How to Implement Schemas Correctly

In today’s digital landscape, search engines use structured data to better understand the content of web pages and provide rich search results. Schema markup, based on the schema.org vocabulary, plays a crucial role in conveying this structured information. When implemented correctly, schema markup enables search engines to better understand and interpret your website’s content, leading to enhanced visibility, improved search rankings, and visibility in AI-powered search landscapes (as explored in our previous article, Part 1: How Website Schemas Assist with Google’s Search Generative Experience). In this article, we will explore the importance of properly implementing schema to maximize impact and ROI. 

To maximize the benefits of schema markup, it is essential to adopt a comprehensive approach to the deployment, that encompasses research, proper formatting, deployment, ongoing management, and measurement. Let’s delve into each phase: 

1. Research – Choosing the Right Schema 

Before implementing schema markup, conduct thorough research to identify the most suitable schema types for your websites. Consider the specific pages and opportunities where schema markup can provide valuable information to search engines, enabling better understanding of individual aspects of your business, as well building overall entity connectivity in the knowledge graph. By choosing the relevant schemas aligned with quality content on your site, you enhance your websites’ visibility and enable search engines to present your content more effectively. 

2. Proper Format – Generate Schema and Ensure Proper Nested Architecture 

Once you have identified the appropriate schema types, generate the schema markup for your content using the appropriate JSON-LD format as outlined in schema.org, paying attention to the recommended and required elements. Proper nesting is crucial to building entity awareness and a comprehensive knowledge graph. For example, if you are implementing schema for a restaurant website, you would nest the “Menu Item” schema within the “Menu” schema, the “Menu” schema within the “Restaurant” schema, and so on. This hierarchical structure connects the dots between the website, parent organization all the way down to the specific dish’s nutrition information. As you explore additional schema elements on your site, the nesting process may become more complex but offers a greater depth of information. 

Sample visualization of nested schema elements for an international B2B company.

3. Test & Deploy the Schema 

Before deploying schema markup on your live website, it is essential to test its validity and functionality. Use tools like Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool or Milestone’s Schema Validator to ensure that your schema is error-free and can be properly interpreted by search engines. 

4. Ongoing Schema Management 

Schema markup is not a one-time implementation; it requires ongoing management to adapt to changes in requirements and updates to schema.org. Some key considerations to effective ongoing schema management include: staying update with the latest changes from schema.org, tracking industry trends, monitoring websites changes (content and structure), periodic testing and validation of schema to ensure the markup is adhering to best practices, and collaborating with stakeholders – including developers, content creators, and SEO specialists to keep your schema markup aligned with business goals and latest search trends. 

5. Measurement – Demonstrating the Value 

Implementing schema markup allows you to measure its impact on your website’s performance. Utilize analytics tools to track and analyze organic traffic from search engines. A platform that enables comprehensive measurement and reporting, like the Milestone schema platform, can provide valuable insights, demonstrating the value and impact of your schema implementation efforts. 

Deploying at scale

Once you have successfully implemented schema markup and validated the benefits, it’s time to deploy at scale. However, this step comes with its own set of challenges, including: 

• Complexity of the Entities: Scaling schema markup across a large website with multiple entities can be complex. Careful planning and organization of the schema hierarchy are crucial to ensure consistent implementation. 
• Revisions to Schema.org: The schema.org vocabulary evolves over time, introducing new schema types and properties. Staying up to date with these revisions ensures that your schema markup remains relevant and effective. 
• IT Resources for Deployment and Management: Implementing schema markup at scale may require significant IT resources to update existing pages, templates, and automate the schema generation process. Collaboration between developers, content creators, and SEO specialists is crucial to streamline this process. 
• Demonstrating Value and Impact: Convincing stakeholders of the value and impact of schema markup can be challenging. Comprehensive measurement and reporting tools, like the Milestone schema platform, can help demonstrate the positive effects on organic search traffic and user engagement. 

Implementing schema markup correctly is a crucial aspect of website development. By conducting thorough research, ensuring proper formatting and nesting, testing, ongoing management, and measuring the impact, you can effectively utilize structured data to enhance your website’s visibility and user experience. When ready to deploy schema markup at scale, leverage platforms like the Milestone Schema Manager to streamline the process. With its ability to automate schema generation, deploy with the click of a button, and provide in-depth measurement and reporting, it streamlines the implementation and management process. By leveraging this platform, businesses can harness the full value of schema markup and achieve significant improvements in organic traffic and search rankings. 

Stay tuned for our third and final installment of this schema series – Part 3: Measuring ROI and Impact of Schemas. 

About Milestone 

Milestone drives online discovery and customer acquisition with our proprietary digital presence platform. The Milestone platform combines Website CMS, Schema Manager, Local listings, Reviews management, FAQ Manager, and Analytics in one easy-to-navigate space.  

Over 2,000 companies across hospitality, retail, fintech, and automotive industries trust Milestone to drive online growth. Milestone is proud to be a trusted partner to large enterprises, mid-market companies, and SMBs, including Marriott, US Bank, One Nevada Credit Union, VMWare, Nissan, McDonald’s, Motel6, Preferred Hotels, Sun Outdoors, and SeaWorld. 

Annually, over 300 million visitors use websites developed on the Milestone CMS, 540M consumers click on content powered by Milestone Schemas, and 3.7B consumers search for businesses powered by Milestone Local. The Milestone platform is amongst the highest-rated MarTech platforms with awards and recognition from Forrester, G2, Adrian Awards, US Search Awards, Search Engine Land, CMS Wire, and many more organizations.  For more information about Milestone, please visit www.milestoneinternet.com.