SEO strategy?

With almost 800 types of schema markup available to add to a website, it can be difficult to decide which are the best for your page, but to start, you can introduce or improve some new elements to help you better perform online and complement your existing content or e-commerce SEO strategy.

Does your site pass the schema markup need-to-have checklist?

There are certain sets of schema markup that apply to almost every site, and others — like Product and Job Postings — that are niche critical to effective SEO. As a general rule of thumb, every time I get a new client, I run through the following initial checks:

Do the homepage and about pages have Organisation or Local Business schema?

Do the blogs have schema for Articles or Blog Postings?

Do the team pages have Person schema?

If it’s an e-commerce site, does it have the niche critical Product schema?

If it is a recruiter site, does it have the niche critical Job Postings schema?

If the business is in another niche with dedicated Google SERP features, does it have the necessary markup?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions and the site doesn’t have the appropriate markup, then you should add schema markup to your site.

If the answer to these questions is “yes”, then it’s important to test the quality of the implementation before moving on to the next step. To do this, take a look at Search Console’s Rich Results Report to review pages at scale, or use their Structured Data Testing Tool and Rich Results Test to inspect individual pages. If you see errors, they should be addressed.

How to Find Address Schema Errors

Valid schema markup in Search Console

First, take a look at Search Console’s Rich Results Report to review pages at scale and identify which content is being read as Valid, Valid with Errors or Error.

Valid: If your markup is ‘Valid’, then it is being crawled and indexed correctly. These pages are unlikely to require further action.

Errors: Pages with markup that is identified with an ‘Error’ tend to have incorrect syntax, so you should review the individual page and correct the code as soon as possible. When the changes are complete, use the Validate Fix button, to request reassessment.

Valid with Warning: If your content is showing as ‘Valid a Warning’, then you are likely displaying schema markup with a Missing field. These warnings do not make the page or the markup invalid, but they can make the page less competitive, because the content is less targeted. Review your content to ensure that your schema is reflecting as much of the on page content as possible in order to reduce these errors, and therefore increase the performance of your schema markup.

Schema markup warnings in Search Console

Structured Data Testing Tool and Rich Results Test allow you to troubleshoot improvements to structured data on individual pages. Each of these tools you can enter the URL in question and you will receive itemised information on any errors or warnings.

Warnings on structured data testing tool

Warnings on rich results test

The missing fields highlighted here correspond to properties within the Event schema type. So, to improve this markup, you would look up the definitions of the relevant properties on schema.org and, where applicable, use their example HTML to guide your optimizations.

Property definitions in schema.org

Example "performer" HTML script from schema.org

In this instance, to improve the performance of my schema, I may need to build new performer fields into the CMS, or to work with the dev team to add the content from existing CMS data fields into the schema regex.

In either case you will be making improvements that help you better target and serve users.

Strategies for adding schema to your site

If you need to add schema to your site there are a few options for implementation.

Adding schema to single static pages

For some single pages with largely static content, adding markup types like Local Business, Organization, or a single FAQ page, can be a straightforward process of generating the code and placing it into the HTML of the page. Major CMS platforms like Shopify and Wordpress have plugins to assist with generating the markup for these pages which is easy to implement. Those with custom CMS configurations can use tools like the Schema Markup Generator to generate the JSON-LD, then pass it onto the development team to push it live.

Adding scalable schema for bulk implementation

Bulk schema implementation is almost essential for high volume content creators. This applies to e-commerce shops, but also to those who regularly post standard format content like recipes, blogs, articles, job vacancies, events, training courses, etc.

For these pages, the most effective way to get the most out of the schema on your site is to automate the process by building it into the structure of your site. In most instances, this involves a four phase approach, working in coordination with your developers and clients.

Start with your sitemap. You should have a dynamic XML sitemap that helps Google index pages as they are created, and includes the elements that are listed within the structured data. For an e-commerce site, this means having a sitemap that includes the product listings pages, but also the image sitemap and customer service pages.

Optimize for on-page SEO: Ensure that you have strong on-page SEO with good keyword research, headings, and accurate information. Schema offers increased targeting opportunities, so this will help you to double down on any on-page SEO efforts.

Organize your content. For bulk implementation, you should work with your content, and try to assign a type and property to each standard field for content on your page. Treat it like a formula that can be applied to each page with the same format. If you don’t have fields that correspond with the required properties for your schema type, add them. If you have a bulk of information, try to ensure that you have properties that support the USPs of your content. Then work with your developers to update your template so that the schema generates consistently across the site.

Connect with relevant Google APIs. Once your sitemap is solid, your content is optimised and your markup is in place. check to see if the schema you're using has an API and, if it does, get your site connected to it. Some of the most-used rich results connect directly with dedicated Google APIs, which further integrate with PPC tools to round out your marketing mix.

Examples of Schema Types with Dedicated Google APIs

Lodging schema connects with the Hotel API and can be used with Google Hotels PPC

Job Posting schema connects with the Indexing API to enable inclusion in Google for Jobs

Product schema connects with Content API to enable inclusion in Google Shopping search results and ad listings.

How to measure and demonstrate the impact of schema markup

Measuring Schema Enable Rich Results in Search Console

The impact of schema markup which generates rich results, can be easily monitored and measured in Search Console. Within the Enhancements tab, you can monitor the quality of your implementation and any current or recent errors.

View schema-enabled rich content in the Search Console Enhancements tab

To monitor impressions, rankings, clicks and CTR, visit the Search Appearance tab under Performance. This tab provides historic data that can be compared to earlier configurations of the site.

Visit Performance > Search Appearance tab to see rich result performance

Within Google Analytics, your tracking and monitoring will depend upon your implementation. For instance, google-jobs-apply clicks may show as a separate source from standard search results within Organic. But I’ve also seen Google Shopping clicks show as part of the (other) channel. In either case, annotate your implementation dates to monitor relevant content for changes in clicks, impressions, and conversions.

For many small businesses, Search Console data should be sufficient but there are also tools which can help you drill down further into the data.

In summary

Taking a strategic, integrated approach to structured data implementation helps SMEs to stay competitive in today’s search environment because of its scalability, versatility and measurability. Furthermore, the applicability of schema markup as the underpinning of a cohesive content and advertising strategy, brings much needed efficiencies for SME marketers who want to make the most out of their content.

Want to learn more about technical SEO? Check out the Moz Academy Technical SEO Certification Series, an in-depth training series that hones in on the nuts and bolts of technical SEO.

Sign Me Up!

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

[camerasieunhovn]

The Strategic Value of Structured Data Implementation on SME Websites

Posted by CrystalontheWeb

Structured data is one of the most effective ways to increase the visibility of your website content and increase the sustainability of your SEO as Google implements regular updates to the SERP environment. Over the last five years, many of Google’s most game-changing SERP features have been driven by the use of structured data from across the web. Google for Jobs, Google Shopping, featured snippets, how-to instructions, recipe cards, knowledge panels, and other rich snippets all serve content from sites with structured data.

