What structured data does
Schema markup is machine-readable information added to a page describing what the content actually is — that this is a recipe, that this figure is a price, that this text is a question and this is its answer. Search engines read it to understand the page rather than inferring from the visible text.
The practical payoff is rich results: star ratings under a product listing, expandable FAQ entries beneath a page, breadcrumb trails replacing the raw URL, or an event's date and location shown directly in results. These occupy more space and attract more clicks than a plain listing.
JSON-LD is the format to use
Three formats exist — JSON-LD, Microdata and RDFa — but Google explicitly recommends JSON-LD, and it is far easier to maintain. It sits as a single script block in your head section, entirely separate from your visible HTML, so you can add or change it without touching your page structure.
Structured data is not a ranking factor
This is worth stating plainly, because it is widely misunderstood. Adding schema does not make a page rank higher. What it does is change how the page is presented when it does rank, and a more prominent listing earns a higher click-through rate. The benefit is real but indirect.
The rule that gets sites penalised
Structured data must describe content that is genuinely visible on the page. Marking up FAQ questions that do not appear, or star ratings you invented, is a violation of Google's guidelines and can result in a manual action removing rich results from your entire site.
Review markup is the most abused type and consequently the most scrutinised. Self-serving reviews — a business marking up ratings of itself rather than of its products — were specifically targeted by Google and no longer generate rich results.
Choosing a type
Article or BlogPosting suits editorial content. FAQPage works where a page genuinely answers a set of questions. LocalBusiness is valuable for anywhere with a physical address, since it feeds local search and map results. Product markup enables price and availability in results, and Breadcrumbs improve how your URL is displayed.
Note that FAQ rich results were substantially restricted by Google in 2023 and now appear mainly for authoritative government and health sites. The markup remains valid and useful for machine understanding, but expectations should be modest.
Always validate
Test your markup with Google's Rich Results Test and the Schema.org validator before and after deploying. Both catch missing required properties and malformed values, and both are free. Search Console then reports errors it finds across your live site.
Generated in your browser
Markup is built locally and nothing you enter is transmitted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does schema markup improve rankings?
No, not directly. It changes how your page is displayed when it ranks, and richer listings attract more clicks. The benefit is indirect but real.
Which format should I use?
JSON-LD. Google explicitly recommends it, and it sits separately from your HTML so it is far easier to maintain.
Can I mark up content that is not on the page?
No. Structured data must describe visible content. Marking up invented ratings or hidden FAQs can trigger a manual penalty across your whole site.
Do FAQ rich results still appear?
Rarely. Google restricted them in 2023 to mainly government and health sites. The markup is still valid for machine understanding but expect little visual change.
How do I check my markup is correct?
Use Google's Rich Results Test and the Schema.org validator before deploying, then monitor Search Console for errors on the live site.