How to Add Schema Markup to WordPress Site [3 Easy Methods]

Schema markup in WordPress helps search engines and makes your content shine on social media and Google’s knowledge panels. It helps in making your pages eligible for the special SERP features, giving you extra visibility in search results.

Now, you might be wondering how to get this schema markup onto your WordPress site. Well, there are a couple of ways to do it. You can either go the easy route and use a plugin, or you can get your hands a bit dirty and manually add the code.

But before we dive into the “how,” let’s start with the “what” and “why” of WordPress schema.

What Is WordPress Schema Markup?

Basically, schema is a subjective structure or concept that helps organize and represent information. In computer programming, schemas simplify understanding and navigating large volumes of data and knowledge.

Schema markup is a form of metadata that enhances your website by providing search engines with more detailed information.

Previously, you might have relied on HTML tags like title tags, meta descriptions, and meta keywords to communicate what a website is all about to search engines. However, you don’t have to anymore because these practices are outdated and replaced by schema markup.

When you incorporate schema markup, it becomes part of the HTML code within your web pages. It adds extra details to specific parts, clarifying the type of information they contain and their context.

For instance, consider this simplified example:

<div itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/Article">
  <h1 itemprop="headline">How to Boost Your Website's SEO with Schema Markup</h1>
  <p itemprop="description">Learn how Schema markup can improve your website's visibility in search results.</p>
  <span itemprop="author">John Doe</span>
  <time itemprop="datePublished" datetime="2023-09-19">September 19, 2023</time>
</div>

This code above tells search engines that it’s an article by “John Doe” about boosting SEO with Schema Markup, published on September 19, 2023 – basically adding an extra layer of structured data to the content.

This added layer helps search engines deliver more accurate results when users search for specific entities. It increases the chances of your pages appearing in search results and helps Google generate accurate knowledge panels about your content.

Additionally, it improves the integration of your website with social media platforms, ultimately boosting your search rankings.

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Benefits of Adding Schema Markup to Your WordPress Sites

Schema markup offers several SEO benefits, particularly in relation to location-based optimization and enhancing knowledge panels in Google search results.

By implementing Schema markup on your WordPress website, you can communicate to search engines whether your site represents an individual or an organization, aiding in more accurate knowledge panel generation. This markup also facilitates the display of rich snippets and site links in search results, which have been proven to boost click-through rates.

Additionally, Schema markup allows you to link your website to social media profiles, enabling search engines to integrate information from both sources and improving the relevance of search results for users seeking information about you or your organization.

Examples of How Schema Markup Looks on SERPs

Now that you understand the concept of Schema in WordPress, let’s explore some practical examples. Let’s begin with a search for the movie “Oppenheimer“:

Looking at the top result, you’ll notice Schema markup implementation. Pay attention to the star rating and the review section.

In this example, schema markup plays a crucial role in displaying star ratings, allowing visitors to decide quickly whether the movie is worth watching based on user reviews.

You’ll see the same star rating when you search for different products. For example, when you look up “best coffee machine.”, you should see a result like this:

Schema markup also offers more detailed information about well-known individuals, such as celebrities. For instance, if you search for “Leonardo DiCaprio,” you won’t find rating stars, instead, you’ll see Google’s knowledge panel with various tabs offering comprehensive information about the actor.

Types of Schema Markups

There is a wide range of schemas available, with Google supporting more than 50 markup types. Some of the most commonly used schema types include:

• Local business data
• Events
• Recipes
• Movie listings
• Reviews
• Reservations
• Articles

These examples represent only a portion of the available data types. You can find a comprehensive list of data types on schema.org.

Google has also compiled a helpful page of structured data markup Google Search supports that illustrates the SERP features you can expect to see when implementing structured data on your web pages.

Creating a Schema Markup Plan for a Website

When you want to use schema markup on a website, you must decide which pages to improve and which schema.org terms to use for better search results.

