Google just announced schema for videos which will help them index videos better
Google today announced the schema support for videos. For those who are not aware of Schema's it is a common coding standard accepted by Google, Yahoo and Bing. Earlier Schema.org had introduced several coding standards including Author, Person, Place etc. Speaking about the video schema, Google's spokesperson said that "Videos are one of the most common types of results on Google and we want to make sure that your videos get indexed. Today, we're also launching video support for schema.org" Schema.org markup for videos is simple to implement and can be added to websites that contain videos with ease.
Adding a video schema is the same as adding any other markup.
Define itemScope and itemtype. Itemtype is http://schema.org/VideoObject. Set the properties for
- Name
- Description
- Thumbnail
- Embed URl
- Location
- Content
Embed type etc. A typical schema for video will look like
<div itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/VideoObject">
<h3>Video: <span itemprop="name">Title of Video</span></h3>
<meta itemprop="duration" content="T2M03S" /> [ in minutes and seconds]
<meta itemprop="thumbnailURL" content="name of thumbnail.jpg" />
<meta itemprop="embedURL"
content="http://www.example.com/videoplayer.swf?video=123" />
<object ...>
<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" ...>
</object>
<span itemprop="description">Video description</span>
<div>
This schema markup for video will not affect Video site-maps or MRSS feeds which you use already. Google insists that you still do the video sitemaps for better exposure and fast indexing. A complete guide on how to use this video schema can be found at Google's new Webmaster EDU microsite.
If you need the help on professional schema implementation, you can use our schema services.
About Gunaseelan Nadar
I grew up in a remote village filled with noble people. Pure white sand, lush green trees and a stream through our farm filled with birds gave a lot to my character. I did my schooling in the best school of the locality where I found true great friends. Life was filled with joy and peace with our joint family. I used to read a lot from the huge library we had at school. They allowed us to take books home and by the time I reached my 9th standard I completed the entire series of Hardy boys, Enid Blyton & Nancy Drew. Kanyakumari Public School (KPS) had intellectual teachers who were always willing to share their knowledge while teaching us how to face the world independently with self confidence. The campus was lovely with trees & birds.
Eventually I did my higher school in Nagercoil, a small town which was totally different from the earlier school life. The teachers had canes, spoke foul language and even the classmates were either bullies or show-offs. This is where I learnt that only the Fittest will Survive. I then did my Engineering in a hot dry place which I have nothing to share about. Neither was it good nor bad. I still think that I learnt a lot more in my 8-10 Standards compared to what I learnt in my Engineering course. I had worked with NEPC for some time and then another Wind Power Company called Baron Power in Madras which is now called as Chennai.
One thing lead to other, I learnt mainframe and got a job in Houston. For some reasons the Visa got rejected and my friend Joe Felix took me to Dubai where I worked as a programmer in ASP. Meanwhile I happened to meet a CEO of a MNC who asked me to do some SEO (At that time(2001) it did not have the name). He just wanted more visitors to his site and make them purchase his products. I did my homework for a couple of weeks and started implementing what I thought best. The sales had tripled in a month and then he wanted to have a setup in India and promote his site with more workforce. It started there and I am writing since then.
I got married in 2004 and have 2 kids aged 7 and 2 which is the best thing ever happened in life. I plan to write a book in 2012. No other plans as of now. My passions are antiques, comics, travel, fishing and hunting. I may retire from business by 50 and do some soul searching. Also I plan to build a school in the coming years... Thanks for reading.
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