So, when we think about how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can compete in today's ever-evolving SERP landscape, time and time again, well-implemented structured data is what makes the difference.

In this blog I’ll explain the following:

What is structured data?

Why should SMEs prioritize structured data implementation?

How do you identify which structured data is best for your SEO strategy?

Strategies for adding schema to your site

How to measure and demonstrate the impact of structured data

In my experience, well-implemented structured data is effective for websites of all sizes and in all verticals. For my own clients, schema implementation has enabled growth, improved performance on search and created opportunities to reach new audiences.

For an established national retail brand with a thriving social media following, schema optimisations contributed to a 50% increase in organic conversions within a month. And six months on, the improvements we made to product markup, organisation, and blog schema had helped drive a 230% increase in organic conversion value.

For a local recruitment site, we combined niche targeted schema and sitemap optimization to increase both organic clicks and impressions by over 80% each, within four months.

For an international B2B retailer, improving existing schema formed the basis for marketing strategy that enabled us to grow our tally of ranking keywords by an average of 70% across three countries, increase our revenue by 35% when compared to the previous period, and create new marketing channels, within 6 months.

For a professional services provider, we built E-A-T centric schema optimisations into a blog and were able to improve average ranking position by 30% in 3 months and by 43% within a year.

Though the target markets, objectives and audiences differed in each case, I was able to use schema markup as a strategic underpinning of a wider SEO and marketing strategy. This is because schema has become a fundamental element of scalable SEO.

What is structured data in SEO?

On a website, structured data is a means of defining content with a uniform set of names and values, so that bots and machines can better read, index, understand, and serve the content of your site. While the phrase “structured data” can include elements like open graph for social media, microdata, or indeed any set of data that is organized uniformly (think of your CRM), generally when SEOs talk about structured data, we’re referring to structured data markup in JSON-LD as specified by Schema.org and recommended by Google.

Why is Schema.org structured data so strategically important?

Schema.org has become structured data HQ, because its framework — sets of vocabularies and relationships — was created and is maintained through a cross-platform partnership between Google, Microsoft, Yandex, and other major search engines. They regularly create new schema types and relationships aimed at making the information on the web more easily accessible to users.

Schema.org breaks down content into common vocabulary of predefined @types, which each have predefined properties, and can then be expressed using a common Javascript notation (JSON-LD). Like entries to the Oxford English Dictionary, the team behind Schema.Org are constantly adding new @types and properties in order to keep pace with user needs. At present, there are 778 types, but that number will continue to grow. Each new type brings more clarity, consistency, and ease of access to the information on the web — something that’s brilliant for search engines, and great for your traffic.

What does that mean in practice?

Sometimes when I'm explaining structured data to clients, I describe it as a means of essentially turning your beautiful website into a spreadsheet for robots. They can prioritize and process the critical information about the content of the page without having to understand the layout of your particular Wordpress theme, reams of CSS, or navigate your Joomla configuration.

This means that information a bot has on a page can be more consistent and resilient, even if the content changes day-to-day. So, in the example of a retailer with seasonal specials and campaigns that change the front end home page layout, structured data tells Google the same information about the page in the same way every time:

Why should SMEs prioritize structured data implementation?

Simply put, structured data gives you the chance to jump the queue on the SERP.

When we look at the ways in which Google has enhanced its SERPs over the last few years, what we see consistently is the use of JSON-LD structured data in combination with Google APIs to create new features and new channels for content. Rich snippet SERP features like Google for Jobs, Google Shopping, featured snippets, how-to instructions, recipe cards, knowledge panels, and other monumental changes to the SERP have all been driven or improved by the creation and utilization of structured data frameworks.

Users love these features because they’re multi-media search enhancements, and are impossible to miss as they often take up the entire viewport on mobile:

Left to right: rich results for Google for Jobs, recipes, video

Not a plain blue link in sight.

In many cases, your content cannot be included in these attractive rich snippets without structured data. So, if you literally want to get ahead of the competition, structured data needs to be a component in your SEO strategy.

What are the other advantages of structured data for small businesses?

Along with increased visibility, structured data implementation offers the following advantages for small businesses:

You will likely outpace your local competitors. SMEs are likely to feature within local pack search results with other small businesses. Here, competition for keywords is fierce, but many have yet to incorporate structured data into their sites. This is an opportunity to increase your visibility, gain more market share, and therefore increase conversions.

Schema markup is a fully scalable optimization. While some SEO tasks like content creation can require pages to be optimized one-by-one, Schema markup can be built into the structure of the page. This means that once it’s set up, every new product listing page, for instance, would already have the optimization as you expand the site, whether you stock six products or six thousand. The time this saves is especially significant for small marketing teams.

Schema markup implementation can be carried out as a single project within a few months. This can be a win for clients and SEOs, because in many cases, there is a clear demarcation before and after, followed by solid results which help to build confidence in further SEO activities, give clear ROI and satisfy clients looking for quick wins.

How do you identify which structured data is best for SEO strategy?

With almost 800 types of schema markup available to add to a website, it can be difficult to decide which are the best for your page, but to start, you can introduce or improve some new elements to help you better perform online and complement your existing content or e-commerce SEO strategy.

Does your site pass the schema markup need-to-have checklist?

There are certain sets of schema markup that apply to almost every site, and others — like Product and Job Postings — that are niche critical to effective SEO. As a general rule of thumb, every time I get a new client, I run through the following initial checks:

Do the homepage and about pages have Organisation or Local Business schema?

Do the blogs have schema for Articles or Blog Postings?

Do the team pages have Person schema?

If it’s an e-commerce site, does it have the niche critical Product schema?

If it is a recruiter site, does it have the niche critical Job Postings schema?

If the business is in another niche with dedicated Google SERP features, does it have the necessary markup?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions and the site doesn’t have the appropriate markup, then you should add schema markup to your site.

If the answer to these questions is “yes”, then it’s important to test the quality of the implementation before moving on to the next step. To do this, take a look at Search Console’s Rich Results Report to review pages at scale, or use their Structured Data Testing Tool and Rich Results Test to inspect individual pages. If you see errors, they should be addressed.

How to Find Address Schema Errors

Valid schema markup in Search Console

First, take a look at Search Console’s Rich Results Report to review pages at scale and identify which content is being read as Valid, Valid with Errors or Error.

Valid: If your markup is ‘Valid’, then it is being crawled and indexed correctly. These pages are unlikely to require further action.

Errors: Pages with markup that is identified with an ‘Error’ tend to have incorrect syntax, so you should review the individual page and correct the code as soon as possible. When the changes are complete, use the Validate Fix button, to request reassessment.

