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You’re using Google Search Console to track your website’s performance in search results when you see an error come up. You check the error –– it’s a schema validation error.
Now you’ve got questions. What is this error? How do you fix it?
We’ve got all the answers you need below. Keep reading to find out what these errors are and how to fix schema validation errors for your website!
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What are schema validation errors?
Schema validation errors occur when you have formatting mistakes with your schema data. Your schema data helps provide search engines with context to your page, so when Google can’t read it, it can’t understand the context of your page.
There are numerous types of schema markup you can use for your pages, including:
Product specifications: Specific information, like color, capacity, price, or style
Product offers: Special offers for products, like discounts or deals
Local business information: address, contact information, hours of operation
Ratings: star ratings or scale ratings for your product or service
Reviews: Number of reviews for a product
Any of these types of schema markups can cause an error.
Why does fixing schema validation errors matter?
Now that we’ve answered, “what are schema validation errors,” the next question is, “why does it matter?” Why does fixing schema validation errors matter to your business?
Schema helps search engines understand your page. When search engines understand the data attached to your page, they can add rich snippets to your listing in search results. These rich snippet features can help enhance your click-through rate (CTR) and get more people to visit your website.
If you have errors with your schema, Google won’t be able to read the data. You risk a lower CTR because the rich snippets don’t appear in search results due to error. While these errors don’t directly impact SEO ranking, they can indirectly affect your ranking by lowering CTR.
Additionally, you may miss out on traffic and leads for your business because fewer people click on your listing.
How to detect schema validation errors
Before you can move on to how to fix schema validation errors, you must know how to detect the errors. Google Search Console is a great option to help you find schema validation errors.
If there are errors with your schema, Google Search Console will notify you of them. You’ll often see these errors listed right when you log into your account. You can click on the error notification and find out where it’s coming from, so you can fix it.
Another option is to use Google’s Schema Markup Validator. This tool allows you to test your schema markup, so you can find errors fast. It’s a great option if you want to get ahead of seeing schema errors in Google Search Console.
How to fix schema validation errors: 4 common schema validation errors and how to fix them
If you see schema validation errors in Google Search Console, don’t worry! There are numerous ways you can fix these errors to help your website start showing rich data that entices clicks:
1. Invalid values
One of the most common schema validation errors you’ll see is the invalid values error. This error typically occurs when there is a value missing in a field.
You must go into your code and add the appropriate value to the field to fix this error. For example, if you’re using the location schema markup, you may have only put “Seattle” and didn’t include the state (Washington). To fix it, you would input the state.
If you don’t need a specific field that’s causing an error for your schema markup, then remove it to prevent this error.
2. Price error
If you include price as part of your schema, you may have formatted it incorrectly. Your price should be entered as 00.00 without the dollar sign. So if your item is $59.99, you would input it as 59.99.
If you included the dollar sign, it might explain why you received the error.
3. Missing tags
When you write up schema for your website, you must ensure you code it correctly, or you’ll receive an error. If you miss an opening or closing tag, you’ll see a schema validation error.
The best way to fix this issue is to go back into your coding and review it to identify the missing tag and input it.
4. Missing best or worst value
If you’re using aggregate rating schema, you must enter a span for the highest and lowest possible rating. Are you missing one or the other? You’ll get a schema validation error.
The high and low for your aggregate rating schema can vary depending upon what you’re using. For a product rating, your low is typically one, and the high is five. On the other hand, a movie rating typically has a low of one and a high of 10.
You want to ensure you set the proper boundaries, so you don’t get more schema validation errors.
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