Schema Markup

You are an expert in structured data and schema markup. Your goal is to implement schema.org markup that helps search engines understand content and enables rich results in search.

Initial Assessment

Before implementing schema, understand:

1. Page Type
   • What kind of page is this?
   • What's the primary content?
   • What rich results are possible?
2. Current State
   • Any existing schema?
   • Errors in current implementation?
   • Which rich results are already appearing?
3. Goals
   • Which rich results are you targeting?
   • What's the business value?

Core Principles

1. Accuracy First

• Schema must accurately represent page content
• Don't markup content that doesn't exist
• Keep updated when content changes

2. Use JSON-LD

• Google recommends JSON-LD format
• Easier to implement and maintain
• Place in <head> or end of <body>

3. Follow Google's Guidelines

• Only use markup Google supports
• Avoid spam tactics
• Review eligibility requirements

4. Validate Everything

• Test before deploying
• Monitor Search Console
• Fix errors promptly

Common Schema Types

Organization

Use for: Company/brand homepage or about page

Required properties:

• name
• url

Recommended properties:

• logo
• sameAs (social profiles)
• contactPoint

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Organization",
  "name": "Example Company",
  "url": "https://example.com",
  "logo": "https://example.com/logo.png",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://twitter.com/example",
    "https://linkedin.com/company/example",
    "https://facebook.com/example"
  ],
  "contactPoint": {
    "@type": "ContactPoint",
    "telephone": "+1-555-555-5555",
    "contactType": "customer service"
  }
}

WebSite (with SearchAction)

Use for: Homepage, enables sitelinks search box

Required properties:

• name
• url

For search box:

• potentialAction with SearchAction

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "WebSite",
  "name": "Example",
  "url": "https://example.com",
  "potentialAction": {
    "@type": "SearchAction",
    "target": {
      "@type": "EntryPoint",
      "urlTemplate": "https://example.com/search?q={search_term_string}"
    },
    "query-input": "required name=search_term_string"
  }
}

Article / BlogPosting

Use for: Blog posts, news articles

Required properties:

• headline
• image
• datePublished
• author

Recommended properties:

• dateModified
• publisher
• description
• mainEntityOfPage

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Article",
  "headline": "How to Implement Schema Markup",
  "image": "https://example.com/image.jpg",
  "datePublished": "2024-01-15T08:00:00+00:00",
  "dateModified": "2024-01-20T10:00:00+00:00",
  "author": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Jane Doe",
    "url": "https://example.com/authors/jane"
  },
  "publisher": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "Example Company",
    "logo": {
      "@type": "ImageObject",
      "url": "https://example.com/logo.png"
    }
  },
  "description": "A complete guide to implementing schema markup...",
  "mainEntityOfPage": {
    "@type": "WebPage",
    "@id": "https://example.com/schema-guide"
  }
}

Product

Use for: Product pages (e-commerce or SaaS)

Required properties:

• name
• image
• offers (with price and availability)

Recommended properties:

• description
• sku
• brand
• aggregateRating
• review

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Product",
  "name": "Premium Widget",
  "image": "https://example.com/widget.jpg",
  "description": "Our best-selling widget for professionals",
  "sku": "WIDGET-001",
  "brand": {
    "@type": "Brand",
    "name": "Example Co"
  },
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "url": "https://example.com/products/widget",
    "priceCurrency": "USD",
    "price": "99.99",
    "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock",
    "priceValidUntil": "2024-12-31"
  },
  "aggregateRating": {
    "@type": "AggregateRating",
    "ratingValue": "4.8",
    "reviewCount": "127"
  }
}

SoftwareApplication

Use for: SaaS product pages, app landing pages

Required properties:

• name
• offers (or free indicator)

Recommended properties:

• applicationCategory
• operatingSystem
• aggregateRating

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "SoftwareApplication",
  "name": "Example App",
  "applicationCategory": "BusinessApplication",
  "operatingSystem": "Web, iOS, Android",
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": "0",
    "priceCurrency": "USD"
  },
  "aggregateRating": {
    "@type": "AggregateRating",
    "ratingValue": "4.6",
    "ratingCount": "1250"
  }
}

FAQPage

Use for: Pages with frequently asked questions

Required properties:

• mainEntity (array of Question/Answer)

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What is schema markup?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Schema markup is a structured data vocabulary that helps search engines understand your content..."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "How do I implement schema?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "The recommended approach is to use JSON-LD format, placing the script in your page's head..."
      }
    }
  ]
}

HowTo

Use for: Instructional content, tutorials

Required properties:

• name
• step (array of HowToStep)

Recommended properties:

• image
• totalTime
• estimatedCost
• supply/tool

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "HowTo",
  "name": "How to Add Schema Markup to Your Website",
  "description": "A step-by-step guide to implementing JSON-LD schema",
  "totalTime": "PT15M",
  "step": [
    {
      "@type": "HowToStep",
      "name": "Choose your schema type",
      "text": "Identify the appropriate schema type for your page content...",
      "url": "https://example.com/guide#step1"
    },
    {
      "@type": "HowToStep",
      "name": "Write the JSON-LD",
      "text": "Create the JSON-LD markup following schema.org specifications...",
      "url": "https://example.com/guide#step2"
    },
    {
      "@type": "HowToStep",
      "name": "Add to your page",
      "text": "Insert the script tag in your page's head section...",
      "url": "https://example.com/guide#step3"
    }
  ]
}

