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How to Use Structured Data (Schema Markup) in HubSpot to Improve SEO

Structured data, also known as schema markup, is an important tool that can significantly improve your website's search engine optimization (SEO). By implementing schema markup in HubSpot, you can provide search engines with valuable information about your content, helping them to better understand and display your website in search results. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of using structured data and provide you a code snippets which you can use to implement schema markup in HubSpot.

What is Structured Data? # Anchor link

There are many different types of schemas available on Schema.org, with over 760 listed. Schema.org is a website created by Bing, Google, and Yahoo to provide a common set of schemas for structured data. It can be overwhelming for first-time readers to decide which schema to use. However, Google provides a helpful breakdown of specific schemas that can be used for their rich results. These schemas are listed on their search gallery documentation. In this case, we will focus on the Article structured data type, which is commonly used for news, sports, or blog articles. It allows for features like a Top stories carousel, headline text, and larger-than-thumbnail images.

The Benefits of Using Structured Data # Anchor link

Using structured data in HubSpot offers several advantages for your website's SEO. First and foremost, it helps search engines understand the semantics of your content, enabling them to display rich snippets in search results. These snippets provide users with more detailed and visually appealing information about your website, increasing the likelihood of attracting clicks. Additionally, structured data helps search engines categorize your content more accurately, improving its visibility to relevant audiences and increasing organic traffic to your website.

Implementing Structured Data in HubSpot # Anchor link

To start implementing structured data in HubSpot, you first need to identify the content elements that would benefit from schema markup. This could include blog posts, product pages, events, and more. Once you have identified the relevant content, you can proceed with adding schema markup to your HubSpot templates. HubSpot provides a user-friendly interface that allows you to easily edit your templates, insert schema markup, and preview the changes. Be sure to validate your schema markup using Google's Structured Data Testing Tool to ensure it is implemented correctly.

Template vs Module Implementations for Structured Data in HubSpot # Anchor link

When deciding how to implement your structured data in HubSpot, there are two options to consider. It's important to choose the option that suits your needs best.

Option 1: Adding code at the Template level # Anchor link

This option involves adding the code at the template level. It works well when you have a single schema that applies consistently to your content. For example, if you have a blog that only contains news articles, you can simply include the Article schema in the template. In this case, your content editor doesn't need to worry about adding any additional information.

Option 2: Creating a Module # Anchor link

The second option is to create a custom module, either Local or Global, to use on pages or blogs. This method is ideal when you have multiple schema types (such as Article, Event, JobPosting, etc.) that you want to implement within your blog. You can offer options for the content editor to choose from when publishing each piece of content.

Let's Do Some Coding # Anchor link

BlogPosting schema example:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "BlogPosting",
  "mainEntityOfPage": {
    "@type": "WebPage",
    "@id": "{{content.absolute_url}}"
  },
  "headline": "{{content.title}}",
  {%- if content.use_featured_image -%}
  "image": [
    "{{content.featured_image}}"
  ],
  {%- endif -%}
  "datePublished": "{{content.publish_date|datetimeformat('%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S')}}",
  "dateModified": "{{content.updated|datetimeformat('%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S')}}",
  "author": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "{{content.blog_post_author.full_name}}",
    "url": "{{content.parent_blog.root_url}}/author/{{content.blog_post_author.slug}}"
  },
   "publisher": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "{{site_settings.company_name or brand_settings.primaryLogo.name or 'Company Name'}}",
    "logo": {
      "@type": "ImageObject",
      "url": "{{brand_settings.primaryLogo.src}}"
    }
  },
  "description": "{{content.meta_description|striptags|safe|truncate(160, True, '')}}",
  "url": "{{content.absolute_url or request.full_url}}"
}
</script>

BreadcrumbList schema example:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
  "itemListElement": [
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 1,
      "name": "Home",
      "item": "{{site_settings.company_url}}"
    },
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 2,
      "name": "Blog",
      "item": "{{content.parent_blog.root_url}}"
    },
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 3,
      "name": "{{content.title}}",
      "item": "{{content.absolute_url}}"
    }
  ]
}
</script>

Tools to Help You Implement Structured Data in HubSpot # Anchor link

There are several tools available to help you implement structured data in HubSpot. One of the most popular tools is:

Conclusion # Anchor link

In conclusion, incorporating structured data in HubSpot is a powerful tactic to enhance your website's SEO. By providing search engines with more information about your content, you can improve its visibility, attract more organic traffic, and enhance the user experience. Don't overlook the importance of schema markup in your SEO strategy. Implement it in your HubSpot templates today and reap the benefits of higher search rankings and increased website traffic. Stay ahead of the competition and make the most out of your HubSpot platform by leveraging the power of structured data.

Updated (Feb 17, 2024) # Anchor link

I just found out that HubSpot has released Structured Data (Beta) and it works really well. I'm still think homebrewed solution is better, but it's good to know that HubSpot is moving in the right direction.

May the 4th be with you,
Alex