Importance of Micro Formats
-
Hi All (this is my first Q, so I hope it is a reasonable one!).
Ive just started looking into Micro Formats and, so far my understanding of them is a little bit limited. So....
1. Is there SEO benefit in using these?
2. What is an appropriate use for them?Our website has a reasonable business directory on it (which is there for SEO purposes ultimately) - so am I correct in thinking that it would be prudent to use Micro Formats for all their contact details etc?
I guess Im just not 100% sure on how and when to use them.. and what the real benefit is. But, I would love to know..
Thanks heaps!
-
The biggest benefit you'll see with the implementation of micro formats is an increase in CTR.
As for a rankings boost, there isn't anything solid to support it, but it is very possible that search engines already use this as a ranking factor. I believe Rand has indicated that micro formats could be used as a "brand signal" and Best Buy indicated significant rankings improvement after that implemented GoodRelations markup (ecommerce RDFa).
-
Yes, it definitely is worth learning more about and implementing MicroFormats, particularly with your directory application.
They certainly will have an impact on how users interact with your directory, for example if you included review information.
The major search engines have created an alliance (schema.org.) in order set standards and to enhance their search results, however there isn't evidence that it will be influencing rankings.
Could it influence rankings in the future? Very likely in my opinion, and if you start now then you'll be on board.
Of course there are lots of different MicroFormats for you to consider that could be appropriate for your directory: geotagging, contact info, authoriship, review info...
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
I'm struggling with ranking for a really important keyword!
I'm helping with SEO for a client who has a very old website, but is updated regularly and has lots of relevant content for the keywords i'm looking to rank for. For other keywords we are able to get to position #3 on Google, yet for this one - the name of the town the website is about - we rank on page 15 of Google. I haven't done anything differently between the two and I really can't see why we can't get there. I've just done the monthly report for the client, and it's showing as being at position #1 for all of July - I checked during that month, and it wasn't. And then on 1st August it dropped to page 20 of Google. I understand slight fluctuations but this is pretty major. Can anyone help?
On-Page Optimization | | Cubiqdesign0 -
Sudden drop in ranking for important keyword? No penalty / other issues detected
Hi For our site we previously ranked well for the term "botswana safari holidays" on the page: http://www.naturalworldsafaris.com/destinations/africa-and-the-indian-ocean/botswana.aspx We've suddenly seen a dramatic drop for this term, currently ranked #43 on Google UK. There are no penalty notices in Webmaster tools and the only edits to the page recently have been to include the term "Botswana safari holidays" in the page title and the on-page h2 (previously Botswana safaris and holidays). Any suggestions why we have seen a large decrease for this term? We expect to see some fluctuation but this one seems a bit dramatic. We've not lost any backlinks to the page that we know of. Thanks for the help.
On-Page Optimization | | KateWaite0 -
Is www. still important?
How important is the www in front of a domain name nowadays? We redesign a lot of sites and we want to focus on best practices - is it still important to include the www or redirect to shorter (non-www) url?
On-Page Optimization | | jcduron0 -
Are tags important for SEO?
I just installed a plugin called SEO content control and it is telling me I need to write descriptions for my tags. I haven't been using tags although I did create a list of them. I don't have an endless amount of time on my hands so is this a worthwhile task?
On-Page Optimization | | dealblogger0 -
Easy way to import metadata into Drupal 7?
We have to update the metadata for a drupal 7 website. We've already written them all out, and know exactly what URL they should go to. But I don't want to waste the client's money by spending any more time than is necessary on uploading the information to the site. Is there a way to upload the information that isn't manual?
On-Page Optimization | | ZephSnapp0 -
What is the importance of image file names and H1, H2 and H3 tags
Hello, My client thinks they will get better rankings if we change the product image names to reflect the keywords for that page, is this true? I believe I just have to add "alt tags" but not sure now. Also, they think its very important to have H1, H2 and H3 tags on each page. I thought this wasn't a big factor anymore. Is it? Thanks
On-Page Optimization | | maximumrank0 -
Wc3 validation is it still that important
When looking to improve a sites ranking . I am working on a site that has script errors and needs fixing have you had any experience ?
On-Page Optimization | | onlinemediadirect0 -
Image file name, is it important
If I use the same image all over my site, do I need to change the file name to avoid duplicate? Different alt text will be use on those images
On-Page Optimization | | BigBlaze2050