You’ve probably noticed we’re doubling down on our Schema structured data implementation. In Yoast SEO 11.0, we rewrote what we output and how we do that. Not only that, we put every piece of structured data in a neat, interconnected graph. We’re not done yet! In Yoast SEO 11.1, we’re introducing proper image markup and tying our Video SEO output into the graph.
Video SEO tied into the Yoast SEO Schema graph
Our Video SEO add-on for Yoast SEO helps your videos to show up in video search. In this new release, we make the plugin even more useful by adding the correct structured data. Not only that, we’ll also tie everything into the main graph as generated by Yoast SEO.
In the structured data code, you’ll find everything search engines need to make sense of the video, from duration to embed URL, and from video thumbnail to description. Search engines like Google may use this information to get your video into a carousel or give it a badge so it can be distinguished as a video in image search thumbnails.
We use Schema’s VideoObject to output the correct structured data and made video a real entity in our graph. The beauty of it is that you don’t need to do anything out of the ordinary to get search engines to pick up your video. Simply give it good meta data like titles and descriptions, add an attractive thumbnail and you’re good to go! The plugin will automatically generate all the valid Schema code in the background.
Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool validates this video nicely
Structured data for images in Yoast SEO 11.1
Another thing that was not final in Yoast SEO 11.0, was the way we handle images on a page and how we tie those into the graph. In Yoast SEO 11.1, we’re introducing a proper way to handle single images on a page. For the next version, we are also looking at ways of handling multiple images and how to determine the main one. Read all about how we generate the image parts for the Schema output.
The main image of the page will be integrated in the Yoast SEO structured data graph
Exposing the imageObject is very helpful for image SEO purposes. Google has said many times that adding structured data to your images is beneficial. Now, you can give search engines loads of context for your images. As we know, they still struggle to figure out what’s in an image, so they need every bit of help they can get. Schema provides the context by telling what an image is and what its properties and meta data are. Keep this in mind when working on your image SEO — which you should do naturally, of course.
Yoast SEO retrieves the image caption if set, or uses the alt tag if that’s set. It is easy to forget, but the caption and/or alt text are incredibly important for search engines. Please make use of it! Also, make sure that the filenames of your filenames are descriptive and recognizable. We have an extensive guide with loads of tips on image SEO, please read that.
Yoast SEO Premium: Better recognition of German keyphrases
In Yoast SEO Premium 10.1, we introduced word form support for the German language. This made it the second language, after English, to receive the full language support. In Yoast SEO 11.1, we’ve fine-tuned the language support. The plugin is now better at recognizing German keyphrases that include words with an i or e in between vowels (e.g., schrieen, schreien, speie). In addition, we’ve also improved the recognition of German 3rd person singular verb forms (e.g., “arbeitet”).
Update to Yoast SEO 11.1
Yoast SEO 11.1 not only features a number of Schema enhancements, improvements to our Video SEO add-on and better German language support, but also several bug fixes. You can find every change in the changelog of this release.
For the past couple of weeks, we’ve been improving our structured data support with an innovative implementation that includes a full graph. We’re not done yet! There’s still a lot to do and you can expect much more from us in the near future. Remember our structured data content blocks for WordPress’ new block editor?
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10 Responses to Yoast SEO 11.1: Even more Schema enhancements!
Frank Simon • 5 years ago
After Update to YOAST SEO 11.1 my AVIA Editor is not working anymore. After disabling YOAST SEO all works fine again.
Ben • 5 years ago
Love that schema markup is getting incorporated.
We have manually been adding BlogPosting schema for a while now so now blogs have both Article (from the yoast plugin) and out BlogPosting schema on articles.
A few questions:
Is there a disadvantage to having article and blogposting schemas on the same posts?
Is there a way to disable schema markup if needed?
Mjanz • 5 years ago
Hi,
Firs thanks for the GREAT plugin, however I have a question if it is possible to make the following changable
/**
* Adds an image node if the post has a featured image.
*
* @param array $data The Article data.
*
* @return array $data The Article data.
*/
private function add_image( $data ) {
if ( has_post_thumbnail( $this->context->id ) ) {
$data[‘image’] = array(
‘@id’ => $this->context->canonical . WPSEO_Schema_IDs::PRIMARY_IMAGE_HASH,
);
}
return $data;
}
I have a website were I cannot use featured images and now Google Data Testing tool always says I am missing the ‘image’ but the error is gone when a featured image is set.
Is there a option to remove this from the json-ld output? Or do I have to remove JSON-LD from the plugin ?
Thanks!
Jono Alderson • 5 years ago
Hello! You can use our API to unset the image component, but, Google does require an image in order for an article to be considered valid (hence the errors in the testing tool). If you’re not worried about that, then, you could just the image out.