Valid with Warning: If your content is showing as ‘Valid a Warning’, then you are likely displaying schema markup with a Missing field. These warnings do not make the page or the markup invalid, but they can make the page less competitive, because the content is less targeted. Review your content to ensure that your schema is reflecting as much of the on page content as possible in order to reduce these errors, and therefore increase the performance of your schema markup.

Schema markup warnings in Search Console

Structured Data Testing Tool and Rich Results Test allow you to troubleshoot improvements to structured data on individual pages. Each of these tools you can enter the URL in question and you will receive itemised information on any errors or warnings.

Warnings on structured data testing tool

Warnings on rich results test

The missing fields highlighted here correspond to properties within the Event schema type. So, to improve this markup, you would look up the definitions of the relevant properties on schema.org and, where applicable, use their example HTML to guide your optimizations.

Property definitions in schema.org

Example "performer" HTML script from schema.org

In this instance, to improve the performance of my schema, I may need to build new performer fields into the CMS, or to work with the dev team to add the content from existing CMS data fields into the schema regex.

In either case you will be making improvements that help you better target and serve users.

Strategies for adding schema to your site

If you need to add schema to your site there are a few options for implementation.

Adding schema to single static pages

For some single pages with largely static content, adding markup types like Local Business, Organization, or a single FAQ page, can be a straightforward process of generating the code and placing it into the HTML of the page. Major CMS platforms like Shopify and Wordpress have plugins to assist with generating the markup for these pages which is easy to implement. Those with custom CMS configurations can use tools like the Schema Markup Generator to generate the JSON-LD, then pass it onto the development team to push it live.

Adding scalable schema for bulk implementation

Bulk schema implementation is almost essential for high volume content creators. This applies to e-commerce shops, but also to those who regularly post standard format content like recipes, blogs, articles, job vacancies, events, training courses, etc.

For these pages, the most effective way to get the most out of the schema on your site is to automate the process by building it into the structure of your site. In most instances, this involves a four phase approach, working in coordination with your developers and clients.

Start with your sitemap. You should have a dynamic XML sitemap that helps Google index pages as they are created, and includes the elements that are listed within the structured data. For an e-commerce site, this means having a sitemap that includes the product listings pages, but also the image sitemap and customer service pages.

Optimize for on-page SEO: Ensure that you have strong on-page SEO with good keyword research, headings, and accurate information. Schema offers increased targeting opportunities, so this will help you to double down on any on-page SEO efforts.

Organize your content. For bulk implementation, you should work with your content, and try to assign a type and property to each standard field for content on your page. Treat it like a formula that can be applied to each page with the same format. If you don’t have fields that correspond with the required properties for your schema type, add them. If you have a bulk of information, try to ensure that you have properties that support the USPs of your content. Then work with your developers to update your template so that the schema generates consistently across the site.

Connect with relevant Google APIs. Once your sitemap is solid, your content is optimised and your markup is in place. check to see if the schema you're using has an API and, if it does, get your site connected to it. Some of the most-used rich results connect directly with dedicated Google APIs, which further integrate with PPC tools to round out your marketing mix.

Examples of Schema Types with Dedicated Google APIs

Lodging schema connects with the Hotel API and can be used with Google Hotels PPC

Job Posting schema connects with the Indexing API to enable inclusion in Google for Jobs

Product schema connects with Content API to enable inclusion in Google Shopping search results and ad listings.

How to measure and demonstrate the impact of schema markup

Measuring Schema Enable Rich Results in Search Console

The impact of schema markup which generates rich results, can be easily monitored and measured in Search Console. Within the Enhancements tab, you can monitor the quality of your implementation and any current or recent errors.

View schema-enabled rich content in the Search Console Enhancements tab

To monitor impressions, rankings, clicks and CTR, visit the Search Appearance tab under Performance. This tab provides historic data that can be compared to earlier configurations of the site.

Visit Performance > Search Appearance tab to see rich result performance

Within Google Analytics, your tracking and monitoring will depend upon your implementation. For instance, google-jobs-apply clicks may show as a separate source from standard search results within Organic. But I’ve also seen Google Shopping clicks show as part of the (other) channel. In either case, annotate your implementation dates to monitor relevant content for changes in clicks, impressions, and conversions.

For many small businesses, Search Console data should be sufficient but there are also tools which can help you drill down further into the data.

In summary

Taking a strategic, integrated approach to structured data implementation helps SMEs to stay competitive in today’s search environment because of its scalability, versatility and measurability. Furthermore, the applicability of schema markup as the underpinning of a cohesive content and advertising strategy, brings much needed efficiencies for SME marketers who want to make the most out of their content.

Want to learn more about technical SEO? Check out the Moz Academy Technical SEO Certification Series, an in-depth training series that hones in on the nuts and bolts of technical SEO.

Sign Me Up!

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

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The Strategic Value of Structured Data Implementation on SME Websites

Posted by CrystalontheWeb

Structured data is one of the most effective ways to increase the visibility of your website content and increase the sustainability of your SEO as Google implements regular updates to the SERP environment. Over the last five years, many of Google’s most game-changing SERP features have been driven by the use of structured data from across the web. Google for Jobs, Google Shopping, featured snippets, how-to instructions, recipe cards, knowledge panels, and other rich snippets all serve content from sites with structured data.

So, when we think about how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can compete in today's ever-evolving SERP landscape, time and time again, well-implemented structured data is what makes the difference.

In this blog I’ll explain the following:

What is structured data?

Why should SMEs prioritize structured data implementation?

How do you identify which structured data is best for your SEO strategy?

Strategies for adding schema to your site

How to measure and demonstrate the impact of structured data

In my experience, well-implemented structured data is effective for websites of all sizes and in all verticals. For my own clients, schema implementation has enabled growth, improved performance on search and created opportunities to reach new audiences.

For an established national retail brand with a thriving social media following, schema optimisations contributed to a 50% increase in organic conversions within a month. And six months on, the improvements we made to product markup, organisation, and blog schema had helped drive a 230% increase in organic conversion value.

For a local recruitment site, we combined niche targeted schema and sitemap optimization to increase both organic clicks and impressions by over 80% each, within four months.

For an international B2B retailer, improving existing schema formed the basis for marketing strategy that enabled us to grow our tally of ranking keywords by an average of 70% across three countries, increase our revenue by 35% when compared to the previous period, and create new marketing channels, within 6 months.

For a professional services provider, we built E-A-T centric schema optimisations into a blog and were able to improve average ranking position by 30% in 3 months and by 43% within a year.

Though the target markets, objectives and audiences differed in each case, I was able to use schema markup as a strategic underpinning of a wider SEO and marketing strategy. This is because schema has become a fundamental element of scalable SEO.

