Action Needed: No action needed from editors.
Schema Has Been Added
We have recently added Schema to the website.
Schema is also called structured data. That sounds more complicated than it is.
Think of Schema like labels on a file folder. The labels do not change what is inside the folder, but they help someone understand what the folder contains.
Schema works the same way for search engines. Google explains that structured data gives search engines clearer information about a page and helps classify the page content.
What Schema Helps Describe
Schema helps search engines better understand information such as:
- University departments and offices
- Contact information
- News articles
- Events
- Academic content
- General website pages
This does not mean search rankings automatically improve. That would be nice, but search engines are not vending machines. You do not insert Schema and receive first place.
It does mean we are giving search engines a stronger foundation for reading and understanding our content more clearly. Kind of like a study guide.
What This Means for Editors
No action is needed from content editors.
This update has already been added behind the scenes.
Editors should continue focusing on the things that still matter most:
- Accurate page titles
- Clear headings
- Current contact information
- Helpful links
- Up-to-date content
- Simple, useful page structure
Schema helps search engines understand our content, but good content still has to be good content. The label on the folder helps, but the papers inside still need to make sense.
Part of Ongoing Website Improvement
The Schema update is part of our ongoing work to improve search, accessibility, content quality and the overall website experience.
So, good news: nothing new for editors to do.
Even better news: the website quietly got a little smarter behind the scenes…and we gave search engines the class notes.