The goal of any successful website is to rank highly on Google.
And, the goal of Google is to provide the best and most relevant results to a user query.
So, to be selected by Google as the best and most relevant result, you simply need to be the best and most relevant, right?
Well, not exactly.
While ensuring your website is full of useful, interesting, and accurate content is essential, what also matters is ensuring that Google can understand your content.
One of the ways you can help it to better understand your content is with structured data.
What Are Markup Languages
Before getting deeper into schema, it helps to understand markup languages.
A markup language uses tags or other annotations to define the structure and meaning of an electronic document, such as a web page.
They are computing languages like the ones most widely used in web design; HTML, XML, and XHTML.
When creating a webpage using HTML (the most widely used markup language), you combine content with elements that define its structure and meaning. CSS generally controls how that content is displayed. The HTML elements are the markup.
Markup languages use tags to distinguish the markup from the actual text that will be displayed to users on the webpage.
Example:
<h1>My web page</h1>Here, the HTML elements <h1> </h1> identify the words ‘My web page’ as the page’s top-level heading. Users see the heading text, but not the tags.
Consider how you use punctuation when you write, to give readers an understanding of how a text should be read. The markup in your HTML will give search engines the same understanding of your page.
Here’s a list of Markup Languages:
- HTML – Hypertext Markup Language
- XHTML – eXtensible HyperText Markup Language
- XML – eXtensible Markup Language
- KML – The Keyhole Markup Language
- MathML – Mathematical Markup Language
- SGML – Standard Generalized Markup Language
What Is Structured Data?
Structured data is a standardised format for providing information about a page and classifying its content. It is code added to the page to describe the visible content in a machine-readable way.
Structured data is coding that is formatted in a certain way to enable search engines to understand and organise any given information on a web page. This means you could mark up the name of the person who wrote an article on your web page as the ‘author’ so Google has a better understanding of what this name means and who the person is.
You could mark up the date the article was published so that Google understands this is a publishing date and not just a random date on the page. This structured data can help Google process and understand the information on your website, but it does not make the page more relevant or provide a ranking boost by itself.
Schema markup is a form of structured data that gives search engines extra context when they are trying to understand your content. It can also make eligible pages available for supported search features.
It does not guarantee that a special search result will be shown.
This makes schema markup extremely important for SEO.
Structured data is not itself a markup language. Schema.org supplies the vocabulary, while JSON-LD, Microdata and RDFa are formats used to implement it. Google generally recommends JSON-LD.
For example, a search engine could come across the words ‘Facebook page’ in your blog. Structured Data can determine how those words are interpreted. Without structured data the search engine will have to run an algorithm to understand what it means.
However, marking it up as a social media profile can give Google an explicit clue about the account. Google may use that information, but its appearance in search results is not guaranteed.
In modern SEO, structured data also plays a key role in helping search engines understand entities (such as people, businesses, products and topics) and how they are connected.
This shift towards entity-based search means it’s not just about keywords, but about clearly defining who you are and what your content represents.
Structured data helps provide that context, making it easier for search engines to interpret your content.
What Is Schema.org?
Schema.org is a shared vocabulary of types and properties used in structured data. “Schema markup” is often used informally to mean structured data implemented with this vocabulary.
However, if everyone phrased their structured data differently, search engines would not be able to keep up.
So, Google, Bing, Yahoo! and Yandex teamed up to create Schema.org Vocabulary (aka schema markup/schema/schema.org markup).
Schema.org provides a standardised vocabulary that participating search engines and other systems can understand. Google Search supports only a subset of Schema.org types and properties for rich results, so its feature documentation should be treated as definitive for Google.
As there are so many potential elements that can be included in a website, and search engines should understand them all, there is a huge variety of markups (HUNDREDS) that you can apply. The details of these markups can be found on the Schema.org website, where you can find something for practically any case.
From grocery marts to shopping centers. There’s a high probability that Schema.org will have a relevant type and properties for the data on your website.
Benefits of Using Structured Data
The specific benefits of using structured data may vary depending on who you ask, but the overall consensus is clear – it is beneficial. In 2026, there’s no real debate around its value. While it’s not a direct ranking factor, it plays an important role in how your content is understood and presented in search results.
Rankings and Measurable Benefits
Structured data does not provide a generic ranking boost. Google’s Search Liaison, Danny Sullivan, commented in 2020 that structured data was optional, stating it has “no impact on ranking in web search.”
A few years prior in 2018, John Mueller from Google’s Search Relations tweeted, “There’s no generic ranking boost for SD (structured data) usage.” Source.
However, case studies show that pages using structured data can achieve better traffic and engagement when the markup results in useful search features. After implementing structured data through their CMS, traffic to Rakuten Recipe pages increased by 2.7 times. Not only did they have a surge in traffic, but they also found that users spent 1.5 times longer on pages with structured data, compared with pages without structured data.
