Article schema is a type of structured data markup defined by Schema.org that allows webmasters to annotate their content for better representation in search engines. It helps search engines understand the content of an article, blog post, or news item, improving the chances of it appearing in search results with rich features such as headlines, images, dates, and author information.
Key Properties of Article Schema
The Article schema includes several properties to describe an article’s content:
1. @type: Specifies the type of article, such as Article, NewsArticle, or BlogPosting.
2. headline: The title of the article.
3. author: The author of the article, represented as a person or an organization.
4. datePublished: The original publication date of the article.
5. dateModified: The last modification date of the article.
6. image: The URL(s) of the featured image(s) in the article.
7. publisher: Information about the publisher of the article.
8. description: A short description or summary of the article.
9. mainEntityOfPage: The primary entity described in the page, often the URL of the article.
10. articleBody: The full body of the article.
11. wordCount: The word count of the article.
12. keywords: Keywords or tags associated with the article.
13. isAccessibleForFree: Indicates if the article is accessible for free.
Example of Article Schema in JSON-LD
Below is a sample implementation of Article schema:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "10 Tips for Improving Your SEO",
"author": {
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Jane Doe"
},
"datePublished": "2025-01-07",
"dateModified": "2025-01-07",
"publisher": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "SEO Experts",
"logo": {
"@type": "ImageObject",
"url": "https://www.example.com/logo.png"
}
},
"description": "Learn 10 actionable tips for boosting your website's SEO rankings.",
"mainEntityOfPage": {
"@type": "WebPage",
"@id": "https://www.example.com/seo-tips"
},
"image": [
"https://www.example.com/images/seo-tips.jpg"
],
"wordCount": 850,
"keywords": "SEO, digital marketing, search engine optimization",
"articleBody": "Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is critical for driving organic traffic to your website..."
}
Types of Articles in Article Schema
• Article: A general type for any written piece of content.
• NewsArticle: Specifically for news publications or current events.
• BlogPosting: Used for blog entries or personal-style articles.
Benefits of Article Schema
1. Enhanced Search Appearance: Articles can appear in Google’s rich results, with enhanced display features such as carousels, images, and metadata.
2. Improved SEO: Helps search engines understand and index your content effectively.
3. Increased CTR: Rich results are more visually appealing and often lead to higher click-through rates.
4. Visibility in Google News: For eligible content, using NewsArticle schema can help articles appear in Google News.
When to Use Article Schema
• For blog posts, news articles, or any written content meant to be shared online.
• To improve the discoverability of your content in search engines.
• To enhance the display of your articles in Google News or other specialized search results.
