Schema Markup: The Beginner’s Guide to Structured Data for SEO

What Is Schema Markup?

Schema markup (also called structured data) is code you add to your HTML that helps search engines understand the content on your pages. It uses a standardised vocabulary from Schema.org that describes things like businesses, products, reviews, events and articles in a way machines can process.

Why Schema Markup Matters for SEO

Schema doesn’t directly boost rankings, but it can dramatically increase click-through rates by enabling rich results β€” enhanced search listings that show ratings, prices, FAQs and more directly in Google’s results. Higher CTR means more traffic for the same ranking position.

The Most Valuable Schema Types

LocalBusiness

Essential for any local business. Tells Google your name, address, phone, opening hours and geographic coordinates. Supports the Map Pack and local Knowledge Panel.

FAQPage

When implemented on a page with questions and answers, this can trigger FAQ rich results β€” expandable Q&A directly in the SERP. Can significantly increase your organic real estate.

Review / AggregateRating

Enables review stars in search results for products, services and local businesses. One of the highest-impact rich results for click-through rate.

Article / BlogPosting

Marks up blog posts and news articles. Can enable Top Stories eligibility and article rich results.

Service

Describes a specific service offered by your business β€” useful for service pages that don’t have reviews yet.

How to Implement Schema Markup

The recommended format is JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data), placed in a script tag in your page’s <head> or <body>. It’s easy to add without changing your HTML.

How to Test Schema Markup

  • Google Rich Results Test β€” tests eligibility for rich results
  • Schema.org Validator β€” validates against Schema.org spec
  • Google Search Console β†’ Enhancements β€” reports on implemented structured data