What is structured data in SEO?

On a website, structured data is a means of defining content with a uniform set of names and values, so that bots and machines can better read, index, understand, and serve the content of your site. While the phrase “structured data” can include elements like open graph for social media, microdata, or indeed any set of data that is organized uniformly (think of your CRM), generally when SEOs talk about structured data, we’re referring to structured data markup in JSON-LD as specified by Schema.org and recommended by Google.

Why is Schema.org structured data so strategically important?

Schema.org has become structured data HQ, because its framework — sets of vocabularies and relationships — was created and is maintained through a cross-platform partnership between Google, Microsoft, Yandex, and other major search engines. They regularly create new schema types and relationships aimed at making the information on the web more easily accessible to users.

Schema.org breaks down content into common vocabulary of predefined @types, which each have predefined properties, and can then be expressed using a common Javascript notation (JSON-LD). Like entries to the Oxford English Dictionary, the team behind Schema.Org are constantly adding new @types and properties in order to keep pace with user needs. At present, there are 778 types, but that number will continue to grow. Each new type brings more clarity, consistency, and ease of access to the information on the web — something that’s brilliant for search engines, and great for your traffic.

What does that mean in practice?

Sometimes when I'm explaining structured data to clients, I describe it as a means of essentially turning your beautiful website into a spreadsheet for robots. They can prioritize and process the critical information about the content of the page without having to understand the layout of your particular Wordpress theme, reams of CSS, or navigate your Joomla configuration.

This means that information a bot has on a page can be more consistent and resilient, even if the content changes day-to-day. So, in the example of a retailer with seasonal specials and campaigns that change the front end home page layout, structured data tells Google the same information about the page in the same way every time:

Why should SMEs prioritize structured data implementation?

Simply put, structured data gives you the chance to jump the queue on the SERP.

When we look at the ways in which Google has enhanced its SERPs over the last few years, what we see consistently is the use of JSON-LD structured data in combination with Google APIs to create new features and new channels for content. Rich snippet SERP features like Google for Jobs, Google Shopping, featured snippets, how-to instructions, recipe cards, knowledge panels, and other monumental changes to the SERP have all been driven or improved by the creation and utilization of structured data frameworks.

Users love these features because they’re multi-media search enhancements, and are impossible to miss as they often take up the entire viewport on mobile:

Left to right: rich results for Google for Jobs, recipes, video

Not a plain blue link in sight.

In many cases, your content cannot be included in these attractive rich snippets without structured data. So, if you literally want to get ahead of the competition, structured data needs to be a component in your SEO strategy.

What are the other advantages of structured data for small businesses?

Along with increased visibility, structured data implementation offers the following advantages for small businesses:

You will likely outpace your local competitors. SMEs are likely to feature within local pack search results with other small businesses. Here, competition for keywords is fierce, but many have yet to incorporate structured data into their sites. This is an opportunity to increase your visibility, gain more market share, and therefore increase conversions.

Schema markup is a fully scalable optimization. While some SEO tasks like content creation can require pages to be optimized one-by-one, Schema markup can be built into the structure of the page. This means that once it’s set up, every new product listing page, for instance, would already have the optimization as you expand the site, whether you stock six products or six thousand. The time this saves is especially significant for small marketing teams.

Schema markup implementation can be carried out as a single project within a few months. This can be a win for clients and SEOs, because in many cases, there is a clear demarcation before and after, followed by solid results which help to build confidence in further SEO activities, give clear ROI and satisfy clients looking for quick wins.

How do you identify which structured data is best for SEO strategy?

With almost 800 types of schema markup available to add to a website, it can be difficult to decide which are the best for your page, but to start, you can introduce or improve some new elements to help you better perform online and complement your existing content or e-commerce SEO strategy.

Does your site pass the schema markup need-to-have checklist?

There are certain sets of schema markup that apply to almost every site, and others — like Product and Job Postings — that are niche critical to effective SEO. As a general rule of thumb, every time I get a new client, I run through the following initial checks:

Do the homepage and about pages have Organisation or Local Business schema?

Do the blogs have schema for Articles or Blog Postings?

Do the team pages have Person schema?

If it’s an e-commerce site, does it have the niche critical Product schema?

If it is a recruiter site, does it have the niche critical Job Postings schema?

If the business is in another niche with dedicated Google SERP features, does it have the necessary markup?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions and the site doesn’t have the appropriate markup, then you should add schema markup to your site.

If the answer to these questions is “yes”, then it’s important to test the quality of the implementation before moving on to the next step. To do this, take a look at Search Console’s Rich Results Report to review pages at scale, or use their Structured Data Testing Tool and Rich Results Test to inspect individual pages. If you see errors, they should be addressed.

How to Find Address Schema Errors

Valid schema markup in Search Console

First, take a look at Search Console’s Rich Results Report to review pages at scale and identify which content is being read as Valid, Valid with Errors or Error.

Valid: If your markup is ‘Valid’, then it is being crawled and indexed correctly. These pages are unlikely to require further action.

Errors: Pages with markup that is identified with an ‘Error’ tend to have incorrect syntax, so you should review the individual page and correct the code as soon as possible. When the changes are complete, use the Validate Fix button, to request reassessment.

Valid with Warning: If your content is showing as ‘Valid a Warning’, then you are likely displaying schema markup with a Missing field. These warnings do not make the page or the markup invalid, but they can make the page less competitive, because the content is less targeted. Review your content to ensure that your schema is reflecting as much of the on page content as possible in order to reduce these errors, and therefore increase the performance of your schema markup.

Schema markup warnings in Search Console

Structured Data Testing Tool and Rich Results Test allow you to troubleshoot improvements to structured data on individual pages. Each of these tools you can enter the URL in question and you will receive itemised information on any errors or warnings.

Warnings on structured data testing tool

Warnings on rich results test

The missing fields highlighted here correspond to properties within the Event schema type. So, to improve this markup, you would look up the definitions of the relevant properties on schema.org and, where applicable, use their example HTML to guide your optimizations.

Property definitions in schema.org

Example "performer" HTML script from schema.org

In this instance, to improve the performance of my schema, I may need to build new performer fields into the CMS, or to work with the dev team to add the content from existing CMS data fields into the schema regex.

In either case you will be making improvements that help you better target and serve users.

Strategies for adding schema to your site

If you need to add schema to your site there are a few options for implementation.

Adding schema to single static pages

For some single pages with largely static content, adding markup types like Local Business, Organization, or a single FAQ page, can be a straightforward process of generating the code and placing it into the HTML of the page. Major CMS platforms like Shopify and Wordpress have plugins to assist with generating the markup for these pages which is easy to implement. Those with custom CMS configurations can use tools like the Schema Markup Generator to generate the JSON-LD, then pass it onto the development team to push it live.

