Schema.org burst onto the SEO scene in 2011 when Google, Bing, and Yahoo came together to create a common set of schemas that webmasters could use to markup their pages in ways that search engines could understand more clearly. The goal was to improve search engine results by providing additional context through structured data markup.
Over a decade later, schema.org is still going strong – but is it still as vital for SEO as it once was? Let’s look at how Google currently uses schema markup and whether it should still be a priority for websites today.
How Google Uses Schema Markup
Google relies on schema markup to understand complex information on web pages quickly and display it prominently in search results. There are two main areas where schema optimization comes into play:
Featured Snippets
Google frequently pulls content for featured snippets – those summary boxes at the top of search results – from pages that use relevant schema markup. Adding schemas like FAQ, HowTo, Article, and more can increase your chances of getting a featured snippet.
Rich Results
Other rich results that draw data from schema markup include review stars for local businesses, recipes, event listings with dates/times, author profiles, and more. Schema enables search engines to display these and other types of quick-reference information more prominently.
So schema helps Google display key page content faster to searchers. However, its direct SEO benefits for basic ranking purposes may be declining.
In 2014, Google’s Gary Illyes said schema was “kind of overrated” for rankings. These days, Google is better at understanding web page content through advances in natural language processing – reducing its reliance on schema for basic comprehension.
So schema won’t directly improve non-rich search rankings dramatically on its own. But it remains essential for getting featured snippets, understanding complex data for rich results, and projecting authority and relevance.
A Brief History of Schema.org
Schema.org emerged to standardize structured data markup across the web. Before schema, search engines supported a mess of conflicting vocabulary terms and properties like microformats, microdata, RDFa, and more.
In June 2011, Bing, Google, and Yahoo announced schema.org – a consolidated “tag library” of schemas that was simpler for webmasters to implement while providing the structured data search engines wanted.
Over 150 schemas describing businesses, events, people, products, reviews, and more were available in v1.0. Schema.org aligned the major search engines for the first time around a common structure, paving the way for an explosion of rich results.
Schema usage grew quickly, and the organization that manages schema.org governance now includes representatives from Google, Microsoft, Pinterest, and Yandex. The library has grown to over 2,000 schemas that dig deeply into almost every topic.
Each year, new features are added based on emerging search queries and technologies like smart home devices and virtual reality experiences. The web has changed enormously since 2011, but schema.org standards have evolved to keep providing relevant, machine-readable context.
Should You Still Use Schema Markup Today?
Absolutely! Consider schema required for any site hoping to rank well in competitive queries.
Without schema markup, it’s extremely unlikely your site will trigger rich results or featured snippets – even if you have amazing content. Structured data enables Google to digest complex page content faster and display it prominently across devices.
And the time invested is well worth it. Pages earning featured snippets can expect an increase in traffic! For local sites, review stars drive trust and credibility. Events, products, recipes, and more all benefit from relevant schema highlighting key details.
Examples of Schema.org Markup
Here are a few examples of how to implement some of the most important schema.org markup to help get rich results and featured snippets:
FAQPage Schema
Use the FAQPage schema on pages with lists of frequently asked questions. It allows Google to understand the page contains questions and answers. Example code:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "FAQPage",
"mainEntity": [
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "What are your opening hours?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "We are open Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm."
}
},
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "Do you accept credit cards?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "Yes, we accept Visa, Mastercard and AMEX."
}
}
]
}
</script>HowTo Schema
The HowTo schema marks up instructions on how to do something. Add it to tutorial or instructional content:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "HowTo",
"name": "Change a bike tire",
"totalTime": "PT30M",
"step": [
{
"@type": "HowToStep",
"text": "Remove the bike wheel from the frame",
},
{
"@type": "HowToStep",
"text": "Deflate old inner tube"
}
]
}
</script>LocalBusiness Schema
This schema provides info like address, phone number for local businesses. Helps get the map snippet:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "LocalBusiness",
"name": "Empire Bakery",
"image": "bakeshop.jpg",
"telephone": "408-555-0124",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "1675 Montgomery St",
"addressLocality": "San Francisco",
"addressRegion": "CA",
}
}
</script>
Yes, It’s Still Important To Use Schema.org Markup
…Just not in the same way as it was in the 2010s.
A decade after launching as an ambitious effort to standardize web markup, schema.org remains highly relevant. The search landscape would look completely different without schema establishing connections between websites and search engine capabilities.
Expect schema to only increase in importance as Google expands conversational features across devices. Actionable structured data will allow websites to directly answer user questions, recommend products and services, and more.
For SEO experts, web developers, and IT teams, learning schema best practices now is vital for positioning companies to capitalize on voice search and emerging discovery interfaces powered by AI and machine learning in the future. Schema may have launched over 10 years ago – but in many ways, its transformative impact on the web is just beginning!