Google Schema Cheat Sheet for Ecommerce and Website Organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
| filed under: eCommerce schema, Product schema, Rich snippets, SEO schema, Schema markupThese schemas help Google understand the content of your pages and display rich results (like product information, reviews, and prices) in search results. Below is a list of essential schemas for eCommerce websites, including product pages, category pages, and general pages:
1. Product Page Schema
- Product: This is one of the most important schemas for eCommerce. It allows you to define the product name, description, SKU, brand, offers, reviews, price, and availability.
- Key Properties:
name
: Product name.image
: URL of the product image.description
: Product description.sku
: Stock Keeping Unit identifier.brand
: Product brand.offers
: Offer details such as price, currency, availability, and valid dates.review
andaggregateRating
: Reviews and aggregated rating.
- Key Properties:
2. Offer Schema
- Offer: This schema describes the offers available for a product, including price, currency, and availability.
- Key Properties:
price
: Product price.priceCurrency
: Currency of the product price.availability
: Stock status (e.g.,InStock
,OutOfStock
).url
: URL of the product.
- Key Properties:
3. Category Page Schema
- ItemList: For category pages that list multiple products, the
ItemList
schema helps Google understand that the page contains a collection of products.- Key Properties:
itemListElement
: A list ofProduct
schema entries.
- Key Properties:
4. Breadcrumb Schema
- BreadcrumbList: Helps Google display breadcrumb navigation in search results, making it easier for users to understand the page hierarchy on your site.
- Key Properties:
itemListElement
: The breadcrumb trail showing the page’s position in the site hierarchy.
- Key Properties:
5. Review Schema
- Review: Defines user reviews of the product.
- Key Properties:
author
: The author of the review.reviewRating
: The rating given by the author.datePublished
: When the review was posted.description
: Text of the review.
- Key Properties:
6. Rating Schema
- AggregateRating: Displays the average rating based on multiple reviews.
- Key Properties:
ratingValue
: Average rating value.reviewCount
: Total number of reviews.
- Key Properties:
7. Price Specification Schema
- PriceSpecification: Adds more details about the price, including minimum and maximum price.
- Key Properties:
price
: Product price.priceCurrency
: Currency of the product price.minPrice
: Minimum price if range.maxPrice
: Maximum price if range.
- Key Properties:
8. FAQ Schema
- FAQPage: If your eCommerce store has a dedicated FAQ section, the
FAQPage
schema helps Google show these questions and answers in search results.- Key Properties:
mainEntity
: A list of question-answer pairs.
- Key Properties:
9. HowTo Schema
- HowTo: If your site has tutorials, guides, or how-to content (e.g., how to use the product), this schema makes the steps display in search results.
- Key Properties:
name
: Title of the how-to.step
: Instructions in sequential steps.
- Key Properties:
10. Organization Schema
- Organization: Describes information about the organization (your business), which can help boost brand visibility in search results.
- Key Properties:
name
: Name of the organization.logo
: URL of the company’s logo.sameAs
: Social media profiles of the organization.
- Key Properties:
11. LocalBusiness Schema
- LocalBusiness: Important for eCommerce businesses with physical stores. This schema helps display your business address, phone number, and business hours in local search results.
- Key Properties:
address
: Physical address of the store.telephone
: Contact phone number.openingHours
: Business hours.
- Key Properties:
12. SearchAction Schema
- SearchAction: Enables rich search results with a search box specific to your website in Google search results.
- Key Properties:
target
: URL with a query parameter where search queries will be sent.query-input
: Name of the search input field.
- Key Properties:
13. VideoObject Schema
- VideoObject: If you have product videos, you can use this schema to get rich video snippets in search results.
- Key Properties:
name
: Title of the video.description
: Description of the video.uploadDate
: Date when the video was uploaded.thumbnailUrl
: URL of the video thumbnail.
- Key Properties:
14. WebPage Schema
- WebPage: General schema for webpages. You can use this to define specific types of pages, such as a contact page or a FAQ page.
- Key Properties:
name
: Name of the page.description
: Description of the page content.
- Key Properties:
15. Sitelinks Search Box Schema
- WebSite: For implementing a sitelinks search box, which allows users to search your site directly from Google search results.
- Key Properties:
potentialAction
: Defines aSearchAction
where the user can search your site.
- Key Properties:
16. ImageObject Schema
- ImageObject: Useful for adding more context about images, especially on product pages.
- Key Properties:
contentUrl
: URL of the image.caption
: A caption or alt text for the image.
- Key Properties:
17. ShippingDetails Schema
- ShippingDetails: Provides details about available shipping options, including rates and delivery times.
- Key Properties:
shippingRate
: Specifies the price of shipping.deliveryTime
: Estimated delivery time.