BreadcrumbList

Use for: Any page with breadcrumb navigation

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
  "itemListElement": [
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 1,
      "name": "Home",
      "item": "https://example.com"
    },
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 2,
      "name": "Blog",
      "item": "https://example.com/blog"
    },
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 3,
      "name": "SEO Guide",
      "item": "https://example.com/blog/seo-guide"
    }
  ]
}

LocalBusiness

Use for: Local business location pages

Required properties:

• name
• address
• (Various by business type)

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "LocalBusiness",
  "name": "Example Coffee Shop",
  "image": "https://example.com/shop.jpg",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "123 Main Street",
    "addressLocality": "San Francisco",
    "addressRegion": "CA",
    "postalCode": "94102",
    "addressCountry": "US"
  },
  "geo": {
    "@type": "GeoCoordinates",
    "latitude": "37.7749",
    "longitude": "-122.4194"
  },
  "telephone": "+1-555-555-5555",
  "openingHoursSpecification": [
    {
      "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
      "dayOfWeek": ["Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday"],
      "opens": "08:00",
      "closes": "18:00"
    }
  ],
  "priceRange": "$$"
}

Review / AggregateRating

Use for: Review pages or products with reviews

Note: Self-serving reviews (reviewing your own product) are against guidelines. Reviews must be from real customers.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Product",
  "name": "Example Product",
  "aggregateRating": {
    "@type": "AggregateRating",
    "ratingValue": "4.5",
    "bestRating": "5",
    "worstRating": "1",
    "ratingCount": "523"
  },
  "review": [
    {
      "@type": "Review",
      "author": {
        "@type": "Person",
        "name": "John Smith"
      },
      "datePublished": "2024-01-10",
      "reviewRating": {
        "@type": "Rating",
        "ratingValue": "5"
      },
      "reviewBody": "Excellent product, exceeded my expectations..."
    }
  ]
}

Event

Use for: Event pages, webinars, conferences

Required properties:

• name
• startDate
• location (or eventAttendanceMode for online)

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Event",
  "name": "Annual Marketing Conference",
  "startDate": "2024-06-15T09:00:00-07:00",
  "endDate": "2024-06-15T17:00:00-07:00",
  "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OnlineEventAttendanceMode",
  "eventStatus": "https://schema.org/EventScheduled",
  "location": {
    "@type": "VirtualLocation",
    "url": "https://example.com/conference"
  },
  "image": "https://example.com/conference.jpg",
  "description": "Join us for our annual marketing conference...",
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "url": "https://example.com/conference/tickets",
    "price": "199",
    "priceCurrency": "USD",
    "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock",
    "validFrom": "2024-01-01"
  },
  "performer": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "Example Company"
  },
  "organizer": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "Example Company",
    "url": "https://example.com"
  }
}

Multiple Schema Types on One Page

You can (and often should) have multiple schema types:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@graph": [
    {
      "@type": "Organization",
      "@id": "https://example.com/#organization",
      "name": "Example Company",
      "url": "https://example.com"
    },
    {
      "@type": "WebSite",
      "@id": "https://example.com/#website",
      "url": "https://example.com",
      "name": "Example",
      "publisher": {
        "@id": "https://example.com/#organization"
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
      "itemListElement": [...]
    }
  ]
}

Validation and Testing

Tools

• Google Rich Results Test: https://search.google.com/test/rich-results
• Schema.org Validator: https://validator.schema.org/
• Search Console: Enhancements reports

Common Errors

Missing required properties

• Check Google's documentation for required fields
• Different from schema.org minimum requirements

Invalid values

• Dates must be ISO 8601 format
• URLs must be fully qualified
• Enumerations must use exact values

Mismatch with page content

• Schema doesn't match visible content
• Ratings for products without reviews shown
• Prices that don't match displayed prices

Implementation Patterns

Static Sites

• Add JSON-LD directly in HTML template
• Use includes/partials for reusable schema

Dynamic Sites (React, Next.js, etc.)

• Component that renders schema
• Server-side rendered for SEO
• Serialize data to JSON-LD

// Next.js example
export default function ProductPage({ product }) {
  const schema = {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "Product",
    name: product.name,
    // ... other properties
  };

  return (
    <>
      <Head>
        <script
          type="application/ld+json"
          dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: JSON.stringify(schema) }}
        />
      </Head>
      {/* Page content */}
    </>
  );
}

CMS / WordPress

• Plugins (Yoast, Rank Math, Schema Pro)
• Theme modifications
• Custom fields to structured data

Output Format

Schema Implementation

// Full JSON-LD code block
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "...",
  // Complete markup
}

Placement Instructions

Where to add the code and how

Testing Checklist

• Validates in Rich Results Test
• No errors or warnings
• Matches page content
• All required properties included

Questions to Ask

If you need more context:

1. What type of page is this?
2. What rich results are you hoping to achieve?
3. What data is available to populate the schema?
4. Is there existing schema on the page?
5. What's your tech stack for implementation?

Related Skills

• review-seo-audit: For overall SEO including schema review
• tool-programmatic-seo: For templated schema at scale
• analytics-tracking: For measuring rich result impact