Another study showed that The Food Network saw a 35% increase in traffic after updating 80% of its content with structured data. Similarly, Rotten Tomatoes experienced a 25% higher click-through rate for its pages with structured data, compared with pages without structured data. Source.
These results do not prove a ranking benefit, and outcomes vary by site. They show that eligible search features can improve engagement when Google chooses to display them.
Rich Results
Valid structured data can make a page eligible for supported rich results in SERPs, but Google does not guarantee that a rich result will be shown.
Rich results are the snippets of information that stand out from the usual blue text you see in a Google search result. Rich results might include an image, a star rating, or specific information the website wants you to see, such as upcoming events or a flash sale. When shown, they may improve click-through rates, organic traffic and conversion opportunities, although the effect varies by query and result type.
Why Is Schema Markup Important for SEO (and Click-Through Rates)?
When you describe page information in a format search engines understand, they may use it to generate supported search features for eligible pages.
The goal of search engines is to provide a really good user experience. They may use this information in search results when the page and markup meet the relevant guidelines.
Schema provides an organized way to give search engines extensive information about your page and can make eligible pages available for supported enhanced results.
In the example above we can see that website have used schema to mark up their events. This helps search engines recognise them as events and can make the page eligible for an Event rich result.
Rich results can attract targeted traffic, but markup creates eligibility rather than guaranteeing the feature or its performance.
Here is an example of a search snippet without schema markup (a snippet is how your page is displayed in search engine result pages – SERPs):
A rich result can provide useful information at first glance. Where Google supports a relevant feature, valid and accurate markup may help a result compete for attention, but user behaviour and the final search appearance are not guaranteed.
Not using structured data does not directly reduce rankings, although it may mean missing eligibility for relevant search features.
If relevant markup is uncommon in your industry, implementing it can create an opportunity to become eligible for supported rich results. Any traffic impact should be measured rather than assumed.
So to sum it up – schema markup is a vocabulary that you can apply to your HTML to enhance the way your website is interpreted by search engines and potentially presented in supported search features.
Getting Started with Structured Data
Most structured data uses a vocabulary developed by Google, Microsoft, Yandex, and Yahoo, called Schema.org.
The collaborative, shared vocabulary is understood by the main search engines to describe online content. Each search engine decides which types and properties it uses for search features.
You can refer to schema.org to gain an understanding of how to use terms and formats within structured data, however, Google recommends that you “rely on the Google Search Central documentation as definitive for Google Search behavior, rather than the schema.org documentation.” Source.
You can add structured data using JSON-LD, Microdata or RDFa. Google generally recommends JSON-LD because it is usually easier to implement and maintain. For help with this, check out Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper. Using this free tool you can select which areas you want to add structured data to by highlighting them and then selecting their purpose.
For example, you could enter the URL for an article on your website, and select the ‘article’ option on the Markup Helper. Next, you could highlight the author of the article and tag the information as ‘author’. You could highlight the title of the article and tag it as ‘title’, and so on. The Markup Helper will then create the HTML code you need to insert into your site, with the additional structured data added in the correct places.
During development, use Google’s Rich Results Test to validate a URL or code and identify which Google-supported rich result types it detects.
After implementation, test the deployed URL with URL Inspection and use Search Console rich result reports for ongoing monitoring. Fix critical errors; non-critical warnings normally relate to recommended properties and do not automatically prevent eligibility.
Most Important Schema Types to Use
No matter what type of content you want to optimize with schema, you will be able to find the correct markup on Schema.org.
Quick Stat: Schema.org vocab currently contains over 800 Types and over 1500 Properties. There’s schema markup for everything!
However, the real question here is which ones do you actually need? Choose markup that accurately represents the page’s visible content and, for Google Search features, follow the documentation for the relevant supported type. Include every required property, keep the data accurate and up to date, and do not mark up hidden, irrelevant or misleading content.
WebPage – Nested
Related items may be nested or supplied as separate objects. Google understands both approaches; use @id to connect separate entities where the relationship is useful.
This means that whatever your web page contains, you will be able to easily make the content comprehensible to search engines by using the associated schema.
Organisation & Local SEO
Depending on what your web page presents you will use more specific schema accordingly. This can help search engines understand each page more clearly.
Schema types such as Organization and LocalBusiness help search engines clearly identify who you are, what you do, and where you are located. This can support entity disambiguation and may influence eligible visual elements such as a logo or knowledge panel information.
For example, your WebPage presents an Organisation which is a Local Business, i.e. you are a Solicitor and it is important for you to have your clients easily find your contact email and an address.
About Us Page
If you still don’t have one – go create an About Us page. It’s not only there to fill in a spot in navigation but because it contributes to transparency and trustworthiness of your website.
AboutPage is a valid Schema.org type, but it is not a Google rich-result feature and does not improve rankings by itself. Relevant Organization details can be added on the home page or a single page describing the organisation, such as the About Us page.
Contact Us Page
Contact Us Pages are extremely important in providing a seamless user experience. If your site visitors have trouble finding your contact details when they need them, they are more likely to lose interest in your page, become frustrated, and turn to a competitor.
