Schema markup is a set of labels added to a page's code that tell search engines what each fact on the page means. A person sees "Open 9 to 9"; the markup says, in a format machines read without guessing, "these are the opening hours of this business". The labels come from schema.org, a shared vocabulary started by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Yandex.
Why it matters for your business
Search engines are good at reading pages, but they still guess. Markup removes the guesswork about who you are, where you are and what a page offers. That certainty can make a page eligible for richer results, such as product prices and star ratings, and it helps keep your business details consistent wherever machines use them.
Two honest limits. First, markup does not guarantee anything: Google says structured data can enable more engaging results, but it decides what to show. Second, the rules change. In 2023 Google limited FAQ rich results to well-known government and health sites, so most businesses no longer get the expandable FAQ boxes, even with correct markup.
An example
Google recommends JSON-LD, a small block of code that sits in the page and does not change how it looks. A local business might use:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "LocalBusiness",
"name": "Example Bakery",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"addressLocality": "Noida",
"addressRegion": "Uttar Pradesh",
"addressCountry": "IN"
},
"openingHours": "Mo-Sa 09:00-21:00"
}
Every value must match what visitors see on the page. Markup that claims hours, reviews or prices not shown on the page breaks Google's structured data guidelines and can make the page ineligible for rich results.
How to use it
| Page type | Useful schema types |
|---|---|
| Homepage or contact page | Organization, LocalBusiness |
| Service page | Service, BreadcrumbList |
| Product page | Product, Offer, BreadcrumbList |
| Blog post | Article with an author, BreadcrumbList |
- Pick the types that describe what the page really is. More is not better.
- Use JSON-LD where your site allows it.
- Test each template with Google's Rich Results Test before it goes live.
- Watch the enhancement reports in Search Console for errors after launch.
Our checklist of what to put on a small business website covers the visible content your markup should describe. We add and test schema as part of our technical SEO service.
Frequently asked questions
Does schema markup improve rankings?
Treat it as a way to be understood, not a ranking boost. It can make pages eligible for richer results and removes doubt about your details, which supports everything else. Google does not promise a rich result or a higher position for adding it.
Is it still worth adding FAQ schema?
Google now shows FAQ rich results mainly for well-known government and health sites. The markup does no harm if it matches the visible questions, and other tools may still read it, but do not expect the expandable boxes in Google for a typical business site.
Do I need a developer to add schema markup?
Many website platforms and plugins add basic markup for you. A developer helps when you need accurate custom types across many templates, or when existing markup has errors that Search Console keeps flagging.
Last reviewed 22 Oct 2026 by the Astrafolio team.