Schema markup (structured data) is code you add to your website to help search engines understand your content better and display it in rich, eye-catching ways in search results.
Why Schema Markup Matters
- Rich Results: Get enhanced search listings with stars, prices, images, and more
- Better CTR: Rich results stand out and attract more clicks
- Voice Search: Helps AI assistants understand and cite your content
- Knowledge Graph: Increases chances of appearing in Google's Knowledge Panel
- Semantic Understanding: Helps search engines understand context and relationships
Common Schema Types
- Article: For blog posts and news articles
- Product: For e-commerce product pages with price and availability
- Review: For product or business reviews with star ratings
- LocalBusiness: For local businesses with address and hours
- Recipe: For cooking recipes with ingredients and steps
- FAQ: For frequently asked questions pages
- HowTo: For step-by-step tutorials
- Event: For events with dates and locations
- Organization: For company information
- Person: For personal profiles
Schema Markup Best Practices
- Use JSON-LD: Google's preferred format (not Microdata or RDFa)
- Be Specific: Use the most specific schema type available
- Include Required Properties: Check which properties are required vs recommended
- Match Content: Markup should match visible page content
- Test Before Launch: Use Google's Rich Results Test tool
- Keep Updated: Update schema when content changes
Example Schema Markup (Article)
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Your Article Title",
"image": "https://example.com/image.jpg",
"author": {
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Author Name"
},
"datePublished": "2025-01-01",
"dateModified": "2025-01-15"
}
</script>Testing Your Schema
After implementing schema markup, test it using: