Book Actions Schema

Definition

Book Actions Schema is a type of structured data markup or microdata used in Schema.org. It helps search engines understand more about the content of your webpage by providing specific information about a book, specifically the availability, and intended actions related to a book, such as “borrow,” “buy,” or “read.”

Book Actions Schema Relevance For SEO

The use of Book Actions Schema is helpful for websites providing information about books. By adding this specialized markup to the HTML of your webpage, you provide search engines with extra insights about the content of your page, which can lead to more accurate indexing and higher visibility in search engine result pages (SERPs).

Certain search engines and platforms, like Google, use this enriched information to create enhanced search results or so-called “rich snippets,” such as displaying a book’s availability directly in the search results. This could result in higher click-through rates and potentially improved rankings over time.

Book Actions Schema Best Practices for SEO

Here are some best practices for using Book Actions Schema for SEO:

• Ensure that your Book Actions markup accurately represents the main content of the page.
• Use a testing tool such as Google’s Rich Results Testing Tool or Schema Markup Validator to validate your markup before publication.
• Make use of all relevant properties to provide comprehensive information about your book, like “bookEdition,” “bookFormat,” “isbn,” “author,” “publisher,” etc.
• Add URLs for the intended actions, such as a link to the page where a user can purchase or borrow the book.
• Keep your markup updated. Any changes related to the book’s availability should be promptly reflected on your webpage’s structured data.

Code Sample

Sample Code: ReadAction book feed in JSON format. (Source: Google)

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "DataFeed",
  "dataFeedElement": [
    {
      "@context": "https://schema.org",
      "@type": "Book",
      "@id": "https://example.com/work/the_catcher_in_the_rye",
      "url": "https://example.com/work/the_catcher_in_the_rye",
      "name": "The Catcher in the Rye",
      "author": {
        "@type": "Person",
        "name": "J.D. Salinger"
      },
      "sameAs": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Catcher_in_the_Rye",
      "workExample": [
        {
          "@type": "Book",
          "@id": "https://example.com/edition/the_catcher_in_the_rye_paperback",
          "isbn": "9787543321724",
          "bookEdition": "Mass Market Paperback",
          "bookFormat": "https://schema.org/Paperback",
          "inLanguage": "en",
          "url": "https://example.com/edition/the_catcher_in_the_rye_paperback",
          "datePublished": "1991-05-01",
          "identifier": {
            "@type": "PropertyValue",
            "propertyID": "OCLC_NUMBER",
            "value": "1057320822"
          },
          "potentialAction": {
            "@type": "ReadAction",
            "target": {
              "@type": "EntryPoint",
              "urlTemplate": "https://example.com/store/9787543321724",
              "actionPlatform": [
                "https://schema.org/DesktopWebPlatform",
                "https://schema.org/AndroidPlatform",
                "https://schema.org/IOSPlatform"
              ]
            },
            "expectsAcceptanceOf": {
              "@type": "Offer",
              "category": "purchase",
              "price": 6.99,
              "priceCurrency": "USD",
              "availabilityStarts": "2020-01-01T11:0:00-04:00",
              "availabilityEnds": "2050-06-30T23:59:00-04:00",
              "eligibleRegion": {
                "@type": "Country",
                "name": "US"
              }
            }
          }
        },
        {
          "@type": "Book",
          "@id": "https://example.com/edition/the_catcher_in_the_rye_hardcover",
          "isbn": "9780316769532",
          "bookEdition": "Hardcover",
          "bookFormat": "https://schema.org/Hardcover",
          "inLanguage": "en",
          "url": "https://example.com/edition/the_catcher_in_the_rye_hardcover",
          "datePublished": "1951-07-16",
          "potentialAction": {
            "@type": "ReadAction",
            "target": {
              "@type": "EntryPoint",
              "urlTemplate": "https://example.com/store/9780316769532",
              "actionPlatform": [
                "https://schema.org/DesktopWebPlatform",
                "https://schema.org/AndroidPlatform",
                "https://schema.org/IOSPlatform"
              ]
            },
            "expectsAcceptanceOf": [
              {
                "@type": "Offer",
                "category": "nologinrequired",
                "availabilityStarts": "2020-01-01T11:0:00-04:00",
                "availabilityEnds": "2050-06-30T23:59:00-04:00",
                "eligibleRegion": [
                  {
                    "@type": "Country",
                    "name": "US"
                  },
                  {
                    "@type": "Country",
                    "name": "GB"
                  }
                ]
              },
              {
                "@type": "Offer",
                "category": "Subscription",
                "availabilityStarts": "2020-01-01T11:0:00-04:00",
                "availabilityEnds": "2050-06-30T23:59:00-04:00",
                "eligibleRegion": {
                  "@type": "Country",
                  "name": "IN"
                }
              }
            ]
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "dateModified": "2018-09-10T13:58:26.892Z"
}