What Is Schema Markup?

What schema markup does

Schema markup is a block of code, invisible to visitors, that states facts about a page in a standard format. A page can say "Example Dental Studio, Limassol, open 9:00 to 18:00" in ordinary text. Markup says the same thing in labelled fields: this is a business, this is its name, this is its address, these are its hours.

Google's introduction to structured data says this helps it understand the page and can make the page eligible for richer search features. It prefers JSON-LD, though it accepts microdata and RDFa if they are implemented correctly. Two points keep expectations sensible.

• Google's page does not describe structured data as a ranking factor.
• Google says features that use structured data are not guaranteed to appear, even when the markup is valid.

Which types a small business should add

Add the types that match what the page really is. For most small sites that is a short list.

Start with the first. A correct LocalBusiness block on your contact or location page is the item most local owners can use. It backs up the details in your Business Profile, and the local SEO guide explains why those details should agree everywhere.

An example, in JSON-LD

This is illustrative. The business, address and phone number are invented.

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Dentist",
  "name": "Example Dental Studio",
  "url": "https://example.com/limassol/",
  "telephone": "+357 25 000 000",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "1 Example Street",
    "addressLocality": "Limassol",
    "addressCountry": "CY"
  },
  "openingHoursSpecification": [
    {
      "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
      "dayOfWeek": ["Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday"],
      "opens": "09:00",
      "closes": "18:00"
    }
  ]
}
</script>

Change every value to match your real details, and keep them identical to what is written on the page and in your Business Profile. If your hours change, update the markup the same day.

What to leave out

Several popular uses no longer pay, or break the rules.

• FAQPage markup for rich results. In September 2023 Google limited FAQ rich results to well-known government and health sites. Google's updates log says the feature no longer appears in Google Search from 7 May 2026, and the FAQ documentation page was removed on 15 June 2026. Do not add it to chase a result that has gone.
• HowTo markup. Google removed its documentation in September 2023 because the rich result was no longer shown.
• Star ratings about your own business. Google says review and rating properties in local business markup are for sites that collect reviews of other local businesses. Do not mark up your own testimonials as ratings.
• Anything invisible. Google says not to add structured data about information that visitors cannot see, even if it is true.
• Blank pages made to hold markup. Google warns against creating them.
• Special markup for AI. Google says you do not need special schema.org markup or AI text files to be used in AI Overviews or AI Mode. Our AI search optimization work looks at what does help.

How to add it

You have three routes, in rising order of effort.

1. A plugin or theme setting. Many website builders and WordPress plugins output JSON-LD from a form. Enter real details and avoid running two tools that both output the same type.
2. A template edit. A developer adds the block to the page template and fills in fields from your site data. This suits shops with many products.
3. Hand-written code. Paste a block like the example into the page. This works for a single location page.

How to test it

1. Run the page through Google's Rich Results Test before it goes live and fix critical errors.
2. After publishing, use the URL Inspection tool to confirm Google can reach the page and see the markup, and check that robots.txt, noindex and login walls are not in the way.
3. Check the rich result reports in Search Console for errors after templates change.
4. Look at the manual actions report. Valid syntax does not rule out a guideline violation.

The Schema.org validator is a second tool for checking syntax, though only Google's tool shows Google's rules.

Three questions that keep markup honest

Ask these whenever you add or change a block.

1. Can a visitor see this on the page? If the opening hours are only in the markup, either print them on the page or remove them from the markup.
2. Does it agree with the Business Profile and the rest of the site? Different hours in different places are a faulty signal and confuse customers.
3. Who will update it? If a plugin generates it, check after every theme or plugin update that the output is still there. Templates and serving problems can break markup silently, which is why Google points to the Search Console rich result reports for monitoring.

If nobody owns the answer to the third question, use fewer types and keep them simple.

Is it worth your time?

Spend an hour on LocalBusiness markup for your location page if you have a physical business. Spend a few more if you run an online shop with Product pages. Skip the rest until your pages are indexed, fast and well written. Markup cannot rescue a thin page. When you want help auditing it, our technical SEO checklist includes the check, and our SEO service covers implementation.