Schema Markup – invisible, but important part of a website
While browsing the internet, we see texts, images, and buttons. But there’s also another 'invisible' side of a website, which is read not by people, but by search engines. This invisible part helps Google understand what your website is showing - whether it’s a product, a service, an event, or an article.
Most businesses focus on how their website appears to the actual visitor. However, it’s just as important how it appears to Google. Schema markup, also known as structured data, provides search engines with additional information about your website’s content.
These solutions help Google better understand what your site is about. This can mean greater visibility in search results - more clicks, more visitors.
What is Schema Markup?
Schema markup, or structured data, is a language used by search engines to read and understand page content. It’s a programming language that helps search engines better understand, describe, and categorize the content on a page.
Search engines are powerful machines using advanced algorithms, but they still need help when it comes to reading, recognizing, and categorizing content. Why? Because search engines don’t have the same visual and intuitive abilities as humans. They can’t see an image - they have to "read" it.
Imagine schema markup as similar to product labels in a store. Without them, we’d only see the packaging - a nice design and a product name. But the label tells us what the product is, its ingredients, expiration date, country of origin - all this information helps customers make a decision. In the same way, schema markup helps Google and other search engines better understand what your website is about.
Schema markup is structured-data-based code that gives search engines information about your page’s topic, its elements, and how users are expected to view and interact with the content
Why You Should Use Structured Data?
Simply put, Google values websites that use structured data. It makes it easier for the search engine to understand your page content and deliver more accurate, personalized results to users.
When schema markup is implemented on a website’s pages, it not only helps the search engine “navigate” the content, but also provides clear hints about the core purpose of the page. These hints allow search engines to display the page in what’s called Rich Results in the SERP (Search Engine Results Page). These are additional details that Google pulls from structured data and shows alongside the search result.
By using schema markup, you can help visitors see extra information about the page ahead of time - such as reviews. This helps users better assess whether your link is worth clicking. It can also reduce bounce rate and increase the time spent on your site.
By analyzing the use of structured data, you can not only improve visibility in search but also gain better presentation in Google results. It’s important to understand: schema markup alone won’t guarantee a first-place ranking on Google - content quality and website authority are still among the most important factors. However, schema.org helps search engines better understand and index your pages, which is a significant step forward.
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(Search results when using schema markup)
(search results without using schema markup)
Schema Markup Categories
You can’t add schema markup to every single word on a page. However, search engines recognize a wide range of categories - so you can add schema markups based on the categories provided by Google.
The major search engines - Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Yandex - came together to create a unified structured data language and developed Schema.org, a library where all this information is collected. On the Schema.org website, you can find the complete collection of structured data types.
Here are some of the most commonly used schema types:
- Creative works: CreativeWork, Book, Movie, MusicRecording, Recipe, TVSeries
- Embedded non-text objects: AudioObject, ImageObject, VideoObject
- Event
- Organization
- Person
- Place, Local Business, Restaurant
- Product, Offer
- Review
- FAQ
It’s important to note that you can use multiple schemas on a single page. For example, if you have a product page, you can apply the Review, Offer, and Price schemas.
Certain types of searches are more likely to trigger specific schema markups in search results:
- Looking for answers to questions? There’s a high chance the FAQ schema will appear.
- Browsing products? Google often displays the Review schema.
- Searching for recipes? The Recipe schema is used.
- Looking for news? The Article or News schema is applied.
In other words, the type of schema markup depends on what the user is searching for.
How Works Schema Markup?
We’ve already covered what Schema.org is, why it’s worth using it wherever possible, and when schema markups appear in search. Now let’s take a look at how structured data actually works – time to look up into the technical side!
Like any technology, this one also requires proper instructions - in this case, that means the correct code format. These instructions are known as structured data, or schema encoding types. There are three types of schema markup formats, but the most popular - and according to Google, the simplest - is JSON-LD.
The other two formats belong to an older generation, and their implementation tends to be more complex - it’s also easier to make mistakes when using them.
As you can see, even Google agrees with that - Google search engine supports JSON-LD and recommends using it whenever possible.
You don’t need to know how to code to take advantage of schema markup benefits. There are plenty of schema markup generators available that can help you create the markup you need.
Populiariausi ir efektyviausi schema markup tipai
2. BreadcrumbList. To clearly show search engines where a specific page is located within your website’s structure, you can use this markup. BreadcrumbList works like a navigation trail - it displays the levels (pages) that need to be passed through to reach a specific page on the site. Each level is marked in order, starting from position 1, which is usually your homepage (i.e., the main entry point of the site). Breadcrumbs help users quickly understand where a link leads, and help Google better grasp your website’s architecture - this improves both user experience and visibility in Google.
3. Organizational. This markup is similar to the WebPage schema - it’s easy to implement and doesn’t require regular updates. The Organization schema is used to provide Google with more detailed information about your business and to help it connect your company with other sources. It’s recommended to include as much relevant information as possible: your company name, logo, address, contact details, email, and links to social media profiles (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram) - all of this helps Google better understand who you are
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4. Article. If you publish news or similar types of content, it’s worth considering the use of the Article schema. This type of markup allows search engines to gather more information about each individual article, which increases the chances of additional elements appearing in search results - such as a more prominent headline, publication date, or images.
5. BlogPosting. This type is very similar to the Article schema we discussed earlier. If your website includes a blog, it’s worth adding the BlogPosting markup to each post to achieve the same benefits as with the Article schema - a more visually appealing search result display, additional information (such as headline, date, image), and increased visibility.
6. FAQPage. If you have an FAQ page that includes questions and answers, it’s worth implementing the FAQPage schema. By adding this markup, search engines can display those questions and answers directly in the search results. This provides additional content from your website right on the search page and helps your results stand out from others.
How to Add Schema Markup Into the Website?
JSON-LD schema is implemented directly in the page's source code and can be placed anywhere within the page. As you'll see in all schema code examples, they begin with the tag Kaip matysite visuose schema kodų pavyzdžiuose, jie prasideda žyma: <script type="application/ld+json">
This tag indicates that it’s a script. Therefore, to implement this code on your website, you need to insert it into a part of the page that allows script usage.
If you simply paste it into a text editor or content field, it will be interpreted as plain text and won’t function correctly.
There are various ways to add JSON-LD scripts - either across the entire website or on specific pages - depending on the content management system (CMS) you’re using and how it’s configured.
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Check if the Created Schema Markup is Valid
Adding structured data to your website is an important first step, but if it’s implemented incorrectly, it won’t provide any value. That’s why it’s crucial to review the changes and ensure they meet the required standards. Even a small error - like a missing comma - can invalidate the entire markup. Search engines will detect it as an error and ignore the markup.
Schema.org offers an excellent markup validation tool that allows you to quickly check whether your structured data is correct. We recommend using the code snippet validation feature - simply paste in your schema code and instantly see if it works, even before applying it to your website.
Schema markup and SEO
Once Schema.org data is implemented on your web pages, it becomes easier for search engines to index your content.
In addition, rich results attract more attention because they display more information than standard metadata. They can appear higher in search results, in a larger format, and with extra informative details—which leads to an increase in click-through rates (CTR).
In Conclusion
While we can’t promise that Schema markup will land your page in the top position of search results, it can definitely enrich your content, make it more relevant to users, and increase your click-through rate (CTR).
Of course, Schema.org isn’t a magic solution to all SEO challenges. There are many other factors that need to be considered in order to prove to search engines that your pages deserve to rank at the top. However, from a practical standpoint, it’s clear that Google values the use of Schema markup and that it contributes to positive SEO results.
