The best structured data WordPress plugins – 2019

We all know that adding structured data to our websites using Schema mark-up is a good idea. It helps search engines better understand our content and can result in prominent 'rich snippets' appearing in search engine results pages.

However, the process of implementing structured data across a website can be a confusing and complicated business.

If you run a WordPress website, there are quite a few plugins you can use to help you mark-up your content in the correct format for search engines. We've identified the best ones to use in 2019 below, but first a quick refresher...

What is structured data, Schema mark-up and rich snippets?

If you are already familiar with what structured data is, go ahead and skip this bit and go to our list of the best plugins below.

For those who are still a bit confused about words such as 'microdata', 'rich snippets' and 'schema', read on.

Schema is another word for structured data, which is basically a form of microdata. Microdata tells search engines what certain elements of a web page are e.g. URL, author, publish date, page title and so on.

Schema mark-up came about as part of a collaboration between the major search engines - Google, Bing and Yahoo - who wanted a uniform format to structure pages so they could better understand what was on them and use that information in search engines.

A good example of this can be seen when you search for a recipe in Google:

As the BBC Food page above is marked-up correctly, Google is able to show the details of the recipe in its search results.

Note: You can use the Google Structured Data Testing Tool to see how this page has implemented the Schema mark-up.

The primary purpose of Schema is to provide more context about your pages, so search engines know what the content is about and can enhance certain aspects in search results pages depending on the search query.

For more information, visit the dedicated Schema.org site - which lists all the different types of Schema types available and how to implement them.

Best Schema plugins for WordPress

Although structured data mark-up can be difficult to implement correctly - particularly on a large scale across all pages on a website - there are several WordPress plugins available that can make it a lot easier.

We've listed the top structured data plugins below...

Yoast SEO

Although it's not a dedicated structured data plugin, the latest version of Yoast features a big upgrade on how it deals with structured data.

Yoast has changed the way the plugin formats structured data so it is no longer fragmented so that the different Schema types are better structured and easier for Google to recognise and enhance.

As Yoast is also one of the top SEO plugins for WordPress, this new update means it should also be a consideration if you want to improve the structured data implementation on your website.

Read more about the new Yoast Schema update here.

 

Schema Pro

Schema Pro allows you to quickly and easily mark-up your pages with 13 main Schema types:

• Local Business
• Reviews
• Article
• Service
• Product
• Course
• Recipe
• Job Postings
• Person
• Event
• Book
• Software Application
• Video Object

Schema Pro is made by the same people who make the hugely popular Astra WordPress theme, so they know a thing or two about making WordPress easier to use.

To use Schema Pro, all you need to do is select the type of structured data you want to add and then choose where you want it to be e.g. on all posts, all pages or certain posts/pages. So you can easily add the 'Article' type to all of your blog posts, and 'Event' schema to just your individual event pages, for instance.

Schema Pro currently costs $79 for a year, or you can choose to pay $249 for a lifetime subscription.

Find out more about what Schema Pro can do here: https://wpschema.com/

 

WP Review

As the name suggests, WP Review is primarily a plugin to add reviews to your WordPress site. However, it has developed significantly over the years and now supports 14 different Schema types.

With WP Review you can add the following rich snippets for your site:

• Reviews
• Articles
• Books
• Games
• Movies
• Music
• Painting
• Place
• Product
• Recipe
• Restaurant
• Software App
• Store
• TV Series
• Website

If your website is based on reviews, then this plugin should be a serious consideration. As you would expect, there is no coding required - so it is extremely easy to mark up your content with the correct structured data.

There are 16 different pre-designed templates for reviews, so you can tailor the appearance to suit your site and branding, and there are multiple rating systems for you to choose from e.g. stars, percentages, thumbs up, circle etc.

If you are a local business with reviews on Google My Business (formerly Google Places), you can use the WP Review plug-in to integrate your Google reviews onto your website. You can also integrate Facebook reviews and Yelp reviews and display them across your website's pages.

Find out more about all the WP Review plugin features here: https://mythemeshop.com/plugins/wordpress-review/

 

Schema App Structured Data

The Schema App - Structured Data plugin is a simple way to automatically add Schema mark-up to your WordPress site.

Just download and activate the plugin and it will add the correct structured data to your existing content. All you need to do is add your logo and website name.

The plugin will automatically create the following rich snippets for you:

• Page
• Post
• Search
• Author
• Category
• Tag
• Blog
• BreadcrumbList
• WebSite

Schema App is a freemium plugin, so as well as the basic Schema types you get with the free version you can also access more by paying for the premium upgrade. This will give you access to Schema types such as Local Business, Organization, Services, Reviews, Contact Page and more.

If you run a WooCommerce store on WordPress then you can also purchase a separate Schema App plugin to optimise your products and add the Product Review structured data: https://www.schemaapp.com/product/schema-woocommerce-plugin/

If you are new to structured data and looking for a plugin to get you started with the basics, then Schema App is a quick and easy way to make sure your content is marked up with the right code.

Find out more and download Schema App here: https://wordpress.org/plugins/schema-app-structured-data-for-schemaorg/

 

All In One Schema Rich Snippets

Another simple but effective plugin to quickly and easily add rich snippet mark-up to your WordPress site.

All In One Schema Rich Snippets enables you to add the following Schema types to your site:

• Review
• Event
• People
• Product
• Recipe
• Software Application
• Video
• Articles

Rather than adding the structured data automatically to your site like other plugins, this plugin requires you to manually add it to each page using the meta box it creates in the Page/Post editor within WordPress.

While it may lack in autonomy, it does, however, give you more control over what URLs contain the mark-up and what the mark-up values are.

This plugin is made by the same people who make Schema Pro, so they encourage you to purchase that premium plugin if you want the automation.

Find out more and download All In One Schema Rich Snippets here: https://wordpress.org/plugins/all-in-one-schemaorg-rich-snippets/

 

WP Product Review

This Themeisle-developed plugin is a specialist plugin to add product reviews to your site.

WP Product Review boasts the following features:

• Supports rich snippets
• Pros and cons lists
• Support for affiliate buttons
• Amazon integration
• Review templates
• Widgets for latest and top products
• User-generated reviews

This is a great plugin for those who run product review and Amazon affiliate websites, as the rich snippets will display the ratings you give the products in the search engines results pages. You can also create Pro's and Cons lists for the products you review, add widgets for the best-reviewed products and include user-generated reviews on your pages.

The Amazon integration means you can easily import all the product details from Amazon, such as the product name, image, affiliate link and price.

Find out more about WP Product Reviews features here: https://themeisle.com/plugins/wp-product-review/