- Key Properties:
18. PaymentMethod Schema
- PaymentMethod: To specify which payment methods are accepted on your eCommerce site.
- Key Properties:
name
: Payment method name (e.g., Visa, PayPal).
- Key Properties:
19. CollectionPage Schema
- CollectionPage: For category or collection pages, which include a collection of items (e.g., products).
- Key Properties:
mainEntity
: Defines an item list or a set of products.
- Key Properties:
20. FAQPage Schema
- FAQPage: For adding FAQs to product pages or category pages, ensuring the content can appear in FAQ-rich results.
- Key Properties:
mainEntity
: A list of questions and answers related to the page.
- Key Properties:
21. Person Schema
- Person: If your eCommerce site features personal endorsements or staff listings, this schema can be used to provide details about individuals.
- Key Properties:
name
: Name of the person.jobTitle
: Title or position.
Additional Schema Types to Consider:
-
Article Schema
Useful if your eCommerce site includes blogs, product guides, or other long-form content. This schema helps optimize articles for rich results.- Key Properties:
headline
: Article title.author
: Author of the article.datePublished
: Date the article was published.
- Key Properties:
-
SoftwareApplication Schema
If your eCommerce site sells software or apps, this schema helps you list software products.- Key Properties:
name
: Name of the software.operatingSystem
: Supported operating system(s).applicationCategory
: Category of the software (e.g., BusinessApplication, Game).
- Key Properties:
-
Event Schema
If you offer events like webinars, product launches, or sales events, the Event schema is crucial.- Key Properties:
name
: Name of the event.startDate
: When the event begins.location
: Where the event takes place (physical or online).
- Key Properties:
-
Speakable Schema
Especially helpful for voice search, this schema indicates sections of your content that are optimized for voice assistants like Google Assistant.- Key Properties:
speakable
: Specifies the text to be spoken.
- Key Properties:
-
Product Availability Schema Extension
Enhance theProduct
schema with specific availability types, like:PreOrder
,BackOrder
,Discontinued
, andInStoreOnly
.
-
JobPosting Schema
If your eCommerce site has a careers section, this schema helps optimize job listings.- Key Properties:
title
: Job title.datePosted
: Date the job was posted.employmentType
: Type of employment (e.g., Full-time, Part-time).
- Key Properties:
-
Product Model Schema
If your products come in different models or versions, this schema helps describe specific variations.- Key Properties:
model
: The specific model number or identifier.
- Key Properties:
-
Service Schema
If your eCommerce site offers services in addition to products, this schema can describe the services you provide.- Key Properties:
serviceType
: The type of service (e.g., delivery, installation).
- Key Properties:
-
Coupon Schema
For websites offering coupon codes or discounts, this schema can highlight promotions in rich snippets.- Key Properties:
discountCode
: The coupon or discount code.discountCurrency
: The currency for the discount.
- Key Properties:
-
ReviewAction Schema
Used when actions related to reviews (like leaving reviews) are present on a site.- Key Properties:
target
: URL where users can leave reviews.
- Key Properties:
Schema Types that Could Be Useful in Special Cases:
-
PostalAddress Schema
Part of theOrganization
andLocalBusiness
schema, this schema provides specific details about your business’s physical location.- Key Properties:
streetAddress
: Street name and number.addressLocality
: City.postalCode
: Zip code.
- Key Properties:
-
Order Schema
For pages that allow users to track orders or view order summaries, this schema enhances the process.- Key Properties:
orderNumber
: The order number.orderStatus
: The status of the order (e.g.,OrderInTransit
,OrderDelivered
).
- Key Properties:
-
QAPage Schema
If you have a community-driven Q&A section, this schema is perfect for marking up questions and answers.- Key Properties:
question
: The question being asked.answer
: The best answer to the question.
- Key Properties:
Enhancing Your Existing List:
- ImageObject Schema can be combined with
Product
,Offer
, andReview
schemas to enhance product images and review visuals. - CollectionPage Schema can benefit from an enhanced
mainEntity
that includes not just products but alsoListItem
schemas for structured item listings.
By incorporating these additional schema types, your eCommerce site can further enhance visibility, especially in specialized cases like services, software sales, or content-heavy eCommerce platforms.
Each schema type should be implemented according to your eCommerce site’s structure. By adding these schemas correctly, your site can increase its visibility in search results, potentially showing rich snippets like ratings, prices, and stock information.
FAQ
1. What is schema markup for eCommerce?
Schema markup is a type of structured data that helps search engines understand the content on your eCommerce website. By implementing schema, you can enhance your website’s visibility in search results with rich snippets like product details, reviews, prices, and more.
