What is Schema.org?

Schema.org is a shared structured data vocabulary created by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Yandex that allows you to describe content on a page in a way that search engines and AI systems can understand. Thanks to structured data, Google better understands what a given page, article, product, company, or event is about — which translates into richer search results and higher visibility. Practical implementation tips can be found in our Schema.org and structured data guide.

How does structured data work?

Structured data is added to the page code, most commonly in JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) format — recommended by Google. JSON-LD is placed in a <script> tag in the <head> or <body> section of the page and does not affect the page's appearance for users.

Example of Schema.org for an article:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Article",
  "headline": "What is SEO?",
  "author": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "John Smith"
  },
  "datePublished": "2026-01-15",
  "publisher": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "ARDURA Lab"
  }
}

Most commonly used Schema.org types

Schema.org defines hundreds of data types. The most important types from an SEO perspective:

Content and articles

Article / BlogPosting — a blog article with title, date, author, and image
FAQPage — a page with questions and answers — generates expandable FAQ in SERP
HowTo — step-by-step instructions with a list of steps, tools, and time

Business and organization

Organization — a company with logo, address, contact details, and social media profiles
LocalBusiness — a local business with opening hours, location, and reviews
Service — a service with description, provider, and service area

Products and e-commerce

Product — a product with price, availability, reviews, and images
Offer — a pricing offer with currency, conditions, and validity period
AggregateRating — an average rating with review count

Navigation and structure

BreadcrumbList — a breadcrumb navigation path displayed in Google results
WebSite — website information, including a search box (Sitelinks Search Box)
WebPage — page type with last modification date

Why is Schema.org important?

Impact on SEO

Structured data is not a direct ranking factor, but it enables rich snippets — enhanced results in Google. Rich snippets stand out visually in the SERP and attract more clicks:

Star ratings — visible below the result, building trust
FAQ accordion — expandable questions and answers taking up more SERP space
Breadcrumbs — a readable navigation path instead of a raw URL
Product prices and availability — key information visible without clicking
Instruction steps (HowTo) — a visual guide in results

Rich snippets can increase CTR by 20-30%, which indirectly impacts ranking positions.

Impact on GEO

Structured data helps not only Google but also AI models (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity) better understand page content. In the context of GEO, Schema.org:

Facilitates AI crawlers' extraction of key information
Builds entity context (who the author is, what the company does)
Strengthens E-E-A-T signals — data about the author, organization, and source
Supports presence in Google's Knowledge Graph

How to implement Schema.org?

Implementation methods

JSON-LD (recommended) — a script in the page's <head>; does not interfere with HTML content
Microdata — HTML attributes added to existing elements; harder to maintain
RDFa — similar to Microdata, less commonly used

Validation tools

Google Rich Results Test — checks whether a page qualifies for rich snippets
Schema Markup Validator — validates Schema.org syntax correctness
Google Search Console — the "Enhancements" report shows structured data errors and warnings

Common mistakes

Missing required fields — e.g., Article without author or datePublished
Inconsistency with visible content — structured data must reflect what the user sees
Excessive implementation — marking unimportant elements instead of key ones
Outdated data — e.g., an old product price in Schema while a different one is on the page

Examples of use

An IT company implements Schema.org on its website:

Organization on the homepage — with logo, contact details, and social media profiles
Article on every blog post — with author, date, and featured image
FAQPage on service pages — with the most common client questions
BreadcrumbList on all subpages — readable navigation in SERP
Service on offer pages — with service description and service area

After implementation, CTR increases by 25%, and Google starts displaying FAQ and breadcrumbs in results.

Related terms

Rich snippets — enhanced search results displayed thanks to Schema.org
CTR — click-through rate directly impacted by rich snippets
GEO — optimization for AI, supported by structured data
E-E-A-T — quality signals strengthened by author and organization data
Knowledge Graph — Google's knowledge graph powered by structured data

Schema.org (Structured Data)