Schema Markup & Structured Data Guide
Schema markup (structured data) can win rich results like stars, FAQs, and prices in Google. Learn what it is, which types matter, and how to add JSON-LD.
Schema markup — also called structured data — is a small block of code you add to a page that spells out, in a format Google understands precisely, what the page is about: "this is a product, priced $49, rated 4.6 from 214 reviews," or "this is a local business open until 6pm." It doesn't change what visitors see, but it can unlock rich results in Google — star ratings, FAQ dropdowns, prices, event dates, breadcrumbs — that make your listing bigger, more useful, and far more clickable. Here's the practical, no-nonsense guide.
What structured data actually does
Google is good at reading pages, but structured data removes the guesswork. Instead of hoping Google infers that "4.6" on your page is a review rating, you state it explicitly. Two payoffs:
- Rich results: eligible schema can earn enhanced listings (stars, FAQs, prices, recipes, events) that stand out and lift click-through — sometimes dramatically.
- Clarity for AI and search: as search increasingly summarises answers, machine-readable facts about your business, products, and content help you be understood and surfaced correctly.
Important: schema markup is not a direct ranking factor. It doesn't push you up the results by itself — it makes the result you already have more attractive and easier to understand.
JSON-LD is the format to use
Google recommends JSON-LD — a script block you drop into your <head>. It's cleaner than the older inline formats (Microdata, RDFa) because it lives in one place and doesn't tangle with your HTML. Here's a real LocalBusiness example:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "LocalBusiness",
"name": "Coast Plumbing",
"telephone": "+1-902-555-0142",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "12 Water St",
"addressLocality": "Halifax",
"addressRegion": "NS",
"postalCode": "B3J 1A1",
"addressCountry": "CA"
},
"openingHours": "Mo-Fr 08:00-18:00",
"url": "https://coastplumbing.ca/"
}
</script>The schema types most sites should consider
- Organization — your brand name, logo, and social profiles. Add it site-wide.
- LocalBusiness — essential for any business with a physical location or service area (ties directly into local SEO).
- Product — price, availability, and review ratings for e-commerce; can earn price and star rich results.
- Article / BlogPosting — author, publish date, and headline for content pages (this very page uses it).
- FAQPage — marks up genuine questions and answers on a page.
- BreadcrumbList — shows your site hierarchy in the result instead of a raw URL.
Do it right, or don't do it
Structured data has strict rules, and Google enforces them:
- Only mark up content that's actually visible on the page. Marking up reviews or prices that users can't see is a violation that can trigger a manual action.
- Don't invent ratings or fake FAQs. The markup must reflect real content.
- Keep it accurate and current. Wrong prices or hours in schema are worse than none.
- Rich results are eligibility, not a guarantee. Valid schema makes you eligible; Google still decides whether to show the enhancement.
How to add and test it
- Generate the JSON-LD (by hand, via an SEO plugin, or with a generator).
- Paste the
<script>block into the page's<head>(or let your plugin inject it). - Validate it with Google's Rich Results Test and the Schema.org validator.
- Watch the Enhancements reports in Search Console for errors and impressions.
FAQ
Does schema improve rankings? Not directly. It improves how your result looks and how well it's understood, which lifts click-through — a strong indirect benefit.
Which format should I use? JSON-LD, without hesitation — it's Google's recommendation and by far the easiest to maintain.
Can bad schema hurt me? Yes — marking up invisible or fake content can earn a structured-data manual action. Keep it honest and visible.
Generate valid schema in one click
You don't have to hand-write JSON-LD. Our free schema markup generator produces copy-paste JSON-LD for LocalBusiness, FAQ, Article, Organization, and Product — just fill in the fields. Then run the page through the free Audit SEO tool to confirm the structured data is detected, and read up on technical SEO to see where schema sits in the wider picture.
Monitor your rich results
After you ship schema, you'll want to watch which pages earn rich results and catch validation errors early. Semrush and SE Ranking flag structured-data issues across every page on each crawl, alongside the rest of your on-page health.
Rugged Technologies Services Inc.
AuditSEO is built by Rugged Technologies Services Inc. We build and audit production websites and run the free on-page checker at AuditSEO, writing about the technical and on-page fixes that actually move rankings for small sites — no fluff, no keyword stuffing.