Mjanz • 5 years ago
Hi Jono,
Thanks for your fast reply…. What would you advice me if I do not want to have those very big featured images in bloglisting or in every post (on Yoast blog it makes sense of course)
Would you still set a featured image for every post to get the data testing tool ‘image missing’ error fixed and have a more complete graph to benefit from.
Or would you just ignore the error….
What I can do in GeneratePress Premium is make the featured image go away or make it small so it does not take over so much above the fold (if you know what I mean)
As you are the seo expert and I love to have my schema valid and will upgrade to yoast premium later this year… I would like to see what you advice me on this one.
Regards.
P.s I have no idea what to put in my functions.php theme file to use your API for this part of the image… sorry
Eddie Nanousi • 5 years ago
nice update to schema for images any ideas for greek keyphrases optimize? thanks a lot
Karen S Cole • 5 years ago
I still have Yoast 11.0. Where is the update to 11.1?
Scott Webb • 5 years ago
As a photographer and sharing a lot of images, this is exciting! Anything that could possibly help with ranking is important to me. Do you feel there is a growing focus on images within search? or Image Search becoming more and more important?
Eduard Ungureanu • 5 years ago
Is this feature available only in Pro version? I checked this by adding a simple Image into my content, the image has the title set, caption, description, and alt, however, I don’t see any metadata in my page source referring to that particular image.
Stuart Brown • 5 years ago
Thanks for the overview. As a commercial photographer I’m not selling the subject of my images but the ability to produce them. It seams unrealistic to name each image file commercial photograph and illogical to caption anything other than the content of each photograph. This leaves only the alt text, which I can’t see in your example image SEO structured data graph, as a means of telling Google what the image is really about.
It seams Google will be fed details of what I’ve photographed and will struggle to know whether to rank me as a photographer or a widget maker.
After Update to YOAST SEO 11.1 my AVIA Editor is not working anymore. After disabling YOAST SEO all works fine again.
Love that schema markup is getting incorporated.
We have manually been adding BlogPosting schema for a while now so now blogs have both Article (from the yoast plugin) and out BlogPosting schema on articles.
A few questions:
Is there a disadvantage to having article and blogposting schemas on the same posts?
Is there a way to disable schema markup if needed?
Hi,
Firs thanks for the GREAT plugin, however I have a question if it is possible to make the following changable
/**
* Adds an image node if the post has a featured image.
*
* @param array $data The Article data.
*
* @return array $data The Article data.
*/
private function add_image( $data ) {
if ( has_post_thumbnail( $this->context->id ) ) {
$data[‘image’] = array(
‘@id’ => $this->context->canonical . WPSEO_Schema_IDs::PRIMARY_IMAGE_HASH,
);
}
return $data;
}
I have a website were I cannot use featured images and now Google Data Testing tool always says I am missing the ‘image’ but the error is gone when a featured image is set.
Is there a option to remove this from the json-ld output? Or do I have to remove JSON-LD from the plugin ?
Thanks!
Hello! You can use our API to unset the image component, but, Google does require an image in order for an article to be considered valid (hence the errors in the testing tool). If you’re not worried about that, then, you could just the image out.
Hi Jono,
Thanks for your fast reply…. What would you advice me if I do not want to have those very big featured images in bloglisting or in every post (on Yoast blog it makes sense of course)
Would you still set a featured image for every post to get the data testing tool ‘image missing’ error fixed and have a more complete graph to benefit from.
Or would you just ignore the error….
What I can do in GeneratePress Premium is make the featured image go away or make it small so it does not take over so much above the fold (if you know what I mean)
As you are the seo expert and I love to have my schema valid and will upgrade to yoast premium later this year… I would like to see what you advice me on this one.
Regards.
P.s I have no idea what to put in my functions.php theme file to use your API for this part of the image… sorry
nice update to schema for images any ideas for greek keyphrases optimize? thanks a lot
I still have Yoast 11.0. Where is the update to 11.1?
As a photographer and sharing a lot of images, this is exciting! Anything that could possibly help with ranking is important to me. Do you feel there is a growing focus on images within search? or Image Search becoming more and more important?
Is this feature available only in Pro version? I checked this by adding a simple Image into my content, the image has the title set, caption, description, and alt, however, I don’t see any metadata in my page source referring to that particular image.
Thanks for the overview. As a commercial photographer I’m not selling the subject of my images but the ability to produce them. It seams unrealistic to name each image file commercial photograph and illogical to caption anything other than the content of each photograph. This leaves only the alt text, which I can’t see in your example image SEO structured data graph, as a means of telling Google what the image is really about.
It seams Google will be fed details of what I’ve photographed and will struggle to know whether to rank me as a photographer or a widget maker.