Ecommerce schema markup is a game-changer for online stores. By adding schema markup to your website, you can improve your visibility in search engine results and drive more traffic to your site.
Schema markup is a type of microdata that helps search engines understand the content and structure of your website. It's like adding labels to your website's content, making it easier for search engines to crawl and index.
By using schema markup, you can highlight important information about your products, such as prices, reviews, and availability, which can increase the likelihood of your site appearing in rich snippets in search engine results.
What Is Ecommerce Schema Markup?
Ecommerce schema markup is a type of code that helps search engines understand the structure and content of an online store.
It's essentially a way to add extra details to your website that make it easier for search engines to crawl and index your products.
Schema markup can be added to product descriptions, prices, and reviews to provide a richer experience for users.
This markup can also help improve your website's visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs).
By adding schema markup to your ecommerce website, you can increase the chances of your products being featured in rich snippets.
Rich snippets can include additional information like reviews, ratings, and prices, which can make your listings stand out in search results.
Incorporating schema markup can also help improve the overall user experience on your website.
Benefits and Best Practices
Implementing ecommerce schema markup can have a significant impact on your online store's visibility and sales. The benefits are numerous, but let's focus on the most important ones.
One of the key benefits is improved search engine rankings. By providing search engines with structured data, you can increase your chances of appearing in rich results and product entity rich results. This can lead to higher click-through rates (CTR) and more sales.
To reap these benefits, it's essential to follow best practices. For example, when adding product identifiers, make sure they are distinct, verifiable, and globally reachable. This means using a unique identifier for each product, ensuring that the information is consistent across all channels, and using an identification protocol that can be implemented globally.
Here are some key best practices to keep in mind:
- Distinctiveness: Use a unique identifier for each product.
- Verifiability: Ensure that product data is verifiable through a known and trusted source.
- Global Reach: Use an identification protocol that can be implemented globally.
Additionally, providing rich product information via schema properties can help you stand out in search engine results. This includes providing a summary description, availability, and reviewer ratings. By doing so, you can increase your chances of appearing in product entity rich results and driving more sales.
By following these best practices and implementing ecommerce schema markup, you can improve your online store's visibility, increase sales, and stay ahead of the competition.
Implementation Methods
There are three main ways of structuring your Schemas: Microdata, JSON-LD, and RDFa. They're all slightly different but still based on the same set of Schemas.
You can use these methods in conjunction with each other for the best possible results. Manual coding of the schema allows for the highest level of customization and will help you implement what is right for your specific business case.
To implement schema markup, you can use extensions to add schema markup, or implement schema markup manually in the HTML code. Google recommends the JSON-LD format for schema markup.
If you're using Shopify, you can automate eCommerce Product markup by following these steps:
- Navigate to the snippets folder under your theme code and create a new snippet called “product-schema”
- Enter the code you created and validated into the new “product-schema.liquid” file
- Navigate to the Product.liquid file, scroll to the very end of the page and add in the code: {% include ‘product-schema’ %}
Here are the three main ways of structuring your Schemas:
You can use these methods in conjunction with each other for the best possible results.
Types and Examples
A Product schema object is defined with a product name and a URL pointing to an image of the product. This schema has an Offer type that contains the actual offering, including a price, currency, and direct URL to buy the product.
To set up category Product Pages, use ProductCollection for collections of products. This is according to the ECOMMERCE SCHEMA MARKUP GUIDE – EXTEND PRODUCT STRUCTURED DATA AND MORE.
You can also use the AggregateRating Product Review Stars to gain visibility. This is achieved through nested schema markup, where reviews reflect honest experiences and opinions about the product.
The 9 Types Your Store Needs
Your store needs a solid foundation of schema types to provide a great user experience and improve visibility in search results.
To start, you'll want to include the Foundational eCommerce Schema, which consists of Product, Offer, and Reviews. This will cover the essential information about each product, such as name, description, image, availability, and pricing.
You should also consider adding Review Schema to showcase customer reviews and ratings, as well as AggregateRating Schema to display an overall rating based on multiple reviews.
Organization Schema can be useful for displaying information about your store, such as logo, address, phone number, and founding date.
