Expert Feature: What Is Schema.org And Why Should We Implement It?
Have you ever searched for a recipe or product on Google, Yahoo or Bing where a picture, star ratings or recipe ingredients are displayed along with the link to the page?
These search results are called “rich snippets” and they are a good example of what Schema.org can do for your search listings.
Schema.org in the simplest terms is microdata on a web page that provides search engines with more information in the search listing during queries.
These elements may be displayed on the search engine results page (SERP) with the goal of improving visibility of the listing and increasing clicks.
With Schema.org, you can include display images, product reviews, and dates and times of a trade show or upcoming conference on the listing on the SERP.
What it Looks Like in Practice
Schema.org may also be displayed as text only. An excellent example is provided to us by Bill Hunt at Back Azimuth. Bill worked with Absolut Vodka to add Schema.org code to their site: 
Figure 1. Search Engine Result for “Absolut Martini Recipe” Enhanced by Schema.org
Note the addition of an image, star ratings, average score, number of reviews and a short description to the listings.
By adding microdata directly to the HTML code on your web pages, you are helping the search engines determine exactly the desired information and how that information should be used.
The result of Schema.org implementations is that searches instantly become more relevant to the end user conducting the search.
Simply ranking in the top 5 listings on page 1 is not always enough, especially when the competitors for these listings have similiar optimization and links.
By adding Schema.org microdata to your pages, search engines can better judge how your listing fits the search requirements.
A better fit on the SERP means more clicks and fewer bounces from your web page.
Now, with a more visual listing and additional information, you can expect additional clicks on your link.
Types of Businesses That Benefit
Many types of businesses may benefit from using Schema.org. A partial list from MOZ includes:
- Restaurants – reviews, stars, price range.
- Music Albums – lyrics and a link to play the song
- People – phone number and photos
- Business and organizations – location and customer reviews
- Authors – author photo, name and link to more articles
- Recipes – photo, recipe rating and time required
- Video – video image
- Products – ratings, picture and price range
- Events – event date, location and time
We can’t think of a good reason to delay adding rich snippets to your search listings.
How to Get Started Today
To learn more about adding the code to create rich snippets to your website, get started on the Schema.org site today!
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