Having a well structured Contact Us page that features necessary contact details such as business name, address, phone and email – can have the benefit of driving high intent customers to your website, because users that search for contact details for your service already want to engage with you at a very high level.
Prioritise the Contact Us page for users, but do not implement ContactPage markup solely in expectation of a Google rich result.
Products & E-commerce
For websites selling products, Product, Offer and AggregateRating schema are key. These help search engines clearly understand important details such as pricing, availability and customer feedback – making your listings more informative and appealing to potential customers.
For product pages, implement Product markup that follows Google’s current documentation and fix all critical errors. Warnings generally identify missing recommended properties and do not automatically prevent rich-result eligibility.
This will allow Google to understand the details about what you are selling so that they can pass this information on to the searchers in the SERPs.
Optimisation with Product Schema can help you:
- Create eligibility for a supported product rich result
- Potentially attract attention and improve CTR when a rich result is shown
Implementing this schema involves identifying and providing structured product data such as price, availability, reviews, images etc.
Collection Page
A collection page can be used when you want to collect similar pages under one overview page. This is helpful with recurring pieces of content such as blogs, news articles, help articles etc as well as if you would like to organize and display a collection of products in one structured group.
This is an important aspect of Ecommerce site structure.
CollectionPage can describe a collection page, but Google does not support it as a dedicated rich-result feature and it does not improve rankings by itself. Use it only when it accurately represents the page and provides a clear machine-readable description.
Content & Articles
Schema types like Article and BlogPosting help search engines better understand your content, including authorship, publish dates, and page context. This supports eligibility for enhanced search features and improves how your content is interpreted.
If you produce blog or news articles, use Article, BlogPosting or NewsArticle markup where it accurately represents the page.
Your visibility in Google Search results can be enhanced by adding this organized data to your blog/news/sports/fashion article page.
Navigation and Breadcrumbs
Optimising your navigation for SEO and user experience is essential for a high performing website. Navigation works with the layout, URLs, and other elements, such as XML sitemaps, to solidify what each page or piece of content is about and how it fits into the structure of the site.
User experience refers to the way that a visitor perceives the usefulness and aesthetics of your website. Reduce bounce rates by providing a good user experience for everyone who visits your site. For this, it is essential to build a clearly structured and intuitive navigation path.
Various elements can contribute to the site-wide navigation process: the menu and the breadcrumbs.
Navigation and breadcrumb markup do not directly improve crawl rate or rankings. BreadcrumbList markup can help Google categorise a page’s position in the site hierarchy for search results.
In combination with schema markup you can optimise your site navigation with Technical SEO best practices such as:
- XML Sitemaps
- Information Architecture
- URL optimization
Schema.org includes navigation-related types, but Google’s supported search feature in this area is BreadcrumbList.
Breadcrumbs Schema
Breadcrumbs can improve navigation and help search engines understand a site’s structure. BreadcrumbList markup can allow Google to categorise the page within a breadcrumb trail in search results, but the appearance and any CTR impact are not guaranteed.
Breadcrumbs are called breadcrumbs for a reason; as users navigate through your website, breadcrumbs provide a visual aid to keep track of the path they have taken.
The benefits of breadcrumbs include:
- Improved Accessibility
- Minimize navigation actions that users have to take
- Clearer site hierarchy for users and search engines
It’s like Hansel and Gretel leaving a trail of breadcrumbs through the enchanted forest so they can find their way back to where they came from:
Home > Blog > How to Use Schema Markup for SEO
The breadcrumb navigation elements is usually displayed at the top of the page, and optimized with clickable links to allow users to find their way back to previous pages. They offer an excellent source of contextual information within the hierarchy of the site.
Recipes
When it comes to recipes, valid structured data can make an eligible page available for a recipe rich result. Compare a standard result:
With an example rich-result appearance:
Examples of Discontinued Schema Properties
Google can remove or reduce support for certain types of schema markup over time. In 2024, Google removed support for the Sitelinks Search Box rich result.
Before this change, websites could use Sitelinks Search Box schema to help Google understand the brand and potentially display enhanced search results.
The example below shows how a search result could previously appear with a built-in search box and expanded sitelinks.
A more recent example is the removal of FAQ rich results (although it’s still a valid Schema.org markup).
Tools for Implementing
If you are intimidated about the thought of implementing schema markup in your source code yourself, or if you simply don’t have the time – here are some great resources that you might find helpful:
- Schema Markup Validator
- Google Rich Results Test
- Google Structured Data Markup Helper
- Google Search Console enhancement reports
- Schema App
Final Thoughts
Getting to grips with structured data will give search engines a better understanding of your content.
It might not result in an overnight boost to the top of Google’s organic search results (but if you know what does, let me know!).
However, it is good practice to add accurate, relevant structured data where it helps search engines understand the page or makes it eligible for a supported feature. Follow the current feature documentation and measure the result rather than assuming a ranking or traffic benefit.
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