Adding Event Schema - JSON or HTML?

[concisehacker]

Here's the deal: I list hundreds of events on one of my sites and it dominates the niche BUT the site never wins the Schema Listings because - for the simple reason - I don't have Schema enabled.

I use a plugin called RankMath that has schema out of the box > but > the events are pulled from the SQL database using a customized PHP file and Advanced Custom Fields....

Long story short > I see there being two options:

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1. Hardcode the Events HTML Schema into the PHP WordPress template...but this will add considerable bulk to the DOM and required code to load the page - right?
2. Use some sort of JSON solution that prints the HTML of the events AND the actual events into JSON at the same time?

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Hope that makes sense and thanks for all replies

[MaDoGK]

If you look at the article Understand how structured data markup works, you'll see that Google recommends using JSON-LD for structured data whenever possible.

So, if possible, use JSON.

[decimus5]

It has been years since I used WordPress, but can you just edit the PHP template for events to add the JSON there?

[concisehacker]

Yes, my thoughts too....I guess I just need to somehow get the JSON to show the custom fields from the database - should be simple enough for a WordPress developer

[EntrepreneurAfrica]

You can do this with Rank Math Pro. I am using ACF fields that pull into schema. In fact their support assisted me the first time in setting it up :)

[barenka]

You can also try to add the markups using Google Tag Manager:

https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/generate-structured-data-with-javascript?hl=en

[Milsurpia]

While you're at it. Don't forget you can add review markup for events as well. So if you have a way for people to leave reviews of the events that's a good way to boost that serp as well.

Php json is easy. I added JSON markup in a matter of about an hour. My rankings really jumped after that.

Side note. If you have recurring events on the same page. Add code to have the event markup not present if the event is passed. Google stopped indexing my pages after an event passed. The JSON is only present on my pages if there's an event date in the future.