Adding scalable schema for bulk implementation

Bulk schema implementation is almost essential for high volume content creators. This applies to e-commerce shops, but also to those who regularly post standard format content like recipes, blogs, articles, job vacancies, events, training courses, etc.

For these pages, the most effective way to get the most out of the schema on your site is to automate the process by building it into the structure of your site. In most instances, this involves a four phase approach, working in coordination with your developers and clients.

Start with your sitemap. You should have a dynamic XML sitemap that helps Google index pages as they are created, and includes the elements that are listed within the structured data. For an e-commerce site, this means having a sitemap that includes the product listings pages, but also the image sitemap and customer service pages.

Optimize for on-page SEO: Ensure that you have strong on-page SEO with good keyword research, headings, and accurate information. Schema offers increased targeting opportunities, so this will help you to double down on any on-page SEO efforts.

Organize your content. For bulk implementation, you should work with your content, and try to assign a type and property to each standard field for content on your page. Treat it like a formula that can be applied to each page with the same format. If you don’t have fields that correspond with the required properties for your schema type, add them. If you have a bulk of information, try to ensure that you have properties that support the USPs of your content. Then work with your developers to update your template so that the schema generates consistently across the site.

Connect with relevant Google APIs. Once your sitemap is solid, your content is optimised and your markup is in place. check to see if the schema you're using has an API and, if it does, get your site connected to it. Some of the most-used rich results connect directly with dedicated Google APIs, which further integrate with PPC tools to round out your marketing mix.

Examples of Schema Types with Dedicated Google APIs

Lodging schema connects with the Hotel API and can be used with Google Hotels PPC

Job Posting schema connects with the Indexing API to enable inclusion in Google for Jobs

Product schema connects with Content API to enable inclusion in Google Shopping search results and ad listings.

How to measure and demonstrate the impact of schema markup

Measuring Schema Enable Rich Results in Search Console

The impact of schema markup which generates rich results, can be easily monitored and measured in Search Console. Within the Enhancements tab, you can monitor the quality of your implementation and any current or recent errors.

View schema-enabled rich content in the Search Console Enhancements tab

To monitor impressions, rankings, clicks and CTR, visit the Search Appearance tab under Performance. This tab provides historic data that can be compared to earlier configurations of the site.

Visit Performance > Search Appearance tab to see rich result performance

Within Google Analytics, your tracking and monitoring will depend upon your implementation. For instance, google-jobs-apply clicks may show as a separate source from standard search results within Organic. But I’ve also seen Google Shopping clicks show as part of the (other) channel. In either case, annotate your implementation dates to monitor relevant content for changes in clicks, impressions, and conversions.

For many small businesses, Search Console data should be sufficient but there are also tools which can help you drill down further into the data.

In summary

Taking a strategic, integrated approach to structured data implementation helps SMEs to stay competitive in today’s search environment because of its scalability, versatility and measurability. Furthermore, the applicability of schema markup as the underpinning of a cohesive content and advertising strategy, brings much needed efficiencies for SME marketers who want to make the most out of their content.

Want to learn more about technical SEO? Check out the Moz Academy Technical SEO Certification Series, an in-depth training series that hones in on the nuts and bolts of technical SEO.

Sign Me Up!

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

[gamebazu]

The Strategic Value of Structured Data Implementation on SME Websites

Posted by CrystalontheWeb

Structured data is one of the most effective ways to increase the visibility of your website content and increase the sustainability of your SEO as Google implements regular updates to the SERP environment. Over the last five years, many of Google’s most game-changing SERP features have been driven by the use of structured data from across the web. Google for Jobs, Google Shopping, featured snippets, how-to instructions, recipe cards, knowledge panels, and other rich snippets all serve content from sites with structured data.

So, when we think about how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can compete in today's ever-evolving SERP landscape, time and time again, well-implemented structured data is what makes the difference.

In this blog I’ll explain the following:

What is structured data?

Why should SMEs prioritize structured data implementation?

How do you identify which structured data is best for your SEO strategy?

Strategies for adding schema to your site

How to measure and demonstrate the impact of structured data

In my experience, well-implemented structured data is effective for websites of all sizes and in all verticals. For my own clients, schema implementation has enabled growth, improved performance on search and created opportunities to reach new audiences.

For an established national retail brand with a thriving social media following, schema optimisations contributed to a 50% increase in organic conversions within a month. And six months on, the improvements we made to product markup, organisation, and blog schema had helped drive a 230% increase in organic conversion value.

For a local recruitment site, we combined niche targeted schema and sitemap optimization to increase both organic clicks and impressions by over 80% each, within four months.

For an international B2B retailer, improving existing schema formed the basis for marketing strategy that enabled us to grow our tally of ranking keywords by an average of 70% across three countries, increase our revenue by 35% when compared to the previous period, and create new marketing channels, within 6 months.

For a professional services provider, we built E-A-T centric schema optimisations into a blog and were able to improve average ranking position by 30% in 3 months and by 43% within a year.

Though the target markets, objectives and audiences differed in each case, I was able to use schema markup as a strategic underpinning of a wider SEO and marketing strategy. This is because schema has become a fundamental element of scalable SEO.

What is structured data in SEO?

On a website, structured data is a means of defining content with a uniform set of names and values, so that bots and machines can better read, index, understand, and serve the content of your site. While the phrase “structured data” can include elements like open graph for social media, microdata, or indeed any set of data that is organized uniformly (think of your CRM), generally when SEOs talk about structured data, we’re referring to structured data markup in JSON-LD as specified by Schema.org and recommended by Google.

Why is Schema.org structured data so strategically important?

Schema.org has become structured data HQ, because its framework — sets of vocabularies and relationships — was created and is maintained through a cross-platform partnership between Google, Microsoft, Yandex, and other major search engines. They regularly create new schema types and relationships aimed at making the information on the web more easily accessible to users.

Schema.org breaks down content into common vocabulary of predefined @types, which each have predefined properties, and can then be expressed using a common Javascript notation (JSON-LD). Like entries to the Oxford English Dictionary, the team behind Schema.Org are constantly adding new @types and properties in order to keep pace with user needs. At present, there are 778 types, but that number will continue to grow. Each new type brings more clarity, consistency, and ease of access to the information on the web — something that’s brilliant for search engines, and great for your traffic.

What does that mean in practice?

Sometimes when I'm explaining structured data to clients, I describe it as a means of essentially turning your beautiful website into a spreadsheet for robots. They can prioritize and process the critical information about the content of the page without having to understand the layout of your particular Wordpress theme, reams of CSS, or navigate your Joomla configuration.

