Ecommerce Schema: Markup You Can’t Afford to Skip

Posted on April 7, 2023 in Blog

Ecommerce success comes down to the details. Smart brands back up a strong brand message, a beautiful website and a robust SEO strategy with a technically proficient website structure that supports conversions.

Ecommerce schema, also known as structured data, can differentiate your products from competitors before your ideal customer even sees your website!

Here’s how three structured data types can help you out-position the competition and build customer trust …

Why Schema for Ecommerce Matters

Schema markup, or structured data, is the language of search engines. By using schema markup on your website, you share valuable information about your site’s content with search engines. This information helps Google and Bing evaluate content and provide their users with the best match to their search queries.

There are dozens of schema types to choose from and tools available that make schema implementation easier.

Ecommerce brands use three schema types to differentiate their products from the competition on the SERP:

Review schema
Local business schema
FAQ schema

… and we’re going DEEP into each one below:

1. What is Review Schema?

Review schema markup helps search engines read structured information on your site and display it on the search results page. Adding review schema allows Google to display customer reviews and product ratings alongside your site’s link on the search engine results page (SERP).

Product review schema allows brands to display the item name, average rating and a brief product description that gives customers a first look at the experience of happy buyers without leaving the search results page. Review schema also pulls star ratings on a 1-5 scale that helps users evaluate the product and your brand’s customer service.

Review schema also allows Google and other search engines to utilize reviews in SERP features that provide more detailed information, including the dates associated with the most recent reviews, reviewer names and pricing.

How to Add Review Schema

Most ecommerce platforms like WordPress and Shopify have plugins that make adding review schema quick and easy. Many plugins offer a free version and charge a fee for additional features. Fees may be structured as recurring, or a one-time license attached to a specific domain.

2. What Is Local Business Schema?

Local business schema is a subset of organizational schema and helps search engines identify businesses in close proximity to the search query and display information crucial to a customer’s decision-making. Local business schema mark-up includes:

Business/organization name
Website URL
A physical address
Hours of operation
Business ratings and customer reviews
And more

Forty-six percent of all searches on Google include at least some local intent. That means that nearly half of the 3.5 billion Google queries every day are made by customers looking for local products or services. These queries are often hyperlocal, with 72% of consumers opting for a brick-and-mortar store within 5 miles.

For ecommerce brands and local businesses that offer both in-store and online sales, location matters.

Local Business vs. Organization Schema: Which Is Right for Me?

Local businesses schema is a good fit for companies that rely on in-person sales or services, like restaurants, healthcare offices, gyms or specific bank branches. Brands may benefit from using organization schema if they have a strong online presence, multiple locations or provide services that aren’t geographically restricted.

According to one study, 6.28% of the top 10,000 sites by volume on the internet use organization schema compared to 0.3% that use local business schema.

Need help deciding? We’d love to talk schema with you!

How to Add Local Business Schema

Unless you’re an experienced developer with coding experience, implementing local business schema is best handled using a schema plugin or with the help of a dedicated professional like us. Our pals at HubSpot have a great step-by-step guide for adding local business schema to your site, but be forewarned; you could break things.

3. What Is FAQ Schema?

FAQ schema is a gold mine for capturing valuable SERP features like People Also Ask and featured snippets. There are plenty of FAQ schema benefits aside from winning the SERP. It can also increase brand impressions, provide customers with important information about products and services and ease them toward conversion. This reduces friction in the purchasing process. With this information, customers are in a position to make a purchase when they land on the product page, reducing the amount of on-site research required and decreasing the cart abandonment rate.

How to Add FAQ Schema

In addition to using a plugin to implement FAQ schema, you might also check out specific plugins designed to make FAQ sections easier to build and manage. WordPress and Shopify offer plugins that automatically create attractive and on-brand FAQ sections that can be duplicated on multiple pages across your site. This makes it easier to add or edit new questions in one place and have those changes reflected sitewide.

Don’t Skimp on Schema

Ecommerce brands rely on countless small wins to increase market share and build lasting customer relationships. Schema markup is a detail worth sweating, but you don’t need to learn to code to make it work for you.

Our team of experienced SEOs can identify the right schema types for your company and get them implemented the right way. Find the .01% that sets your brand apart online. Get in touch or call 231-922-9977 today to get started!