Here’s what you should do:

• Understand Your Content: Identify the content types on your site, such as articles, products, or events.
• Identify Relevant Schema Types: Explore schema.org to find schemas that align with your content.
• Prioritize Content: Focus on implementing schema markup for priority areas.
• Implement Basic Schema: Start with essential schema like organization and website markup.
• Optimize for Local SEO: If applicable, use local schemas to improve local search visibility.
• Review and Rating: For products or services, incorporate schemas for ratings and reviews.
• Structured Data Testing: Validate your schema markup with Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool.
• Monitor Performance: Track changes in click-through rates, visibility, and traffic for pages with schema markup.
• Stay Updated: Keep up with schema updates and search engine guidelines.
• Iterate and Refine: Continuously adapt your schema markup strategy based on performance data and content changes.

How to Add Schema Markup In WordPress

Adding schema markup (also known as structured data) to your WordPress site helps search engines understand your site’s content and structure. Here are different ways to add schema markup to your WordPress site:

Method-1: Adding Schema Markup via Your Theme

Some WordPress themes come with built-in support for schema markup. If you use a theme that supports schema, you can add markup through the theme’s settings or customizer.

If you search for “schema” on your WordPress website theme directory, you get a number of results.

Let’s have a look at the top Schema Themes:

1) The Schema

The Schema is a free WordPress theme designed to help content marketers establish themselves as experts in their field. It has SEO features like being ready for Schema supporting rich snippets, and having performance optimization tools, including lazy load images and streamlined code.

These features, along with its mobile-friendly design, aim to improve website speed and visibility on search engines, making it a good choice for content and influencer marketing.

2) Schema Lite

Schema Lite is a free, SEO-friendly WordPress theme that is lightweight and user-friendly. It is designed to load quickly and work well on all devices, helping to increase your website’s visibility on search engines and enhance user engagement. It’s a great choice for bloggers and content marketers looking to improve their online presence.

Method-2: Adding Schema Markup via a Dedicated WordPress Plugin

Many websites already have a theme in place, and switching it solely for the purpose of implementing Schema markup may not be desirable. The great news is that there are plugins available for WordPress that allow you to effortlessly add Schema markup to your existing website.

Follow the easy steps below to add different types of schema to WordPress.

• Start by logging in to your WordPress dashboard using your admin credentials.

• Click on the “Plugin” tab on the left panel and then click the “Add New” tab.

• Search Schema on the right side, then click “Install Now.”

• You should activate the plugin after successfully installing All In One Schema Plugin.

• After installing and activating the plugin, navigate to “Schema > Settings” to add Schema markup to your website. Enter essential details such as your About and Contact page URLs, and upload your logo.
• Next, initiate the setup process by clicking the “Quick Configuration Wizard” button.

• Navigate through the setup wizard, entering details about your website and linking your social media profiles. Once completed, click the final button to modify your custom post types.

• To add extra custom post types present on your website to the list, click the “Add New” button and enter the necessary details. This screen also allows you to add Schema markup to categories, enhancing your website’s SEO performance. For more advanced functionalities, refer to the plugin documentation.

Best Plugins to Set Up Schema Markup

Setting up schema markup properly can significantly impact your site’s visibility on search engines. Here are some of the best plugins generally used to set up schema markup on a WordPress website:

Schema Pro

Schema Pro empowers you to incorporate structured data into your website, enabling you to provide search engines with easily comprehensible information. By offering clarity and detailed insights, this tool enhances the chances of search engines creatively presenting your listings for relevant searches.

Rank Math

A versatile SEO plugin that also offers schema markup functionalities. It supports various schema types and integrates well with other WordPress plugins.

Yoast SEO

Apart from its primary SEO functionalities, Yoast SEO offers schema markup functionalities that help portray your website data structurally and precisely on search engines.

WP Review

This plugin is often utilized for creating reviews. It offers features including support for multiple rating systems, user comment rating, and compatibility with rich snippets, helping to enhance the review presentation in SERPs.

Schema & Structured Data for WP & AMP

This plugin allows for easily adding schema markup and structured data to both WordPress and AMP sites, aiding in better search engine visibility.

Method-3: How to Add Schema Markup to WordPress Manually

Adding schema markup to WordPress manually means inserting the necessary schema.org structured data directly into your website’s HTML.

