Site owners often ask us to "add the schema". Many have heard it boosts rankings, or they saw stars and images in a competitor's results and want the same. Some of that is true, and some of it has changed in recent years.
Structured data describes a page in a format machines understand: this is a company called X at this address, and this is an article written by Y on this date. Readers do not see it. Search engines and AI tools read it.
What is schema structured data?
It is code added to a page that uses a shared vocabulary from schema.org, a project backed by the major search engines. The most common format is JSON-LD, a separate block on the page that does not touch the design. That makes it easy to add and maintain, and it is the format Google uses in its examples.
The basic rule is that the data must describe what is actually visible on the page. If the code contains an address, reviews or prices the visitor cannot see, that breaks Google's guidelines and can cost the page its rich results.
Does structured data help your rankings?
Google does not say it boosts rankings, and states plainly that it does not guarantee rich results even when the code is correct. Its real benefit is understanding. It helps Google connect your site to your company, logo and official profiles, show the page's breadcrumb path in place of a long URL, and understand what type each page is.
That understanding matters to AI engines too, since they build their picture of your company from consistent signals, as we explain in showing up in AI answers.
Which schema types does a business website need?
| Type | Where it goes | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Organization | Home page or About page | Name, logo, URL and official profiles through sameAs and contact details |
| LocalBusiness or one of its subtypes | Home page or branch page | Address, phone and opening hours, for a company with premises customers visit |
| WebSite | Home page | Helps Google choose the site name it shows in results |
| BreadcrumbList | All inner pages | Shows the page's path in results in place of the URL |
| Article or BlogPosting | Articles | Headline, author, and publish and update dates |
| Event / JobPosting / Product | Only when needed | For events, job openings and products, each with its own requirements |
Choose the most precise type for your business. Google recommends the most specific matching subtype, so a dental clinic, for example, has a Dentist type that is more precise than the general LocalBusiness. There is also a Service type in schema.org that describes your services, though it does not produce any special appearance in Google's results.
What changed with FAQ and HowTo rich results?
In 2023 Google cut back FAQ results, limiting them to well-known government and health sites, and stopped showing HowTo. Then in May 2026 it announced that FAQ rich results no longer appear in search for any site, and removed their report from Search Console.
So do not add FAQPage expecting expandable questions under your link in Google. Writing questions and answers on the page itself still helps readers and answer engines, and that is where their value lies.
- Identify the page typecompany, branch, article, event
- Write the JSON-LDusing only what is visible on the page
- Test the codeRich Results Test and Schema Markup Validator
- Publish and monitorenhancement reports in Search Console
How do you test the structured data on your site?
Use Google's Rich Results Test to see whether a page is eligible for rich results and whether the code has errors. To check that the code is valid against schema.org in general, including types Google shows no special results for, use the Schema Markup Validator.
After publishing, reports for the supported types appear in the Enhancements section of Search Console, and they alert you if something breaks after a theme update. We walk through the tool in Google Search Console for beginners.
What are the most common structured data mistakes?
- An address or phone number in the code that differs from what is on the page and in your Google Maps profile.
- Star ratings the company gives itself, which Google does not show for this type.
- Adding every type to every page through a single plugin, so an article page becomes a "company" and a service page becomes an "article".
- Forgetting to update the code after changing your address or logo.
Should you add structured data yourself in WordPress?
The well-known WordPress SEO plugins add basic types such as Organization, WebSite, BreadcrumbList and Article automatically once you fill in their settings. That is enough for many sites. Check what the plugin generates with the testing tool, because the default settings may output incomplete data or the wrong type. LocalBusiness with branch details and opening hours, or types like Event and JobPosting, may need custom code written by a developer.
Structured data is part of a technical site audit, and you will find it alongside the other items in our technical SEO checklist.
We add and test structured data as part of our search and AI visibility service. Send us your website address, and we will tell you what is missing and what needs fixing.
Questions our partners ask
Does structured data improve my rankings?
Google does not promise that. What it does is make clear to search engines what is on the page and make the page eligible for rich results. Even with correct code, Google does not guarantee those results will appear.
Should I remove FAQPage markup from my site?
There is no need. Google stopped showing FAQ rich results in 2026, but the code does not cause errors and other engines may use it. Just do not add it expecting a special look in Google's results.
Can I get star ratings for my company in search results?
Google does not show review stars for Organization or LocalBusiness pages where the company rates itself or displays its customers' reviews of itself. Local ratings come from your Google Business Profile on Maps.
Written by the Visual Innovate team, the people who build, host and follow up systems, websites and apps for our clients in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Egypt.
