Speakable Schema Markup

| June 18, 2020 | Blog, Schema | No Comments

Speakable Schema Markup is structured data that makes it easier for Google Assistant to find new topics that are relevant to users.

The schema code of Speakable highlights parts of text on a page that can be easily converted to speech. Many webmasters use Speakable Schema markup on sections of their content where they think it would be easier to convert to speech.

So, that means that when you add Speakable Schema Markup to your content it will allow search engines (Google) and other applications the ability to read you content out loud on smart devices that have Google Assistant.

So, Google Assistant makes use of Speakable Schema Markup to answer queries about newsworthy and possibly trending topics.

Until recently, Speakable Schema Markup was used for publishers of news only. However, last year Danny Sullivan confirmed that the schema markup has been extended to other pages of content besides news.

Interesting Statistics about Voice Search

There have been many studies that have solely focused on the rise of voice search on the internet. According to studies conducted by ComScore, about 50% of all searches on the internet will be done by voice search by this year (2020).

Further studies from Gartner have also shown that 30% of those voice searchers will be done on devices without a screen. For example, Google Home Devices and Alexa.

Another study that was conducted by OC&C Strategy Consultants, 13% of American households will have owned a smart speaker in 2017. By 2022, this number will have risen by 55%.

The voice recognition industry was estimated to be worth $601 million in 2019. The value is set to rise in the coming years.

According to Alpine AI, in 2018, there were approximately 1 billion voice searches every month on the internet.

Speakable Schema Markup

Benefits of Speakable Schema Markup

Speakable markup helps webmasters reach an audience that was previously inaccessible before Google Assistant. For example, those who are visually impaired.

The schema helps content producers gain visibility. Also, it may be a ranking factor in the future. However, it seems like it will become one in the future according to SEO specialists.

How Does Speakable Schema Markup Work?

When users voice search for news on a particular topic, Google Assistant returns up to three articles from the web that support text-to-speech.

Google Assistant will read the text aloud to the user and also attribute the URL where the text was sourced. The complete article will be sent to the user’s mobile device though the Google Assistant app.

Speakable Schema Markup in Beta Form

It is important to note that Speakable schema markup is still in its BETA version. Therefore, the schema will work for users who live the US and have Google Assistant with the language set on English.

Another thing that you should be aware of is that the results will only be shown from pages/articles that are written in English.

However, Google hopes that as more websites make use of Speakable Markup the scope will eventually extend to other countries and languages.

How to use Speakable Schema Markup

  1. You need to add the Speakable schema code to you web page.
  2. Once you have added the code you need to test it to see if it works. Then, you can move on to validating it.
  3. Once that has been done, you can submit the page for indexing and wait 5 business days for Google to approve your page. You will usually get a notification that lets you know that Google has rejected or accepted your request.

You can find the schema code on Google’s developer page.

Tips for Using Speakable Schema Markup

  1. Make sure that you don’t add the schema code to content that may be confusing for voice searches. These include, dates, locations, captions and images.
  2. Make sure that you don’t highlight the entire article when you insert the schema code. It should be a few lines that reflect the main points of the topic.
  3. So, you can place the H1 and two to three sentences of from your introduction. However, you need to make sure that the sentences are clear and concise.
  4. Best practice for using Speakable Markup is making sure the highlight text is 20-30 seconds long. That should translate to 2-3 sentences.

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