What is structured data?
Structured data is code added to a webpage that helps search engines understand the content precisely, rather than having to infer it. Without structured data, a search engine reads your page the way a person would — scanning for clues. With structured data, you are handing the search engine a labelled summary of exactly what the page contains.
Schema.org provides the standardised vocabulary for this. Search engines including Google, Bing and now AI search tools all recognise Schema.org markup. When you add it to your pages, you are speaking directly to these systems in a language they are designed to understand.
Why it matters for SEO and AI search
Structured data matters for two distinct but related reasons.
Rich results in Google Search
Certain types of schema can unlock rich results — enhanced listings in Google search with star ratings, review counts, FAQs expanded directly in the results, event details, product information and more. These enhanced listings take up more space in search results, attract more clicks and signal quality to searchers before they even visit your page.
AI search citation accuracy
AI search tools — ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews — rely heavily on structured data to extract accurate facts about businesses. When you ask an AI for the phone number, address or hours of a business, it is often reading schema markup to provide that answer. If your schema is absent, incomplete or inaccurate, the AI may get these details wrong — or not mention your business at all.
The most valuable schema types for small businesses
LocalBusiness
This is the most important schema type for businesses serving a local area. It tells search engines your business name, address, phone number, email, hours of operation, service area, price range and category. Every local business website should have this implemented on the homepage and contact page.
FAQPage
If your page contains a list of questions and answers, marking it up with FAQPage schema can cause those questions to expand directly in Google search results, giving your listing significantly more visibility without any additional ad spend. FAQ sections are also an excellent format for AI search retrieval.
Article and BlogPosting
For guides and blog posts, Article or BlogPosting schema communicates the author, publication date, last modified date, and the content summary to search engines. This directly supports E-E-A-T signals, particularly around authorship and recency.
Review and AggregateRating
If you display customer reviews on your website, marking them up with Review and AggregateRating schema can unlock star ratings in your search listing. This is one of the most visible ways to improve click-through rates without changing your ranking.
BreadcrumbList
Breadcrumb schema helps Google understand your site structure and can display your page hierarchy in search results, giving users context about where a page sits within your site before they click.
How schema is implemented
Schema markup is typically added in one of two ways:
- JSON-LD: A block of structured data embedded in the HTML of the page, usually in the head or body section. This is Google's recommended approach and the one we use for every site we build.
- Microdata: Attributes added directly to your HTML elements. Less common now, and more complex to maintain.
JSON-LD is cleaner and easier to manage because it is separate from your HTML content. You can update your business information in one place without touching the page structure.
Common schema mistakes to avoid
- Incorrect business category: Using a generic category like "Store" when a specific one like "WebDesigner" exists.
- Inconsistent NAP data: Your name, address and phone in schema must exactly match what appears on the page and in your Google Business Profile.
- Marking up content that is not visible: Google's guidelines require that schema data matches visible page content. Do not mark up information that users cannot see.
- Missing required fields: Each schema type has required properties. Missing them reduces the likelihood of rich results being shown.
- Never updating schema: Schema data can become outdated. Review it whenever your business information changes.
Testing your schema
Google provides two tools for checking your implementation:
- Rich Results Test (search.google.com/test/rich-results): Tests a URL or code snippet and shows which rich results are eligible based on your schema.
- Schema Markup Validator (validator.schema.org): Validates your schema against the Schema.org specification and highlights errors.
Run both tests after implementing schema and fix any errors or warnings before treating the implementation as complete.
The opportunity most businesses miss
Surveys of small business websites consistently show that fewer than 30% have any structured data implemented, and a much smaller percentage have it implemented correctly. For businesses that do invest in schema markup, the improvement in search visibility is often one of the fastest and most measurable SEO wins available.
If your website was built without schema, this is one of the first things worth adding — ideally alongside a review of your technical SEO fundamentals.