On Google alone, an estimated 5.6 billion searches happen daily.
Search engine bots crawl the internet trying to figure out the content, making it easier to present relevant results for the billions of internet users who come online looking for information, products, or services.
Today, consumer eyeballs are controlled by a handful of global companies that have in many ways restricted access to consumers and leads, even where there is a direct signal of interest. Now, you get nudged to promote or boost your content for it to surface to more people.
Hundreds of millions in advertising dollars are spent daily by small and medium-sized businesses and enterprises alike in the quest to cut through this imposed veil.
It seems that the majority are either blind to or oblivious to the fact that discovery, outside the algorithmically determined feeds within these platforms, is the almighty search. On Google alone, an estimated 5.6 billion searches happen daily.
At the core of discovery is categorisation. Search engine bots crawl the internet trying to figure out the content, making it easier to present relevant results for the billions of internet users who come online looking for information, products, or services.
Knowing that different products, services, and persons can share names, it would seem obvious to ensure that you are discoverable for the appropriate vertical or intent.
The internet runs on many standards. One that speaks to structured data is Schema.org. Schema.org founded by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Yandex is 'a collaborative, community activity with a mission to create, maintain, and promote schemas for structured data on the internet, on webpages, in email messages, and beyond'.
Schema uses the word vocabulary to describe the structure and function of these formats that organise and interpret information. They cover the full gamut of content types and as a living project, adapt to the evolving nature of the online world.
The schema sets that are likely to be meaningful for you would be around persons and personalities, places, products and services, and events. The metadata options are broad and only a handful are necessary for search optimisation.
Microdata is one of the formats that you can put out your schemas. Search engines give preference to better-structured content, which at scale would compound in value for businesses that take the time to incorporate this.
Google Search uses structured data to enable differentiated search result features and enhancements. A clothing store that sells via e-commerce could have product lists, prices, and reviews shown within a potential buyer's search window.
Well executed, this slight additional visibility can result in the much-desired click-through, which hopefully also leads to an elegant user experience.
Invest time to understand the workings of the internet and grow your earned and owned media contributions.
Njihia is the head of business and partnerships at Sure Corporation | www.mbuguanjihia.com | @mbuguanjihia
