Since Google announced it was going to draw back FAQ and HowTo Featured Results, my clients have been asking me is structured data still a good idea to put on their websites. So should we disregard schema entirely?
Since I am writing this for the lay person and an SEO veteran, I will start by defining what Schema is and how it is useful, although even just that definition can take up a few pages!
Schema is code that defines sets of information that is on your website. It tells Google what a webpage is about. You might be thinking that Google is probably smart enough to know this without any enhanced code. Yes, most of the time Google can easily figure out the purpose of a webpage and the important components of it without having enhanced code to tell it, however that doesn’t mean you should ignore it completely!
Schema is used by SEO professionals to capture real estate of the SERP (search engine result page). This is important for two reasons:
- Schema provides the opportunity to obtain featured results and knowledge graph information.
- Obtaining Featured Results can push competitors down the SERP real estate.
- Owning featured results can increase click through rating.
Now that we are through the quick definition part, let's dive in deeper about what is going on today….
I remember when the 0-click atmosphere was on the rise. This was the idea that user intent could be satisfied in the SERP in the form of things such as Featured Results and People Also Ask. This wasn’t Google’s attempt to steal the limelight from websites but it was a method that was adapting to the times meaning content delivery fast and ready for users.
Since then, we have seen visibility of these markups fluctuate with FAQ markups and How To markups being abated by Google along with a rise in spammy content algorithm updates. So, is putting in the effort really worth it?
- YES it is absolutely still worth it. First off, Google is notorious for always testing out SERP results (here's an example) and the way its pages look so it is very possible that the FAQ schema and How To schema will have its day again.
- Google uses trusted data that is marked up as an indicator for authoritative, factual content. Schema identifies first party data and is used to link data together.
- Schema is used in Large Language Models (LLMs) to help generative AI draw from a pool of data when a user asks a question. Schema dynamics is one of the way in which AI will change SEO!
- The acquisition of a featured result will enhance your chances of stealing a click from your competitors.
- Having schema on your site may lower the cost or the need for other initiatives like paid search having to compete for the same keyword. If you have a Featured Result for a certain there is not much need to bid on a that keyword in a PPC campaign.
There are hundreds of items available to “mark up” that will make your business stand out and help your presence on the SERP. Continuing these efforts of organizing data is more important as it has ever been!