In addition to these, you may also want to include:
- ProductCollection for collections of products
- Shipping Information Schema to provide more details about shipping and delivery
- PaymentMethod structured data to highlight payment options
- PriceTypeEnumerationEnumeration type with values such as InvoicePrice, ListPrice, MSRP, and SalePrice
- Size and Measurement properties to model product sizes
- GTINs (Global Trade Item Numbers) for unique product identification
Here's a brief overview of each of these schema types:
By incorporating these schema types, you'll be well on your way to creating a robust and user-friendly store that search engines will love.
Energy Efficiency Ratings
Let's talk about Energy Efficiency Ratings. If you're offering home electronics, you'll want to emphasize their energy efficiency.
You can use a Schema type called EnergyConsumptionDetails to highlight this feature. This type is specifically designed for energy efficiency ratings.
To showcase energy efficiency, consider using the EnergyConsumptionDetails Schema. It's a great way to provide detailed information about energy consumption.
Pages and Content
Search engines need to know what type of products you sell, so it's essential to add schema markup to your category pages.
You can enhance your product pages by adding schema markup, which will display information like ratings, prices, and in-stock status in the SERPs.
In fact, adding schema markup to your product pages can make them stand out and increase your chances of getting more traffic to your site.
Why Websites Matter
Websites matter because they can include Sitelink search boxes in their search engine results, making it easy for users to find specific products they need.
Implementing eCommerce schema types can improve changes to increase sales volume, especially for small niche markets that can better compete within their own e-commerce system or through a marketplace service.
Adding schema markup to eCommerce web pages helps search engines process the information on the site better, and in return, search engines can display this information as a rich snippet, giving people more information about the website or page.
Rich snippets are great for SEO, and they can include breadcrumbs, ratings, prices, pros and cons, and frequently asked questions, which can lead to higher rankings within search engines and a higher CTR.
Many eCommerce websites don't make use of schema markup, which is a lost opportunity to gain extra traffic to their site.
With WebSite schema, users can directly search for a specific product they need from the Google search results, and then be directly redirected to the search results of that product on the website.
For e-commerce owners and managers, getting Google Free Product Listings is crucial, especially when budgets are tight, as it can drive sales without paid traffic.
Structured data is a crucial factor to gain the best exposure on Google in the 2020s, and eCommerce rich results can be gained through schema types that help increase sales volume.
Shipping Information for SEO
Shipping Information for SEO is crucial for online stores, especially when advertising to a global audience. You can include shipping information with the OfferShippingDetails Schema, which provides more information on the shipping destination, rate, policy page, delivery time, and exclusions.
To add this schema, nest it under the general Product Schema or provide it separately, depending on your structured data setup. This will help search engines understand your shipping policies and display relevant information in the search results.
Including shipping details schema.org markup is essential for providing in-depth product information to Google and other search engines. This can lead to higher rankings within search engines and a higher Click-Through Rate (CTR), which are key KPIs for online stores to increase.
Here are the key points to consider when adding shipping information schema:
- Shipping destination
- Shipping rate
- Shipping policy page
- Delivery time
- Shipping exclusions
By including this information, you can provide a better shopping experience for your customers and improve your online store's SEO.
Return Policy
Make your return policy clear to both searchers and search engines with the MerchantReturnPolicy Schema type. This will help remove friction from the conversion process and increase trust with potential customers.
Specify how you handle returns, including policies for damaged items, fees per country, and more. This will give customers a clear understanding of what to expect.
Use the MerchantReturnPolicy Schema to define specific policies and provide a seamless experience for your customers.
Here are some key details to include in your return policy:
- Fees per country
- Returns for damaged items
- Other specific policies
By including this information in your return policy, you'll be able to provide a clear and transparent experience for your customers, which can lead to increased trust and conversion rates.
Breadcrumb
Breadcrumbs are an essential part of a website's navigation, and they're not just for humans. Breadcrumbs help search bots understand your website's categorization.
You should use BreadcrumbList data on your website, as it strengthens your website's hierarchy. Breadcrumb navigation makes it easy for search bots and searchers to see how your eCommerce categorization works.
Here are the types of structured data you'll use on category pages: Breadcrumbs SCHEMAFAQ SCHEMA
Breadcrumbs help search bots and searchers understand your website's categorization, so use them on your category pages.
Content Guide
To make your content stand out, you should include structured data, which is like a secret code that search engines can understand. This code helps search engines to display your content in a more visually appealing way, making it more likely to be clicked.
