Gmail users can typically find call-to-action buttons within the subject line of an email. For example, if you’ve recently booked a flight to Hawaii, your airline may send you a confirmation email which includes an interactive way to view your travel plans. Schema on emails is incorporated the exact same way as schema on webpages—helping emails stand out from the rest of your inbox. Essentially, the goal is to encourage people to take action on emails as seamlessly as possible.
Should You Use Email Markup?
Presently, email markup is only offered to those using Gmail. The best way to determine if schema markup should be used is by surveying your email list or customer database. Search your subscriber list for specific criteria. You can do this through email service providers such as GetResponse. Next, see how many emails contain Gmail to determine the number of Gmail addresses your emails reach.
Register for Email Markup
Prior to using email markup, you must register with Google. Google will then check several items:
- Email Sender Quality Guidelines
- Bulk Sender Guidelines
- Action/Schema Quality Guidelines
Additionally, emails should be authenticated via DKIM or SPF. It’s important that you send a minimum of 100 emails per day to Gmail users for a few weeks prior to applying. Google does this to ensure that you have an extremely low rate of spam complaints.
Action/Schema Guidelines
The main purpose of schema guidelines is to ensure that the appropriate action markup is used whenever possible. When action markups cannot be used, a go-to action would be the next step to take. A go-to action links directly to the page where the email recipient can complete the action that is labeled on the call-to-action button.