While it might be more technically demanding than using plugins, it allows for more control over the specific schema elements you wish to add. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Generate Schema Markup

Generate the necessary schema markup. You can use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to create the schema markup.

Here’s how:

• Choose the schema type.
• Paste in the URL of the page or the HTML of the content you want to markup.
• Use the tool to highlight and tag different elements on the page.
• Generate the JSON-LD or Microdata markup.

Step 2: Access Your WordPress Files

You can add the markup directly to your WordPress files. Access your WordPress files through any WordPress editor plugin, FTP, or Cloudways SSH Terminal.

Step 3: Insert the Schema Markup / Adding Schema Markup for Local SEO

Insert the schema markup into the appropriate part of your WordPress files. If you use JSON-LD, it is usually added to your HTML’s <head> section.

You might want to add the markup to,

• Your header.php file and apply it site-wide.
• Individual posts or page templates.
• Via WordPress hooks (like wp_head or wp_footer) in your functions.php file.

Here is a simple example if you are adding it to your header.php:

<head>

<!-- elements in the head section →
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "http://schema.org",
  "@type": "Organization",
  "name": "Your Organization Name",
  "url": "http://www.your-site.com",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "addressRegion": "Your State",
    "postalCode": "Your ZIP Code",
    "addressCountry": "Your Country"
    "streetAddress": "Your Address",
    "addressLocality": "Your City",
  }
}
</script>
</head>

Step 4: Test the Markup

Once you’ve added the markup, test it using Google’s Rich Results Test tool to ensure it has been implemented correctly. Paste your URL into the tool and run the test.

Note: Make sure to back up your website’s information before changing any main settings.  Moreover, Cloudways facilitates this process, allowing you to easily back up your site with just a few clicks.

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Setting Site Wide Schema Markup in WordPress

• First, we will start by telling search engines some basic information about your WordPress website. To do this, navigate to the Schema Plugin and proceed to the Knowledge Graph section.

• Next, select whether your website represents a person or an organization. Enter the organization name and website URL, and upload a business logo if it’s an organization.

• To select an existing WordPress user and edit their profile, go to the Users » Profile page. We have a complete guide on WordPress user roles that you might also find helpful.

• Ensure you have entered the user’s first and last name correctly and chosen the correct one to display publicly.
• Remember to hit the ‘Update Profile’ button to save the changes.

Setting Up Default Schema Markup in WordPress

Next, set the default settings to create schema markup for all your WordPress content based on your preferences.

This will properly set up schema markup for all your WordPress posts, pages, products, and other content types.

Just head to Schema Plugin » General Settings and select the ‘Site Types’ tab to see all your post types listed.

Next, you can review the settings and change them if needed. For example, if your tech website uses WordPress posts for tech articles, you might want to select the “Tech Article schema” for the article type.

Testing Your Schema Markup

You can check the schema markup on your WordPress site using Google’s Structured Data Testing tool. Just input your website’s URL to see the structured data markup found on that page. The tool also lets you verify the usage of rich snippets on your site. Input your URL and hit the “Fetch & Validate” button to view the details.

Best Practices for Using Schema Markup

Consider these important factors as you create your schema markup strategy and assess your website content:

• Use the most specific class possible.
• Connect “things” in schema markup.
• Be Specific: Choose the most precise schema class that accurately represents the content on your page.
• Use JSON-LD (rather than microdata or RDFa), as Google recommends.
• Relate to Wikipedia/websites to define topics.
• Focus on Key Pages: Identify the primary pages for each key business concept and apply schema markup strategically.
• Markup only what is on the page.

Summary

Incorporating Schema markup into your WordPress website can provide a significant SEO advantage. It offers search engines a deeper understanding of your website and its context.

Furthermore, presenting pertinent information directly on a search engine’s results page can make the difference between closing a sale and losing a potential customer.

It’s worth noting that many websites have yet to implement Schema markup. You can instantly gain a competitive edge over your rivals by dedicating a short amount of time to adding it to your site. You have multiple options for implementation: manual coding, utilizing an SEO plugin, or installing a dedicated schema plugin for your site.

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