This means that information a bot has on a page can be more consistent and resilient, even if the content changes day-to-day. So, in the example of a retailer with seasonal specials and campaigns that change the front end home page layout, structured data tells Google the same information about the page in the same way every time:

Why should SMEs prioritize structured data implementation?

Simply put, structured data gives you the chance to jump the queue on the SERP.

When we look at the ways in which Google has enhanced its SERPs over the last few years, what we see consistently is the use of JSON-LD structured data in combination with Google APIs to create new features and new channels for content. Rich snippet SERP features like Google for Jobs, Google Shopping, featured snippets, how-to instructions, recipe cards, knowledge panels, and other monumental changes to the SERP have all been driven or improved by the creation and utilization of structured data frameworks.

Users love these features because they’re multi-media search enhancements, and are impossible to miss as they often take up the entire viewport on mobile:

Left to right: rich results for Google for Jobs, recipes, video

Not a plain blue link in sight.

In many cases, your content cannot be included in these attractive rich snippets without structured data. So, if you literally want to get ahead of the competition, structured data needs to be a component in your SEO strategy.

What are the other advantages of structured data for small businesses?

Along with increased visibility, structured data implementation offers the following advantages for small businesses:

You will likely outpace your local competitors. SMEs are likely to feature within local pack search results with other small businesses. Here, competition for keywords is fierce, but many have yet to incorporate structured data into their sites. This is an opportunity to increase your visibility, gain more market share, and therefore increase conversions.

Schema markup is a fully scalable optimization. While some SEO tasks like content creation can require pages to be optimized one-by-one, Schema markup can be built into the structure of the page. This means that once it’s set up, every new product listing page, for instance, would already have the optimization as you expand the site, whether you stock six products or six thousand. The time this saves is especially significant for small marketing teams.

Schema markup implementation can be carried out as a single project within a few months. This can be a win for clients and SEOs, because in many cases, there is a clear demarcation before and after, followed by solid results which help to build confidence in further SEO activities, give clear ROI and satisfy clients looking for quick wins.

How do you identify which structured data is best for SEO strategy?

With almost 800 types of schema markup available to add to a website, it can be difficult to decide which are the best for your page, but to start, you can introduce or improve some new elements to help you better perform online and complement your existing content or e-commerce SEO strategy.

Does your site pass the schema markup need-to-have checklist?

There are certain sets of schema markup that apply to almost every site, and others — like Product and Job Postings — that are niche critical to effective SEO. As a general rule of thumb, every time I get a new client, I run through the following initial checks:

Do the homepage and about pages have Organisation or Local Business schema?

Do the blogs have schema for Articles or Blog Postings?

Do the team pages have Person schema?

If it’s an e-commerce site, does it have the niche critical Product schema?

If it is a recruiter site, does it have the niche critical Job Postings schema?

If the business is in another niche with dedicated Google SERP features, does it have the necessary markup?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions and the site doesn’t have the appropriate markup, then you should add schema markup to your site.

If the answer to these questions is “yes”, then it’s important to test the quality of the implementation before moving on to the next step. To do this, take a look at Search Console’s Rich Results Report to review pages at scale, or use their Structured Data Testing Tool and Rich Results Test to inspect individual pages. If you see errors, they should be addressed.

How to Find Address Schema Errors

Valid schema markup in Search Console

First, take a look at Search Console’s Rich Results Report to review pages at scale and identify which content is being read as Valid, Valid with Errors or Error.

Valid: If your markup is ‘Valid’, then it is being crawled and indexed correctly. These pages are unlikely to require further action.

Errors: Pages with markup that is identified with an ‘Error’ tend to have incorrect syntax, so you should review the individual page and correct the code as soon as possible. When the changes are complete, use the Validate Fix button, to request reassessment.

Valid with Warning: If your content is showing as ‘Valid a Warning’, then you are likely displaying schema markup with a Missing field. These warnings do not make the page or the markup invalid, but they can make the page less competitive, because the content is less targeted. Review your content to ensure that your schema is reflecting as much of the on page content as possible in order to reduce these errors, and therefore increase the performance of your schema markup.

Schema markup warnings in Search Console

Structured Data Testing Tool and Rich Results Test allow you to troubleshoot improvements to structured data on individual pages. Each of these tools you can enter the URL in question and you will receive itemised information on any errors or warnings.

Warnings on structured data testing tool

Warnings on rich results test

The missing fields highlighted here correspond to properties within the Event schema type. So, to improve this markup, you would look up the definitions of the relevant properties on schema.org and, where applicable, use their example HTML to guide your optimizations.

Property definitions in schema.org

Example "performer" HTML script from schema.org

In this instance, to improve the performance of my schema, I may need to build new performer fields into the CMS, or to work with the dev team to add the content from existing CMS data fields into the schema regex.

In either case you will be making improvements that help you better target and serve users.

Strategies for adding schema to your site

If you need to add schema to your site there are a few options for implementation.

Adding schema to single static pages

For some single pages with largely static content, adding markup types like Local Business, Organization, or a single FAQ page, can be a straightforward process of generating the code and placing it into the HTML of the page. Major CMS platforms like Shopify and Wordpress have plugins to assist with generating the markup for these pages which is easy to implement. Those with custom CMS configurations can use tools like the Schema Markup Generator to generate the JSON-LD, then pass it onto the development team to push it live.

Adding scalable schema for bulk implementation

Bulk schema implementation is almost essential for high volume content creators. This applies to e-commerce shops, but also to those who regularly post standard format content like recipes, blogs, articles, job vacancies, events, training courses, etc.

For these pages, the most effective way to get the most out of the schema on your site is to automate the process by building it into the structure of your site. In most instances, this involves a four phase approach, working in coordination with your developers and clients.

Start with your sitemap. You should have a dynamic XML sitemap that helps Google index pages as they are created, and includes the elements that are listed within the structured data. For an e-commerce site, this means having a sitemap that includes the product listings pages, but also the image sitemap and customer service pages.

Optimize for on-page SEO: Ensure that you have strong on-page SEO with good keyword research, headings, and accurate information. Schema offers increased targeting opportunities, so this will help you to double down on any on-page SEO efforts.

Organize your content. For bulk implementation, you should work with your content, and try to assign a type and property to each standard field for content on your page. Treat it like a formula that can be applied to each page with the same format. If you don’t have fields that correspond with the required properties for your schema type, add them. If you have a bulk of information, try to ensure that you have properties that support the USPs of your content. Then work with your developers to update your template so that the schema generates consistently across the site.

Connect with relevant Google APIs. Once your sitemap is solid, your content is optimised and your markup is in place. check to see if the schema you're using has an API and, if it does, get your site connected to it. Some of the most-used rich results connect directly with dedicated Google APIs, which further integrate with PPC tools to round out your marketing mix.

