Schema.org-Markup

Definition

Schema.org markup is a standardized markup language for structured data, jointly developed by Google, Microsoft (Bing), Yahoo, and Yandex to make website content machine-readable and semantically understandable for search engines and other applications. By embedding the corresponding code elements into a page’s HTML, entities, properties, and relationships can be clearly described, enabling search engines to interpret context more precisely and display content more attractively.

It encompasses all measures for the structured annotation of website content using the vocabulary documented on schema.org. The goal is to improve the machine processing and interpretation of content, thereby enhancing its visibility, comprehensibility, and presentation in search results (e.g., as rich snippets).

Examples of Measures

  • Embedding product information (price, availability, ratings) as JSON-LD markup
  • Annotating events with date, location, and participants
  • Markup for recipes including ingredients, preparation time, and nutritional information
  • Structuring FAQ content for enhanced display in search results
  • Using types such as “Organization” or “Person” to clearly identify brands and authors

Target Groups

  • Website operators and webmasters across industries
  • SEO and online marketing professionals
  • Developers and content managers aiming to improve usability and visibility of websites

Benefits

  • Better search engine comprehension: Search engines interpret content context more precisely
  • Rich snippets: Enhanced display with additional information (e.g., star ratings, prices, opening hours) in search results
  • Improved click-through rate: More prominent search result presentations increase CTR
  • Support for semantic search: More precise delivery of relevant content for ambiguous queries

Key Components

  • Types: Over 800 predefined classes such as Person, Product, Organization, Event, Recipe
  • Properties: Attributes such as “name,” “price,” “address,” “ratingValue”
  • Markup methods: Microdata, RDFa, or preferably JSON-LD
  • Attribute structure: “itemtype” (object type) and “itemprop” (property)

Priorities

  • Relevance of markup to visible page content
  • Accuracy and consistency of data
  • Timeliness and adaptation to new schema.org versions
  • User orientation: technical optimization aimed at increasing user value

Trends

  • Growing use of JSON-LD as Google’s preferred format
  • Expansion of the schema.org vocabulary for new industries and use cases
  • Combining structured data with AI-powered search functions and voice assistants