What is schema markup and how can it help with things like voice search?

July 03, 2023

When it comes to search engine optimisation (SEO), it can feel like trends change on a monthly or even daily basis. Some strategies however are proving valuable for the long term, even as trends (such as voice search) and algorithms become apparent in the short term.

Schema markup is one such technicality that will also be an important part of the way companies like you showcase your products or services online. Here we discover why schema markup is beneficial and the top trends that are being influenced by marked-up content right now.

What exactly is schema markup?

Known as schema or structured data, schema markup is essentially a language or code that helps search engines like Google understand exactly what your website is all about. The presence of schema also means search engines can understand the relationships between the content on your pages to form all-important connections.

With schema markup, you can communicate more succinctly with the search engines to better describe your website and its components to your target audience to unlock some pretty impressive benefits.

Why is schema important?

Marking up your website using structured data will enhance your SEO success dramatically. Search engines after all understand schema markup more easily than content displayed as plain text.

Your website will rank for more relevant search queries, and enjoy better visibility, higher clickthrough rates and more traffic as a result. The content of your website is also more likely to be featured as rich snippets to boost your visibility and ranking success further. All these SEO improvements will drive better results online for your brand.

How does schema help with voice search?

Schema markup is integral to voice search optimisation. Voice search has become increasingly popular in recent years, with the use of wearables and smart home technology meaning people around the world use voice search at a higher rate than ever before.

When marking up your website using structured data or schema, it is important to acknowledge that voice and text-based searches differ drastically. With this, data should be made more conversational and contain ‘speakable snippets’ (content that can be easily and naturally spoken aloud) to satisfy voice search audiences.

By keeping these points in mind when devising your schema markup, you can increase your online presence and cater to a different type of audience with success.