John Mueller Gives Tips On Using Multiple Schema Markup Types On The Same Page

Google SEO consultants use schema markup to provide search engines with information about their site's content. There are many types of schema markup used in Google SEO, and John Mueller recently discussed this topic, giving tips on how to correctly use different types of structured data on the same web page.

What Is Schema Markup?

Schema markup, also called structured data, is the language of search engines. It is a type of code that SEOs and website owners use to clearly provide search engines with information about their content. By doing so, search engines can show users better, more accurate information in the rich snippets displayed beneath the page title.

SEO beginners and users may be familiar with certain types of schema markup already. Some of the most common markups one can see in the search results are ratings and reviews, products and services with the price shown, and even news articles that automatically appear once they type in certain queries in Google's search bar.

There are different ways to implement schema markup, depending on the platform one uses to build their website. For instance, they can install and use plugins on WordPress.

Multiple Types Of Structured Data On A Page

Using several types of structured data on a single page is an acceptable SEO practice. However, there are some dos and don'ts to keep in mind for the best results. Mueller discussed these in the Google Search Central SEO hangout on 2 July.

A website owner asked Mueller for advice on what they should do about web pages that can be classified as a how-to, an FAQ, and an article. Do they have to use all of the three schema markup types or just choose one?

Mueller said that there are two factors they should take into consideration if they want to use multiple types of structured data markup on one page.

Firstly, online businesses and webmasters should follow Google's guidelines. One of the most important things to follow is ensuring that schema properties match the primary elements on the web page.

An SEO can add an FAQ markup to a random page on their website, but that will not yield the best results. They will have to decide whether or not an FAQ could be considered a primary element of the page. For instance, if the primary content is a recipe, and the bottom part contains a small FAQ section, then it won't be ideal to use both a recipe and an FAQ markup.

Next, Google SEO consultants must remember that Google cannot combine specific types of schema markup. Typically, if a web page has a recipe article and ratings at the same time, Google can often combine them in the rich results. However, if the web page has a how-to and an FAQ, Mueller said that Google would not combine the two into a single rich result type; the search engine's system can only pick one to feature in their search results. Moreover, Google's way of choosing will be random; they may select the markup that the SEO would have preferred or otherwise.

If a website owner wants to show a specific type of rich result in the search results, Mueller recommends using the markup relevant for that result. If they have a strong preference for a particular type of markup, SEOs should just focus on that area. Doing so would make it a lot easier for the search engine to understand their information.

For instance, let's say that an SEO prefers to rank for the FAQ results, as this is relevant for their content. But if the content is also partly a "how-to" and partly an article, Mueller recommends focusing on just the FAQ markup.

How Important Is Schema Markup?

Web pages that have structured data can inform search engine users faster. Users can see the information on a web page in the search results as soon as they've typed in their query. The details that they see on the results page help them decide whether they should click through or move on to the next link displayed for a more relevant match. Moreover, this information helps websites rank better for all types of content and get more traffic.

Different Types Of Schema Markup

There are many types of schema markup because people also type in different questions to get relevant answers in the search results. Below are some of the most common types of structured data that SEOs use:

1. Organisation Schema Markup - This structured data clarifies a company's introduction, alongside its location, logo, contact information, and social profiles. It helps the user know the company at a glance without clicking through the links or getting in touch with their staff right away.
2. Person Market Schema Markup - This displays details about an individual, including their name, address, education, birthday, and even family members.
3. Local Business Schema Markup - Local companies often use this type of structured data because it helps their customers find their company's location and other important details, such as contact information, opening hours, and more.
4. Product And Offer Schema Markup - Businesses use this type of structured data to sell products and services. With this schema markup, SEOs can show product information, such as status and price - a great feature to use if other competitors do not use it. However, Product markup only requires the name property, while Offer markup will require additional price and price currency properties.
5. Breadcrumbs Markup - this structured data lists the path links that redirect to the current web page. It helps the users see their location and reduces bounce rates.

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