Examples of Schema Types with Dedicated Google APIs

Lodging schema connects with the Hotel API and can be used with Google Hotels PPC

Job Posting schema connects with the Indexing API to enable inclusion in Google for Jobs

Product schema connects with Content API to enable inclusion in Google Shopping search results and ad listings.

How to measure and demonstrate the impact of schema markup

Measuring Schema Enable Rich Results in Search Console

The impact of schema markup which generates rich results, can be easily monitored and measured in Search Console. Within the Enhancements tab, you can monitor the quality of your implementation and any current or recent errors.

View schema-enabled rich content in the Search Console Enhancements tab

To monitor impressions, rankings, clicks and CTR, visit the Search Appearance tab under Performance. This tab provides historic data that can be compared to earlier configurations of the site.

Visit Performance > Search Appearance tab to see rich result performance

Within Google Analytics, your tracking and monitoring will depend upon your implementation. For instance, google-jobs-apply clicks may show as a separate source from standard search results within Organic. But I’ve also seen Google Shopping clicks show as part of the (other) channel. In either case, annotate your implementation dates to monitor relevant content for changes in clicks, impressions, and conversions.

For many small businesses, Search Console data should be sufficient but there are also tools which can help you drill down further into the data.

In summary

Taking a strategic, integrated approach to structured data implementation helps SMEs to stay competitive in today’s search environment because of its scalability, versatility and measurability. Furthermore, the applicability of schema markup as the underpinning of a cohesive content and advertising strategy, brings much needed efficiencies for SME marketers who want to make the most out of their content.

Want to learn more about technical SEO? Check out the Moz Academy Technical SEO Certification Series, an in-depth training series that hones in on the nuts and bolts of technical SEO.

Sign Me Up!

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

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The Strategic Value of Structured Data Implementation on SME Websites

Posted by CrystalontheWeb

Structured data is one of the most effective ways to increase the visibility of your website content and increase the sustainability of your SEO as Google implements regular updates to the SERP environment. Over the last five years, many of Google’s most game-changing SERP features have been driven by the use of structured data from across the web. Google for Jobs, Google Shopping, featured snippets, how-to instructions, recipe cards, knowledge panels, and other rich snippets all serve content from sites with structured data.

So, when we think about how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can compete in today's ever-evolving SERP landscape, time and time again, well-implemented structured data is what makes the difference.

In this blog I’ll explain the following:

What is structured data?

Why should SMEs prioritize structured data implementation?

How do you identify which structured data is best for your SEO strategy?

Strategies for adding schema to your site

How to measure and demonstrate the impact of structured data

In my experience, well-implemented structured data is effective for websites of all sizes and in all verticals. For my own clients, schema implementation has enabled growth, improved performance on search and created opportunities to reach new audiences.

For an established national retail brand with a thriving social media following, schema optimisations contributed to a 50% increase in organic conversions within a month. And six months on, the improvements we made to product markup, organisation, and blog schema had helped drive a 230% increase in organic conversion value.

For a local recruitment site, we combined niche targeted schema and sitemap optimization to increase both organic clicks and impressions by over 80% each, within four months.

For an international B2B retailer, improving existing schema formed the basis for marketing strategy that enabled us to grow our tally of ranking keywords by an average of 70% across three countries, increase our revenue by 35% when compared to the previous period, and create new marketing channels, within 6 months.

For a professional services provider, we built E-A-T centric schema optimisations into a blog and were able to improve average ranking position by 30% in 3 months and by 43% within a year.

Though the target markets, objectives and audiences differed in each case, I was able to use schema markup as a strategic underpinning of a wider SEO and marketing strategy. This is because schema has become a fundamental element of scalable SEO.

What is structured data in SEO?

On a website, structured data is a means of defining content with a uniform set of names and values, so that bots and machines can better read, index, understand, and serve the content of your site. While the phrase “structured data” can include elements like open graph for social media, microdata, or indeed any set of data that is organized uniformly (think of your CRM), generally when SEOs talk about structured data, we’re referring to structured data markup in JSON-LD as specified by Schema.org and recommended by Google.

Why is Schema.org structured data so strategically important?

Schema.org has become structured data HQ, because its framework — sets of vocabularies and relationships — was created and is maintained through a cross-platform partnership between Google, Microsoft, Yandex, and other major search engines. They regularly create new schema types and relationships aimed at making the information on the web more easily accessible to users.

Schema.org breaks down content into common vocabulary of predefined @types, which each have predefined properties, and can then be expressed using a common Javascript notation (JSON-LD). Like entries to the Oxford English Dictionary, the team behind Schema.Org are constantly adding new @types and properties in order to keep pace with user needs. At present, there are 778 types, but that number will continue to grow. Each new type brings more clarity, consistency, and ease of access to the information on the web — something that’s brilliant for search engines, and great for your traffic.

What does that mean in practice?

Sometimes when I'm explaining structured data to clients, I describe it as a means of essentially turning your beautiful website into a spreadsheet for robots. They can prioritize and process the critical information about the content of the page without having to understand the layout of your particular Wordpress theme, reams of CSS, or navigate your Joomla configuration.

This means that information a bot has on a page can be more consistent and resilient, even if the content changes day-to-day. So, in the example of a retailer with seasonal specials and campaigns that change the front end home page layout, structured data tells Google the same information about the page in the same way every time:

Why should SMEs prioritize structured data implementation?

Simply put, structured data gives you the chance to jump the queue on the SERP.

When we look at the ways in which Google has enhanced its SERPs over the last few years, what we see consistently is the use of JSON-LD structured data in combination with Google APIs to create new features and new channels for content. Rich snippet SERP features like Google for Jobs, Google Shopping, featured snippets, how-to instructions, recipe cards, knowledge panels, and other monumental changes to the SERP have all been driven or improved by the creation and utilization of structured data frameworks.

Users love these features because they’re multi-media search enhancements, and are impossible to miss as they often take up the entire viewport on mobile:

Left to right: rich results for Google for Jobs, recipes, video

Not a plain blue link in sight.

In many cases, your content cannot be included in these attractive rich snippets without structured data. So, if you literally want to get ahead of the competition, structured data needs to be a component in your SEO strategy.

What are the other advantages of structured data for small businesses?

Along with increased visibility, structured data implementation offers the following advantages for small businesses:

You will likely outpace your local competitors. SMEs are likely to feature within local pack search results with other small businesses. Here, competition for keywords is fierce, but many have yet to incorporate structured data into their sites. This is an opportunity to increase your visibility, gain more market share, and therefore increase conversions.

Schema markup is a fully scalable optimization. While some SEO tasks like content creation can require pages to be optimized one-by-one, Schema markup can be built into the structure of the page. This means that once it’s set up, every new product listing page, for instance, would already have the optimization as you expand the site, whether you stock six products or six thousand. The time this saves is especially significant for small marketing teams.

