Schema markup is a boring & technical concept that could put most plumbers to sleep. But once they realize what it can do for their SEO and subsequent business success, they awaken rather quickly. Of course, the tricky part is getting plumbers to buy into the idea that a microdata tag language within HTML coding can directly impact their bottom line.
But bear with us because we’ve tested schema for plumbers extensively over our decade-long management of plumbing contractors’ digital presences and have experienced nothing but an enhancement, success, and competitive advantage. But the technical vocabulary can be tedious, even for web designers.
What is Schema Markup?
Schema is an extra layer of code inserted into web page HTML, labeling pieces of data according to relevance. Schema tells Google what things are. For example:
- The name of your company
- Which image is your logo
- Your company phone #
- Yous business address
- And much more
What Google Sees
If you use Google’s Chrome browser to surf the web, you can click CTRL+U to bring up the source code. It might look like gibberish to you, mainly if you’ve never studied programming or back-end website design, but it is something that Google’s web crawlers intimately understand. Furthermore, it is how websites communicate with Google, which, as you might imagine, can heavily influence the perceived value of a website and its ultimate position on Google rankings.
So don’t mistake a lack of understanding for lack of importance. Google perceives that code, and that’s what matters. At the same time, most people focus on the front-end of a website (the visual component), but it is far less relevant to organic SEO than the source code. So think of Google crawlers when performing any technical SEO task, which ultimately contributes to higher rankings.
Attractive Websites With Horrific Code Base
It’s natural for the average internet user to focus on the presentation of a website and not its back-end source code. But what if they never see the front-end presentation? Because that’s what happens to thousands and thousands of sites every year. They are buried on search rankings and fail ever to exhibit their good presentation to the masses.
An appealing website can help with conversion rates, closing the deal, and keeping visitors on the site longer (decreasing bounce rate), but it can’t get them there initially. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for aesthetically pleasing websites to have a putrid code base that directly impacts business sales. All because of a pathetically atrocious code base behind a nice-looking visual.
Semantic Markup vs. Schema Code
Before schema code was an absolute powerhouse in web design communities, semantic markup was the original version. It still holds value to this day, albeit on a less specific scale. Semantic markup helped Google parcel web elements on a page. For example, it would tell Google this is the header, the body text, the sidebar, the footer, etc.
Of course, this is important for Google to understand, but schema takes it to a whole other level. For instance, schema can say that a business address, company logo, etc. The two methods don’t conflict with one another, but instead, the schema is the natural progression of semantic markups’ original intention. Plumbers should take full advantage of this evolution when designing their company website. In addition, it can have a direct influence on Google’s rank positions.
- Semantic Markup: Divides web elements into basic categories
- Schema Markup: Denotes specific information within semantic categories
What if My Plumbing Website Already Has Schema?
In our experience, 99% of plumbing websites use template websites before investing in our services. Unfortunately, the lack of success from these websites drives them to pursue a new marketing campaign. But sometimes, these template websites do have schema code. So why does it fail? Because having schema can range from 1-2 schema code blocks to hundreds of thousands.
So while your template website might have fundamental schema code, it does not have the advanced code that Google values. It might tell search engines basic business information, but to compete for the top rankings, you’ll need much more detailed information than that. One great example of advanced schema is aggregate star review ratings which show the 5-star rating of your business. Plumbing Webmasters tracks about 100 types of schema code on a standard client.
Why Does Schema Matter for SEO?
The more Google understands about a website, the more effectively it can market it to consumers. Furthermore, the more revealing a website is about its contents, the more Google can trust that it’s worthy of being ranked on SERPs. Another factor regarding schema & SEO for plumbers is the SERP presentation. We mentioned the appeal of the aggregate star review rating.
When this becomes an extension of your website result on Google SERPs, the click-through rate increases exponentially. Schema helps your site earn trust from Google and effectively markets your services to relevant consumers. In addition, it encourages superior user behavior metrics, which, as we know, are very important for ranking positions. To sum up, schema’s relation to SEO, consider these:
- Enhanced SERP Presentation: Users are more likely to click on results with enhanced features
- Improved Trust: When Google understands your data, it is more likely to trust it when positioning its ranking
- Increased Relevance: When Google knows the specifics of your site, it can market it to relevant users
Schema markup aims to help Google parcel data and effectively promote your website to relevant users. Because of its heavy influence over SEO, it deserves significant attention and resource allocation. We cannot stress enough the importance of this factor for plumbing SEO. With professional designers on staff, we can help you take your web coding to the next level in 2021.
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