Full Definition
Schema markup (also called structured data) is a standardised vocabulary of code — typically written in JSON-LD format — that you add to your web pages to communicate meaning to search engines, not just words. Without schema, Google reads your page and tries to guess its structure. With schema, you're explicitly telling it: 'This page is about a LocalBusiness. Its name is X. It's open Monday to Saturday. Its rating is 4.8 based on 120 reviews.' Google then uses that machine-readable data to display enhanced listings — called rich results — in search. Common schema types that business owners benefit most from: - **LocalBusiness**: Puts your address, phone, hours, and rating directly in search results - **FAQ**: Makes your Q&A content expand directly below your listing, taking up much more space on the results page - **Review/Rating**: Shows star ratings visually in search - **Product**: Displays price, availability, and rating for e-commerce items - **Article/BlogPosting**: Helps Google identify editorial content correctly - **BreadcrumbList**: Shows your site's navigation path in the search result URL Schema doesn't guarantee rich results — Google decides whether to show them — but pages with correct schema have a significantly higher chance. Actionable tip: Use Google's Rich Results Test (search.google.com/test/rich-results) to paste in your page URL and see which schema types your page already has and whether they're valid.