2. Why is schema markup important for SEO?
Schema markup improves how your website is displayed in search results by enhancing listings with rich information like star ratings, pricing, and availability. This makes your website more appealing to users, leading to higher click-through rates and better rankings.
3. What schema types should I implement on my product pages?
For product pages, the most important schemas are:
- Product: Describes product name, SKU, brand, price, availability, etc.
- Offer: Contains information about the offers available for a product.
- Review and AggregateRating: Show user reviews and product ratings.
4. What schema types should I use for category pages?
Category pages benefit from the ItemList schema, which lets search engines know that the page contains a list of products.
5. How does the Breadcrumb schema help?
The BreadcrumbList schema provides breadcrumb navigation to search engines, allowing them to show the hierarchical structure of your website in search results, which improves user navigation.
6. How can I optimize my site's FAQ section for SEO?
Use the FAQPage schema to mark up your FAQ sections. This schema helps Google display your questions and answers directly in search results, providing users with quick answers.
7. Can I use schema markup for product videos?
Yes, the VideoObject schema can be applied to product videos to improve their appearance in search results, making it easier for users to find relevant video content.
8. What’s the benefit of using the AggregateRating schema?
The AggregateRating schema helps display the average rating of a product based on multiple reviews, which can boost trust and encourage users to click through to your site.
9. How do I add structured data for prices and availability?
Use the Offer schema to specify product pricing, currency, and availability status (e.g., InStock
, OutOfStock
).
10. What’s the difference between Product and Offer schemas?
The Product schema provides details about the product itself, while the Offer schema specifies the pricing, availability, and other commercial information related to the product.
11. What schema should I use if my eCommerce business has a physical store?
The LocalBusiness schema is essential for stores with a physical presence. It helps display your address, contact information, and business hours in local search results.
12. What’s the role of the Sitelinks Search Box schema?
The SearchAction schema allows you to add a search box directly in Google search results so users can search your website without leaving the search engine page.
13. Can I add schemas for user-generated reviews?
Yes, use the Review and ReviewAction schemas to include user-generated reviews on your product pages.
14. Is there schema markup for displaying payment methods?
The PaymentMethod schema lets you specify accepted payment methods, such as Visa or PayPal, on your product pages.
15. How do I enhance images with schema?
The ImageObject schema helps provide additional context for images, such as URLs and captions, and can be combined with Product, Offer, and Review schemas to improve product images.
16. How can I use schema for a blog on my eCommerce site?
You can use the Article schema to optimize blog posts, guides, or long-form content for rich results in search engines.
17. Can I use schema markup for promotional offers?
Yes, the Coupon schema is available for websites that offer discounts or promotional codes, and it can highlight these promotions in search results.
Glossary
AggregateRating
A schema used to display the average rating value based on multiple product reviews. It's crucial for showing star ratings in search results.
BreadcrumbList
A type of structured data that represents breadcrumb navigation, helping users understand the hierarchy and structure of your website in search results.
FAQPage
A schema for marking up FAQ sections on your website. It allows Google to display questions and answers directly in the search results.
ImageObject
Structured data that helps provide context for images, such as image URLs and captions. It’s often used alongside product and offer schemas.
ItemList
A schema used on category or collection pages to indicate that the page lists multiple items, usually products, making it easier for search engines to understand the content.
LocalBusiness
Structured data for businesses with a physical presence, allowing search engines to display important information like address, business hours, and contact details in search results.
Offer
A schema that provides information about the commercial aspects of a product, including pricing, currency, availability, and validity.
Product
A schema designed to describe individual products, including key details like name, description, SKU, brand, and product images.
Review
A schema that provides information about user-generated reviews, including the author of the review, the rating given, and a description of the review.
SearchAction
A schema that allows for the implementation of a sitelinks search box, enabling users to search your website directly from Google’s search results.
VideoObject
Structured data used to mark up videos on a website, allowing for better visibility of video content in search results.
WebPage
A general schema for describing webpages, including specific types of pages like FAQs, articles, or contact pages.
PriceSpecification
A schema used to provide detailed price information about products, including the currency, minimum price, and maximum price.
PaymentMethod
Structured data used to indicate which payment methods are accepted for products, such as credit cards or digital wallets.
ShippingDetails
A schema that allows you to specify the shipping options available for your products, including delivery rates and estimated times.
Article
A schema used for marking up news articles, blog posts, or other long-form written content, improving its visibility in search results.
HowTo
A schema that provides step-by-step instructions for completing a task or activity, such as product tutorials.
CollectionPage
A schema used for pages that display a collection of items, such as category or product list pages.
Organization
A schema that provides information about your business, including the name, logo, and social media profiles, helping with brand visibility.