Schema markup is structured data, usually in JSON-LD, that labels the facts on a page: your business name, address, hours, services, products and reviews. It helps search engines understand and classify your content with less guesswork and can make pages eligible for rich results. It does not guarantee rich results or higher rankings.
Key takeaways
- Schema is a shared vocabulary from schema.org. Google recommends the JSON-LD format.
- It clarifies meaning. It is not a ranking boost on its own, and Google doesn't guarantee rich results.
- For most businesses the core set is Organization or LocalBusiness, BreadcrumbList, and the type that matches the page.
- Google keeps retiring rich result types. In 2026 it deprecated the FAQ rich result. Check the current search gallery before building.
- Markup must match visible content. Misleading markup can lead to a manual action.
What is schema markup?
Schema markup is code that labels the information on a page so machines don't have to infer it. The vocabulary comes from schema.org, a shared standard used by Google, Microsoft and others.
A person reading your contact page knows "Mon–Fri 8–6" means opening hours. A crawler has to guess. Schema removes the guess: this is a LocalBusiness, this is its address, these are its openingHours.
Google defines structured data as "a standardized format for providing information about a page and classifying the page content," and its introduction to structured data lists three supported formats: JSON-LD, Microdata and RDFa. Google recommends JSON-LD where possible. It sits in a single script block, separate from your visible HTML, which makes it easier to maintain.
How does schema help search engines understand a business?
Search engines are trying to connect pages to real-world entities: this company, at this address, offering these services. Schema gives them explicit statements to anchor that connection.
- Identity: Organization markup states your name, logo, contact details and sameAs links to your official profiles. Google says this helps it disambiguate your organization from others.
- Location: LocalBusiness markup states address, geo coordinates, phone and hours. Only name and address are required.
- Structure: BreadcrumbList shows where a page sits in your site hierarchy.
- Offer: Product, Service, Event or other types describe what the page is actually about.
Google's own page on establishing business details puts it simply: structured data provides "explicit clues about the meaning of a page." That is the job. Clarity, not magic.
Does schema markup improve rankings?
Not directly. Schema helps Google understand a page and can make it eligible for enhanced displays. It does not make a thin page relevant or a weak site authoritative.
Google is explicit in its structured data guidelines: it "does not guarantee that your structured data will show up in search results, even if your page is marked up correctly."
Where schema earns its keep is presentation. Google's documentation cites published examples: Rotten Tomatoes measured a 25% higher click-through rate on pages enhanced with structured data, and Nestlé measured an 82% higher click-through rate on pages shown as rich results versus those that weren't. Those are their numbers on their sites, reported by Google, not a promise for yours.
Does schema help you appear in AI Overviews or ChatGPT?
Be careful with anyone who says it does. Google's guidance on AI features states there are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, and that you don't need special schema.org markup to be included. Pages need to be indexed and eligible to show with a snippet.
Schema still matters in an AI world for a quieter reason: accurate, consistent, machine-readable facts about your business reduce the chance any system gets them wrong. Treat it as hygiene that supports your AI search visibility, not as a lever that switches it on. For more on the difference, read SEO vs GEO.
Which schema types should a business website use in 2026?
Start with the types Google currently supports in its search gallery, and match each one to what's actually on the page.
| Page | Schema type | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Home or About | Organization (or a LocalBusiness subtype) | Identity, logo, contact details, official profiles |
| Location pages | LocalBusiness subtype, e.g. Plumber, Dentist, LegalService | Address, hours, phone, coordinates per location |
| All interior pages | BreadcrumbList | Site hierarchy |
| Blog and news | Article | Headline, author, dates, images |
| Product pages | Product with offers | Price, availability, shipping and return details |
| Events | Event | Date, venue, ticket info |
Use the most specific subtype that fits. schema.org's LocalBusiness hierarchy includes types for many trades and professions. For businesses with departments, Google's documentation shows how to nest them with the department property.
Which schema features has Google retired?
This is where a lot of older advice breaks. Google has been simplifying its results and retiring rich result types. Its documentation updates log records the changes:
- In 2025 Google retired several features, including course info, estimated salary, learning video, special announcement, vehicle listing, ClaimReview and book actions, and later removed practice problem.
- In May 2026 Google deprecated the FAQ rich result, and in June 2026 it removed the FAQ rich result documentation.
Retired doesn't mean harmful. It means that markup no longer produces a special display in Google. If a plugin or old agency added FAQ markup to every page expecting expandable answers, don't expect them now. Your actual FAQ content still helps readers, and that's reason enough to keep it.
What are the most common schema mistakes?
- Marking up invisible content. Google's guidelines say don't mark up content that isn't visible to readers.
- Self-serving review stars. Google's review snippet rules say pages using LocalBusiness or Organization markup are ineligible for star ratings when the business controls the reviews about itself, including through embedded widgets.
- Inconsistent details. Schema that says one phone number while the page and Business Profile say another creates conflict instead of clarity.
- Copy-paste markup that describes the homepage on every URL.
- Never testing. Validate with Google's Rich Results Test and watch Search Console's enhancement reports for errors.
Misleading or spammy markup can trigger a manual action that removes rich result eligibility. Accuracy is the whole point.
How do you check whether your schema is working?
Three checks cover most of it:
- Rich Results Test. Paste a URL into Google's Rich Results Test to see which supported features it detects and whether there are errors.
- Schema Markup Validator. The validator at validator.schema.org checks markup against the full schema.org vocabulary, including types Google doesn't use for rich results.
- Search Console. Enhancement reports flag errors and warnings across the whole site, which matters most on large sites where one template bug repeats across hundreds of pages.
Then do the human check. Read the markup next to the page. Does every value match what a visitor can see? If not, fix the page or the markup until they agree.
How we implement schema on hand-coded sites
We build sites by hand, so structured data is generated from the same source as the visible content. When an address or phone number changes, the page and the markup change together. On large programmatic builds, every location, service and article page gets markup that matches its own content, not a site-wide template block.
If you're not sure what your site currently tells search engines, our SEO team includes a structured data review in the free audit. Request yours.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best format for schema markup?
Google supports JSON-LD, Microdata and RDFa, and recommends JSON-LD where your setup allows it. It lives in one script block and is easier to maintain than markup woven through the HTML.
Will adding schema get me rich results?
It can make a page eligible, but Google does not guarantee rich results even when markup is correct. Display depends on Google's systems, the query and whether the feature is still supported.
Do I need schema to appear in Google AI Overviews?
No. Google states there are no special optimizations or schema.org markup required to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. Pages must be indexed and eligible to show with a snippet.
Should I remove FAQ schema now that Google deprecated FAQ rich results?
There's no urgency. It no longer produces a special result in Google, but valid markup that matches visible content isn't harmful. Prioritize keeping your core Organization, LocalBusiness and page-type markup accurate.