What schema markup is (and isn't)

Schema markup is a block of code, usually JSON-LD placed in the page's HTML, that describes facts using the shared vocabulary at schema.org. Instead of a search engine guessing that "Mon–Fri 8–6" is your opening hours, the markup states it explicitly.

What it isn't: a ranking shortcut. Google's documentation is clear that it does not guarantee that features using structured data will show up in search results. Markup helps a well-built page be understood; it can't make up for thin content, slow pages or a site that's hard to use.

What changed recently

FAQ rich results are gone

For years, adding FAQPage markup could earn expandable questions under your search result. Google reduced how often these appeared back in 2023, and as of May 7, 2026 stopped showing FAQ rich results altogether, with Search Console reporting removed afterwards. Google's John Mueller said sites don't need to take action. FAQs are still useful on the page for your visitors; just don't add them only for the markup.

AI Overviews don't need special markup

Many vendors now sell "AI schema" packages. Google's own guidance on AI features says there are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, and no special schema.org structured data you need to add. Among the normal good practices it lists is making sure your structured data matches the visible text on the page. Clear, accurate facts on a fast, accessible page remain the best preparation for AI-driven search; our guide to getting found in Google's AI answers goes deeper.

The markup most small businesses actually need

Getting LocalBusiness markup right

For a business with a storefront, restaurant, clinic or hotel, LocalBusiness markup is the one to get right first. According to Google's documentation, only two properties are required, name and address, but several recommended properties make the markup far more useful:

• Most specific type. Google recommends using the most specific LocalBusiness subtype available (for example Restaurant rather than LocalBusiness). A business can list more than one type.
• geo: latitude and longitude, with at least five decimal places.
• openingHoursSpecification: your hours, including seasonal closures using validFrom and validThrough.
• telephone: including country and area code, which matters for international visitors.
• url: the specific location page, not just the home page, if you have several locations.
• priceRange: a short indication such as "$$".
• servesCuisine and menu: for restaurants, the cuisine and a link to your menu page.

A simplified example for a café looks like this:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "CafeOrCoffeeShop",
  "name": "Example Corner Café",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "12 Market Street",
    "addressLocality": "Portland",
    "addressRegion": "OR",
    "postalCode": "97201",
    "addressCountry": "US"
  },
  "telephone": "+1-503-555-0100",
  "url": "https://www.example.com/",
  "priceRange": "$",
  "servesCuisine": "Coffee, breakfast",
  "menu": "https://www.example.com/menu/",
  "openingHoursSpecification": [{
    "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
    "dayOfWeek": ["Monday","Tuesday","Wednesday","Thursday","Friday"],
    "opens": "07:00",
    "closes": "16:00"
  }]
}

Note what's missing: review stars. Google's documentation says aggregateRating and review on LocalBusiness are only for sites that collect reviews of other local businesses. Marking up your own testimonials as star ratings is not eligible and can create problems.

If you run a hotel or B&B, our local SEO guide for hotels and B&Bs covers how structured data fits alongside your Google Business Profile and citations.

Common mistakes we see

• Markup that doesn't match the page. Hours in the markup say 9–5; the page says 8–6. Keep one source of truth.
• Stale data. Holiday hours, moved premises or changed phone numbers that were updated on the page but not in the markup, or in a plugin setting nobody remembers.
• Plugin overlap. Two SEO or theme plugins each outputting their own Organization markup, with different details.
• Marking up content visitors can't see. Structured data should describe visible content, not add hidden claims.
• Copy-pasted templates. Example values left in place, such as the wrong country or a placeholder logo.

A 15-minute schema check

1. Run your home page and one key page through Google's Rich Results Test and the Schema Markup Validator at schema.org.
2. Compare every value in the markup with the visible page and your Google Business Profile: name, address, phone, hours.
3. Look for duplicate Organization or LocalBusiness blocks coming from different plugins.
4. Check Search Console's enhancement reports for errors on product, event or breadcrumb markup.
5. Remove anything that's inaccurate or that you can't keep up to date.

Structured data works best on a page that is already fast, clear and usable by everyone. Accessible, semantic HTML (proper headings, labeled forms, real text instead of images of text) helps search engines and assistive technologies alike; see our website accessibility page for how we approach it. If you'd like a second pair of eyes on your markup and technical SEO, a website review is a good place to start.

Frequently asked questions