Structured data can be added to various types of content, including product pages, blog posts, and category pages. For product pages, you can use schema markup to highlight important information such as ratings, prices, and availability.
On your blog, you can use schema markup to enhance your guide and blog content, making it more attractive to potential customers. This can include adding schema markup to your product pages, such as ratings, prices, and availability.
Here are some key points to keep in mind when adding structured data to your content:
- Use schema markup to highlight important information on product pages, such as ratings, prices, and availability.
- Add schema markup to your blog content to enhance your guide and blog content.
- Use the AggregateRating schema to display an overall rating from multiple reviews.
- Make sure your product pages have a clear and concise description, including the product name, description, image, availability, and pricing.
- Use the Offer schema to display pricing and availability information.
- Consider adding a warranty policy to your product pages using the WarrantyPromise schema.
By following these tips, you can make your content more attractive and engaging to potential customers, increasing the chances of driving more traffic and sales to your website.
Rich Results and Visibility
Rich product information is key to standing out in search engine results. Google recognizes and classifies products using a product's Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) and Manufacturer Part Numbers (MPNs), if available.
To gain visibility, include shippingDetails schema.org markup, and use PriceTypeEnumerationEnumeration type with values such as InvoicePrice, ListPrice, and SalePrice. This helps search engines understand your product's pricing and availability.
Product schema also enables you to showcase your product's average rating, reviews, and ratings in search engine results. This can be done by using the AggregateRating property, which displays product review stars. To implement this, ensure your products have GTINs, don't reuse product identifiers, and adhere to best practices for product identifiers for custom products.
By using product schema, you can make your products stand out from the rest. This is especially powerful for eCommerce websites, as it enables users to search for specific products directly from the search engine results page.
Entity Rich Results
Entity Rich Results are a game-changer for e-commerce businesses. By including schema markup on your product pages, you can help search engines like Google understand your products and display them in a more visually appealing way.
To get started, make sure your products have unique Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs). This is a requirement for using Google's Manufacturer Center. You can find more information on how to assign GTINs to your products on the GS1 website in your local region.
Product schema should include GTINs and Manufacturer Part Numbers (MPNs), if available. This provides Google with the information it needs to recognize and classify your products.
Google also recommends including product reviews and ratings in your schema markup. This can help increase visibility in organic search and display coveted stars in search results. Make sure your reviews directly relate to the product they're about.
To provide better product information for shoppers, include sourced factual content when you have supportive case studies or documents. Add product-related FAQ to make it easy for buyers to get past any lingering questions.
Here are some key schema properties to include in your product schema:
- GTINs
- Manufacturer Part Numbers (MPNs)
- Product reviews and ratings
- Sourced factual content
- Product-related FAQ
- Shipping details
- Price information (including price drop detection)
By incorporating these schema properties into your product schema, you can help search engines like Google understand your products and display them in a more visually appealing way. This can lead to increased visibility, more clicks, and ultimately, more sales.
Google Image Search
Google Image Search plays a significant role in how your products are displayed and interacted with online. Google tells us that product markup makes your products eligible to display with a badge in Google Images, encouraging more users to click your content.
To include product information in Google Images, follow these guidelines. Include the name, image, price, and priceCurrency properties to show your product information in the rich image viewer. This is a required property for your product to be eligible for the rich image viewer and the Related Items feature in Google Images.
To show your product information in the Related Items feature, you'll need to include the name, image, price, priceCurrency, and availability properties. This ensures that your product is displayed correctly in Google Images.
Always check for broken images and other technical SEO issues to ensure your product information is accurately represented in Google Images. Your image alt tags and other metadata fields help align your images to the product description used on the same page.
Here are the required properties for Google Images:
- To show your product information in the rich image viewer: name, image, price, and priceCurrency properties.
- To show your product information in the Related Items feature: name, image, price, priceCurrency, and availability properties.
Sources
- https://snipcart.com/blog/schema-markup-ecommerce-website-seo
- https://www.siteguru.co/seo-academy/ecommerce-structured-data
- https://salience.co.uk/insight/magazine/schema-for-ecommerce-sites/
- https://www.hillwebcreations.com/ecommerce-schema-markup-guide/
- https://www.phanum.com/ecommerce/5-schema-markup-implementations-for-ecommerce/
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