We all know the importance of
Schema markup and
rich snippets on your search results. We’ve written about the importance of getting markup implemented
on your web page and getting rich snippets showing in your search
results. And you should. Schema markup is the best solution to getting
rich snippets to show up in search
results.
But
what if you can’t? Implementing schema markup requires dev resources,
coding skills, and file access that aren’t always the most available.
Maybe you need something quick and dirty. Well, that’s where the Data
Highlighter in Google Webmaster Tools comes in.
What is the Data Highlighter?
The Data Highlighter is your new shortcut to rich snippets in Google. If you haven’t played around with it, you definitely should.
Let’s say, for example, you have an event that you want to
promote. You’re on a bit of a time crunch so you don’t have time to
wait for resources to free up but you also know that this is only
applicable for a few pages, so you shouldn’t have to derail an existing
development project.
Simply log into Google Webmaster Tools and go to the “Data Highlighter”. Then select “Start
Highlighting.”
Select item type:
Use your mouse to highlight text and notate it:
When you’re done, hit “Publish”:
You did it!
When should I use the Data Highlighter?
You
should use it when you have no other choice! Maybe you got an enormous
development queue and want to start seeing rich snippets earlier. Or
maybe you want to measure the impact of a rich snippet to see if
implementing schema markup site wide is worth the effort. Perhaps you
have limited coding resources and just need to markup a few things, like
your product or physical location.
All
in all, the Data Highlighter is what it is: a quick and dirty method
for rich snippets. If you have the ability, you should absolutely use
schema to markup your code directly. It’ll make a difference in the long
run and is much easier to scale. But if you’re a small business or just
have a few things to notate, the Data Highlighter might be the perfect
solution for you.....
