Schema markup can be a powerful tool for improving a website’s organic presence by providing search engines with context and information by way of structured data. As an added bonus, supported structured data is also eligible for rich results, which is a great way to stand out in the increasingly crowded search results. But more on that later.
If you’re interested in taking your SEO strategy to the next level and learning more about schema markup—including when to use schema, how to write structured markup, shortcuts for generating valid markup, and more—here’s five essential resources to help you get started.
1. Schema.org
When it comes to schema, there’s no better starting point than the official site: https://schema.org/.
Schema.org is the definitive resource for understanding the various types of schema markup, their structures, and how to apply them effectively.
Don’t be alarmed by the no-frills website design, Schema.org is actively maintained and offers a searchable library of schema types and properties, examples of how schema should be structured, best practices for implementation, helpful FAQs, and more.
Bookmark this site—it’s literally the Holy Grail for schema.
2. Google’s Rich Results
As alluded to before, there’s another advantage to using schema markup, which is the ability to generate rich results—those enhanced “blue links” you see in search. These include features like star ratings, pricing details, thumbnail images, recipe ingredients, FAQs, and more. Rich results not only stand out visually, but also tend to achieve a higher click-through rate (CTR) compared to standard organic results.
Google Search Central’s official documentation is the de facto resource to understand which schema markup can generate rich results. Also find use cases with markup examples, eligibility requirements, recommended and required properties, and troubleshooting tips.
Be sure to bookmark this URL too for easy referencing.
3. Free Schema Generators
Creating schema markup manually can be both intimidating and tricky, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the JSON-LD or microdata vocabularies and formatting. One missing or misplaced comma, quotation mark, or bracket and the whole thing goes kaput. However, free online tools like this Schema Markup Generator simplifies the process by allowing you to generate schema with user-friendly fill-in-the-blank form fields.
There are plenty of other free markup generators online, a quick Google search will reveal many more, but this is a favorite due to the wide variety of JSON-LD markup types available to select from, including but not limited to: Event, FAQ page, How-To, Local Business, Organization, Person, Product, Recipe, and Video.
Using the schema markup generator recommended above or any other one that suits your fancy will ultimately help you save time by automating JSON-LD code creation, reduce errors in syntax or structure, and ensure that all markup fields are specific to your content and website. Plus, once it’s generated, you can easily copy and paste the code directly to your website for implementation.
4. Additional Tools for Writing and Troubleshooting Schema
Even with guides and generators, writing and troubleshooting schema may require additional tools to streamline the process, here are two free ones to add to your arsenal:
- ChatGPT: Use prompts to generate, refine, or debug schema code. For example, you can ask for structured data for an article, product, or event.
- Sublime Text: This lightweight code editor offers JSON-specific syntax highlighting, making it easier to spot errors in your markup.
Combining these tools allows you to efficiently write, edit, and troubleshoot schema, ensuring accuracy and effectiveness. Plus, both tools can be used for many other SEO tasks.
5. Schema & Rich Snippets Validators
Of course, in order for schema markup to have a positive impact on your SEO efforts, it needs to be valid. Use these tools before and after implementing the markup to troubleshoot any issues and confirm your markup is correctly configured.
These two validators in particular are indispensable:
- Schema Markup Validator: Checks for errors in your schema syntax and structure.
- Google’s Rich Results Test: Verifies whether your schema is eligible for rich results.
You can also check if a website or webpage is using schema markup by testing any URL with the validators linked above. This can help you identify which pages already have schema markup in place, uncover opportunities for adding it where needed, and gain insights into your competitors’ schema strategies.
And while not technically a validator, Google Search Console also provides rich snippet insights within the Enhancements section. Rather than manually testing URLs one-by-one, you can easily see which rich results Google found on your site, and any problems that Google had parsing them.
Getting started with schema markup doesn’t have to be daunting. With these five essential resources, you’ll have everything you need to implement, validate, and optimize your structured data effectively.
If all of this is overwhelming or you need to produce schema at scale may we recommend one more resource: Simple Search Marketing + Schema App.