What is schema markup?
Intelligent services like Google, Siri, and Alexa are answering questions about your brand every day. They provide consumers with information, like your business locations, the people who work at those locations, the menus you offer, and the events you're hosting — all directly from the search engine results page (SERP). They present this information to consumers by voice, through chatbots, and more.
These intelligent services are looking for information about your brand to power those rich experiences. And they're looking for it in the same places that your customers are looking to find information about your brand — your website.
Unlike your customers, though, these intelligent services don't care about the fonts you use, the your colors you choose, or the pictures you feature. What they do care about is your structured data. So you need to ensure that your website is structured in a way that these services can understand — in other words, you need to make sure your website speaks their language.
That language is schema. Schema.org is a collaborative community built to create and maintain this language with the purpose of facilitating structured data across the internet, on web pages, in email messages, and beyond.
Why is schema markup important?
There are many different types of schema vocabulary and they can be as familiar as the geocoordinates of one of your locations, or as granular as the phrase "Recipe Cook Time." Google has stated that they use, "all structured data," on a page. In order to give these intelligent services the best possible data to use, it's critical to mark up as many items as you can, and be as specific as possible.
Part of that specificity involves vertical dedicated schema. This is key for local business. The way intelligent services surface data about a retail store, for example, might be different than the way they surface data about an insurance agency. Identifying the type of business you are helps search engines and intelligent services understand what to do with your structured data.
For example, if a restaurant identifies their menu URL with schema, Google will actually surface the URL in a Knowledge Card on the results page.
How can schema software help your business?
By working with Yext, your website will not only be readable by intelligent services today, it will also be prepared for any Schema.org updates to come in the future.
See below for all the local business schema types and schema markup examples that Yext supports, along with vertical specific best practices. If your business' industry is listed below, this is a huge opportunity to verticalize your Schema. Request a demo to learn how!
What types of schema markup does Yext support?
- LocalBusinessAnimalShelter
Apartment
AutomotiveBusinessAutoBodyShop
AutoDealer
AutoPartsStore
AutoRental
AutoRepair
AutoWash
GasStation
MotorcycleDealer
MotorcycleRepair
ChildCare
Dentist
DryCleaningOrLaundry
EmergencyServiceFireStation
Hospital
PoliceStation
EmploymentAgency
EntertainmentBusinessAdultEntertainment
AmusementPark
ArtGallery
Casino
ComedyClub
MovieTheater
NightClub
FinancialServiceAccountingService
AutomatedTeller
BankOrCreditUnion
InsuranceAgency
FoodEstablishmentBakery
BarOrPub
Brewery
CafeOrCoffeeShop
Distillery
FastFoodRestaurant
IceCreamShop
Restaurant
Winery
GovernmentOffice
PostOffice
HealthAndBeautyBusinessBeautySalon
DaySpa
HairSalon
HealthClub
NailSalon
TattooParlor
HomeAndConstructionBusinessElectrician
GeneralContractor
HVACBusiness
HousePainter
Locksmith
MovingCompany
Plumber
RoofingContractor
InternetCafe
LegalService
Attorney
Notary
Library
LodgingBusinessBedAndBreakfast
Campground
Hostel
Hotel
Motel
Resort
MedicalBusinessCommunityHealth
Dentist
Dermatology
DietNutrition
Emergency
Geriatric
Gynecologic
MedicalClinic
Midwifery
Nursing
Obstetric
Oncologic
Optician
Optometric
Otolaryngologic
Pediatric
Pharmacy
Physician
Physiotherapy
PlasticSurgery
Podiatric
PrimaryCare
Psychiatric
PublicHealth
ProfessionalService
RadioStation
RealEstateAgent
RecyclingCenter
SelfStorage
ShoppingCenter
SportsActivityLocationBowlingAlley
ExerciseGym
GolfCourse
HealthClub
PublicSwimmingPool
SkiResort
SportsClub
StadiumOrArena
TennisComplex
StoreAutoPartsStore
BikeStore
BookStore
ClothingStore
ComputerStore
ConvenienceStore
DepartmentStore
ElectronicsStore
Florist
FurnitureStore
GardenStore
GroceryStore
HardwareStore
HobbyShop
HomeGoodsStore
JewelryStore
LiquorStore
MensClothingStore
MobilePhoneStore
MovieRentalStore
MusicStore
OfficeEquipmentStore
OutletStore
PawnShop
PetStore
ShoeStore
SportingGoodsStore
TireShop
ToyStore
WholesaleStore
TelevisionStation
TouristInformationCenter
TravelAgency
Schema fields that Yext supports for every type of business:
Type: The type of the business, according to Schema.org (see list above)
Place: Information about the locationName: The name of the location
URL: The URL corresponding to the location Image: The Logo of the location
Address: The address of the locationStreet City Region Postal Code Country OpeningHoursSpecification: A list of the opening hours for the location per day
Geo:The geo-coordinates of the locationLatitude Longitude Logo: The logo of the location, from the "logo" field in Knowledge Manager
Phone Number: The phone number corresponding to the location
**SameAs:**URL of a reference Web page that unambiguously indicates the item's identity. (Yext currently only supports SameAs for Facebook)
MakesOffer: A list of all products and services offered by a business. From the Product and Services fields in Knowledge Manager
PaymentAccepted: A list of a payment types accepted by the business. From PaymentAccepted field in Knowledge Manager.
Schema markup for restaurants and health care providers
FoodEstablishment
AcceptsReservations: a URL at which customers can make reservations. From the reservationUrl field in Knowledge Manager.
HasMenu: a URL where the menu for this location can be found. From the menuUrl field in Knowledge Manager.
PriceRange: the price range of the business. For example $$.
Learn how Yext can support your food service business.
Physician
IsAcceptingNewPatients: either True or False, depending on whether a location is accepting new patients. From the acceptingNewPatients field in Knowledge Manager.
HealthPlanNetworkId: a list of insurance IDs, corresponding to those accepted by the provider. From the insuranceAccepted field in Knowledge Manager
Learn how Yext can help your healthcare business.
We're just getting started
Here are more examples of schema markup Yext will support in the future:
FoodEstablishmentservesCuisine: The cuisine served by the establishment
PhysicianavailableService: A medical service available from this provider
hospitalAffiliation: A list of hospitals that are associated with this provider
- LodgingBusinesscheckinTime: Checkin time for a hotel
checkoutTime: Checkout time for a hotel
- LocalBusinesspriceRange: The price range offered by the business areaServed: the region to which the business provides service
aggregateRating: The star rating for the business potentialAction: An action that can be taken on this business. Shows up in Google's Knowledge Card
Recently Added
Schema Types
- Apartment
For all local businesses
- SameAs: URL of a reference Web page that unambiguously indicates the item's identity. (Yext currently only supports SameAs for Facebook)
For FoodEstablishment
- PriceRange: the price range of the business. For example $$.