Schema markup implementation can be carried out as a single project within a few months. This can be a win for clients and SEOs, because in many cases, there is a clear demarcation before and after, followed by solid results which help to build confidence in further SEO activities, give clear ROI and satisfy clients looking for quick wins.

How do you identify which structured data is best for SEO strategy?

With almost 800 types of schema markup available to add to a website, it can be difficult to decide which are the best for your page, but to start, you can introduce or improve some new elements to help you better perform online and complement your existing content or e-commerce SEO strategy.

Does your site pass the schema markup need-to-have checklist?

There are certain sets of schema markup that apply to almost every site, and others — like Product and Job Postings — that are niche critical to effective SEO. As a general rule of thumb, every time I get a new client, I run through the following initial checks:

Do the homepage and about pages have Organisation or Local Business schema?

Do the blogs have schema for Articles or Blog Postings?

Do the team pages have Person schema?

If it’s an e-commerce site, does it have the niche critical Product schema?

If it is a recruiter site, does it have the niche critical Job Postings schema?

If the business is in another niche with dedicated Google SERP features, does it have the necessary markup?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions and the site doesn’t have the appropriate markup, then you should add schema markup to your site.

If the answer to these questions is “yes”, then it’s important to test the quality of the implementation before moving on to the next step. To do this, take a look at Search Console’s Rich Results Report to review pages at scale, or use their Structured Data Testing Tool and Rich Results Test to inspect individual pages. If you see errors, they should be addressed.

How to Find Address Schema Errors

Valid schema markup in Search Console

First, take a look at Search Console’s Rich Results Report to review pages at scale and identify which content is being read as Valid, Valid with Errors or Error.

Valid: If your markup is ‘Valid’, then it is being crawled and indexed correctly. These pages are unlikely to require further action.

Errors: Pages with markup that is identified with an ‘Error’ tend to have incorrect syntax, so you should review the individual page and correct the code as soon as possible. When the changes are complete, use the Validate Fix button, to request reassessment.

Valid with Warning: If your content is showing as ‘Valid a Warning’, then you are likely displaying schema markup with a Missing field. These warnings do not make the page or the markup invalid, but they can make the page less competitive, because the content is less targeted. Review your content to ensure that your schema is reflecting as much of the on page content as possible in order to reduce these errors, and therefore increase the performance of your schema markup.

Schema markup warnings in Search Console

Structured Data Testing Tool and Rich Results Test allow you to troubleshoot improvements to structured data on individual pages. Each of these tools you can enter the URL in question and you will receive itemised information on any errors or warnings.

Warnings on structured data testing tool

Warnings on rich results test

The missing fields highlighted here correspond to properties within the Event schema type. So, to improve this markup, you would look up the definitions of the relevant properties on schema.org and, where applicable, use their example HTML to guide your optimizations.

Property definitions in schema.org

Example "performer" HTML script from schema.org

In this instance, to improve the performance of my schema, I may need to build new performer fields into the CMS, or to work with the dev team to add the content from existing CMS data fields into the schema regex.

In either case you will be making improvements that help you better target and serve users.

Strategies for adding schema to your site

If you need to add schema to your site there are a few options for implementation.

Adding schema to single static pages

For some single pages with largely static content, adding markup types like Local Business, Organization, or a single FAQ page, can be a straightforward process of generating the code and placing it into the HTML of the page. Major CMS platforms like Shopify and Wordpress have plugins to assist with generating the markup for these pages which is easy to implement. Those with custom CMS configurations can use tools like the Schema Markup Generator to generate the JSON-LD, then pass it onto the development team to push it live.

Adding scalable schema for bulk implementation

Bulk schema implementation is almost essential for high volume content creators. This applies to e-commerce shops, but also to those who regularly post standard format content like recipes, blogs, articles, job vacancies, events, training courses, etc.

For these pages, the most effective way to get the most out of the schema on your site is to automate the process by building it into the structure of your site. In most instances, this involves a four phase approach, working in coordination with your developers and clients.

Start with your sitemap. You should have a dynamic XML sitemap that helps Google index pages as they are created, and includes the elements that are listed within the structured data. For an e-commerce site, this means having a sitemap that includes the product listings pages, but also the image sitemap and customer service pages.

Optimize for on-page SEO: Ensure that you have strong on-page SEO with good keyword research, headings, and accurate information. Schema offers increased targeting opportunities, so this will help you to double down on any on-page SEO efforts.

Organize your content. For bulk implementation, you should work with your content, and try to assign a type and property to each standard field for content on your page. Treat it like a formula that can be applied to each page with the same format. If you don’t have fields that correspond with the required properties for your schema type, add them. If you have a bulk of information, try to ensure that you have properties that support the USPs of your content. Then work with your developers to update your template so that the schema generates consistently across the site.

Connect with relevant Google APIs. Once your sitemap is solid, your content is optimised and your markup is in place. check to see if the schema you're using has an API and, if it does, get your site connected to it. Some of the most-used rich results connect directly with dedicated Google APIs, which further integrate with PPC tools to round out your marketing mix.

Examples of Schema Types with Dedicated Google APIs

Lodging schema connects with the Hotel API and can be used with Google Hotels PPC

Job Posting schema connects with the Indexing API to enable inclusion in Google for Jobs

Product schema connects with Content API to enable inclusion in Google Shopping search results and ad listings.

How to measure and demonstrate the impact of schema markup

Measuring Schema Enable Rich Results in Search Console

The impact of schema markup which generates rich results, can be easily monitored and measured in Search Console. Within the Enhancements tab, you can monitor the quality of your implementation and any current or recent errors.

View schema-enabled rich content in the Search Console Enhancements tab

To monitor impressions, rankings, clicks and CTR, visit the Search Appearance tab under Performance. This tab provides historic data that can be compared to earlier configurations of the site.

Visit Performance > Search Appearance tab to see rich result performance

Within Google Analytics, your tracking and monitoring will depend upon your implementation. For instance, google-jobs-apply clicks may show as a separate source from standard search results within Organic. But I’ve also seen Google Shopping clicks show as part of the (other) channel. In either case, annotate your implementation dates to monitor relevant content for changes in clicks, impressions, and conversions.

For many small businesses, Search Console data should be sufficient but there are also tools which can help you drill down further into the data.

In summary

Taking a strategic, integrated approach to structured data implementation helps SMEs to stay competitive in today’s search environment because of its scalability, versatility and measurability. Furthermore, the applicability of schema markup as the underpinning of a cohesive content and advertising strategy, brings much needed efficiencies for SME marketers who want to make the most out of their content.

Want to learn more about technical SEO? Check out the Moz Academy Technical SEO Certification Series, an in-depth training series that hones in on the nuts and bolts of technical SEO.

Sign Me Up!

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!