Uncovering Schema Markup and Local SEO for Small Businesses

Schema markup is one of the powerful local SEO techniques that showcase your brand on the local SERPs. It bridges the gap between your webpage content and search engines. If search engines could not identify your content, then appearing on better rankings would be a daunting task.

To narrow down this difficulty, schema markup and local SEO came into force. Both go hand in hand, applying local SEO techniques without schema or applying schema without local SEO will not drive positive results.

Here, we will walk you through the role of schema markup and small business SEO in the online business world. Our previous experience and knowledge in this area helped us to write a blog post on this topic.

By the end of the blog, all your doubts regarding schema markup and local SEO will be gone and you will embrace this effective technique for your online small business operations.

Let’s dive in.

What is Schema Markup?

Generally, search engines aim to understand the queries prompted by the searchers and provide quality results that exactly match the queries. For understanding the exact context and intention of the searcher, major search engine giants like Google, Bing, Yahoo, and Yandex launched schema markup in 2011.

Schema is a structured data markup code which, when added to the HTML code of your webpage, it will help search engines to better understand the exact context behind your website content. Moreover, webpages with schema markup will easily be identified by search engines and are displayed in the form of rich snippets.

Types of Schema

Business details like name, address, phone number, and others have to be included on your website. To help search engines understand all your business-related content, utilizing schema, would be an ideal option. There are three different data formats of schema including Microdata, JSON-LD, RDFa.

1. Microdata

Microdata is a set of tags that uses supporting vocabulary within HTML code to help search engines, crawlers, and browsers better understand the content present on your webpage

2. JSON-LD

JSON-LD stands for JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data (JSON-LD) that uses JavaScript code to apply schema markup code to your webpage content making it understandable to search engines. It is one of the popular schema types which is used by more than 33.7% of websites.

3. RDFa

RDFa can be elaborated as Resource Description Framework in Attributes is a type of data format for specifying your web content using metadata in HTML, XHTML, and various XML dialects

What is the Importance of Using Schema on your Local Business Website?

When schema markup is implemented in the right way, there will be many local SEO opportunities to accomplish your small business objectives. As a small business owner, you will have to maintain an impressive profile on various platforms including Google My Business (GMB) listing, local directories, social media platforms, and others.

Schema markup will help you convey the differences in all these content to search engines. This is a basic reason why schema should be used on your website. Further, there are few other reasons listed below that depict the importance of schema on a small business website.

1. Provides Extensive Rich Snippets

As rich snippets display extra information on the SERP than a normal snippet, it’s crucial that you optimize schema for specifying your webpage content. Studies show that having a rich snippet can drive 20-40% more traffic than product links without them.

2. Drives Organic Click-through-rate(CTR)

Rich snippets can increase click-through rate (CTR) by 677%. Another important reason is that extensive rich snippets are powerful in capturing the attention of target users.

3. Boosts your Website Local SEO

As search engines can understand your webpage content clearly with the presence of structured schema data, you will be able to get quality rankings for your niche-based queries.

How to Implement Schema for Your Local Business Website?

The success of any online small business lies in driving potential traffic to the website. To drive traffic, your website should be visible on better rankings on the SERP, your title and meta description should exactly match with the keywords the user is searching for.

Tools that Help Successful Implementation of Schema on Local Business Websites

By properly structuring your business details like reviews, photos, name, address, phone number, and others, you will be eligible for appearing on better rankings as extensive rich snippets for the most relevant search queries.

Best Schema Plugins for Small Business WordPress Websites

When it comes to WordPress websites, setting up schema markup for web pages becomes a piece of cake. One of the biggest advantages of developing your website using WordPress is access to a plethora of schema plugins.

There are a lot of plugins available in WordPress, depending on your requirements you have to choose the one that best meets your needs. Here, we have curated a few best plugins through which you can build schema markup for your web pages that search engines can easily understand.

1. Schema Pro

Schema Pro is an excellent WordPress plugin through which you can set up a markup quickly. The configurations you make will automatically be applied to all selected pages and posts. Using this plugin, you can apply schema markup for content related to reviews, local businesses, articles, services, job postings, software applications, books, events, personalities, and much more.

Price

  • Schema Pro – $79/year
  • Agency Bundle – $249/year
  • To know more about pricing, click here

2. All In One Schema Rich Snippets

All In One Schema Rich Snippets is a popular and free WordPress plugin through which you can acquire better rankings for the most relevant search queries. With the help of this plugin, you can apply schema code for reviews, events, people, products, recipes, software applications, videos, and articles. If you like to install the plugin, click here.

3. Schema and Structured Data for WP & AMP

With Schema and Structured Data for WP & AMP plugin, you can structure your WordPress website that best suits for extensive rich snippets. Through this WordPress plugin, you can apply schema markup for content like articles, audio objects, blog postings, courses, events, local businesses, news articles, products, reviews, recipes, tech articles, events, job postings, and much more.

Price

  • Personal – $99 for 1 site
  • Webmaster – $149 for 10 sites
  • Freelancer – $299 for 25 sites
  • Agency – $499 for unlimited sites
  • To know more about pricing, click here

4. WordPress Review Plugin

WP Review plugin supports schema types that search engines can easily understand the content on your website, increasing the probability of your website traffic. This plugin would be a useful add-on for applying schema to content that talks about articles, books, games, movies, paintings, places, products, recipes, restaurants, stores, TV series, and much more. If you like to install the free version of the plugin, click here.

Price

  • Single product – $87 for 3 websites
  • Membership – $197 for 3 websites
  • To know more about pricing, click here

5. WP SEO Structured Data Schema

Through WP SEO Structured Data Schema adding structured data to your webpage content becomes a piece of cake. This plugin would be useful for applying schema to content that talks about organizations, local businesses, news articles, blogs, events, products, videos, services, reviews, aggregate ratings, and restaurants. If you like to install the free version of the plugin, click here.

Based on features, ratings, reviews, and pricing, we have picked these plugins. If you are not happy with these plugins, then you can opt for custom plugins from reputed plugin development companies.

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Kickstart Your Small Business Journey with the Successful Implementation of Schema Markup and Local SEO

Hopefully, now you would have got a better understanding of schema markup and local SEO. Implementing schema markup for your webpage content is a powerful local SEO practice that enables you to gain quality rankings on the SERP. Structuring your webpage content with schema markup will help you enjoy the perks of local SEO.

Without schema, benefiting from local SEO would be highly challenging. If you find it challenging to apply schema markup for your small business website, then feel free to take assistance from our team.

At ColorWhistle, we have skilled SEO specialists who will take care of your small business activities. All you have to do is drop us a line or give us a call +1 (210) 787-3600
at any time. Our team is ready to join hands with you!

If you have any doubts regarding the schema implementation process, then let us in the comments box below. We are ready to answer your queries.

Pavithra Samuel
About the Author - Pavithra Samuel

I'm a word-aholic copywriter who always loves to share a close bond with digital marketing. Google, being my father of research, accompanies me shoulder-to-shoulder in every step of writing. I always look up to copywriters who generate educative, persuasive content impeccably seasoned with creativity & innovation. I can deliver content for web service pages, blogs, social media, emails, and so on. I can engage myself in content-related works for B2B, B2C, SMEs, niche-specific businesses. Other than reading & writing, my other two escapes are sweets & songs. My dream desk would be more of creative writing projects, desserts, music, & minions.

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