When Google changes a search algorithm, restructures, or expands into a new business sector, it can cause an earthquake on the internet. Search result success equates directly to business success, of course. That means you must keep up. But what if, instead of merely scrambling to respond, you could get an early tip on Google’s plans? Keeping our ears to the ground helps you grow your business exponentially and stay well ahead of the competition — just where you want and need to be.
When we first wrote this article, schema markup for Google search engine optimization (SEO) was very different. Back then, it was a cool feature to incorporate into your website design, but it wasn’t necessary. Today, product schema markup and review schema markup are essential if you want search engines to find and feature you when their users are looking for related information.
The search engine results pages (SERPs) have changed a lot over the years, and today, they feature more snippets than ever before. With this evolution, it’s becoming increasingly important to create rich content that heavily emphasizes nailing search intent while simultaneously including structured data to better your chances of being selected for a featured snippet. Video schema markup and local schema markup, for example, can help you get seen by your targeted audiences because you can feature specific information that’ll help searchers decide to click on your link.
As you plan your digital marketing strategy, it’s important to analyze your targeted SERPs and identify what type of featured snippets Google is implementing. During this process, you should be able to figure out what type of content is successful for each SERP so you can hone your marketing efforts accordingly. From there, you can use this insight to create content that fills search demand and incorporates structured data that matches the targeted feature snippets.
Today, we’ll share with you what recent news tells us about the future of online commerce. We’ve been watching Google’s recently registered patents — a clear marker of their intended direction and advancements in search technology. Here, you’ll learn where Google search is going and what you must do to prosper in the ever-changing online eco-structure.
Let’s end some of the frustration you may be feeling about what will happen next on the search engine playing field. We can do this by studying Google’s recently registered patents. One of the most impactful patents that Google has staked out boils down to answering search queries in richer detail – providing more than just links.
Not surprisingly, Google plans to use everything at its disposal to respond to searchers’ questions. Google wants to serve up quick, detailed snippets of targeted information directly. Think of movie listings and showtimes or specific event details you sometimes see at the top of your search result pages. There are many more possible options depending on your type of business. So what must your company do to be included in the next wave of rich web search results?
Here’s what you must do now to rise to the top in Google’s new search scheme. You’re likely already familiar with the first two steps, and the third step (schema markup) is incredibly important to your online future.
1) Continue rich content creation: As always, create a steady stream of imaginative multimedia content and publish it online. Continue using all formats (text, video, images, infographics, photographs, audio/podcasts), which, taken together, fall into the category of branded rich media. All this published information will work for you.
2) Label with SEO: Make sure all your content is readily accessible to Google (by using the most current SEO best practices and proper tags). Your website content (and other content spread across the web) paint a rich picture of your business and brand — but you need to ensure that Google notices and serves up all the great content from and related to your website.
3) Mark up your web content with schema: This is the only thing that will get your image, video, or audio content into the important rich search result box at the top of Google’s search engine results pages. Schema markup will also help with boosting your search results overall. Examples of schema markup include: a list of upcoming events and dates, movie showtimes, star ratings, recipes, and other unique rich snippets of business/industry-specific data you sometimes see at the top of search result pages. More and more often, you will begin seeing multimedia content included in these top-of-page results.
Like all natural search tactics, schema coding won’t always get you to the top, where searchers get info without even visiting your site. Schema can also help bring you higher on the results page, gaining more click-throughs.
Start today by asking us to review your website. Are you using schema coding to identify useful information that Google can pull out to provide rich, detailed multimedia answers about your business to searchers? The earlier you add complete schema markup to your website, the more success you will have!
Schema markup is essential because it gives your website a better appearance in the search results. Thanks to elements like schema video markup and schema markup for local SEO, elements such as photos or videos are displayed as rich snippets in the SERPs. Because of this, searchers see the exact information they need, and they’re more likely to click on your results when presented.
As you work on your content development strategy, keep local SEO and article schema markup in mind during the planning and content creation processes.
For more expert advice to reach search engine domination, bookmark this blog. When you need tailored SEO solutions to enhance your brand and grow your online presence, don’t bear the weight on your own. Zero Gravity Marketing is dedicated to our partner’s success. As one of the largest SEO agencies in CT, we’ll keep your business miles ahead in online search. Contact ZGM today!