What is Schema.org?
Structured data (JSON-LD) that helps search engines understand your content. Gives you stars, FAQ boxes, and richer search results.
Schema.org is a shared "labelling language" that search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo have agreed on. With it, you can mark up content on your site so machines understand what is what — that this text is a price, this is a review, and this line is opening hours. The technical format is usually called JSON-LD.
Imagine your web page is a moving box. To the eye, everything looks like one jumble of text. Schema.org is like putting small labels on the things inside: "kitchenware", "books", "winter clothes". The search engine no longer has to guess what it is looking at — it knows straight away, and can display the content more attractively in search results.
The reward for this markup is so-called "rich results": star ratings under your link, an FAQ box that expands with questions and answers, prices, images, and recipes directly in Google. That makes your link stand out and take up more space.
Why is Schema.org important for your business?
A link with stars and an expanded FAQ simply grabs more attention than a plain grey text line. More eyes land on your result, and more people click — without you paying extra for ads. It is free visibility you get for helping Google understand your page.
Your content also becomes easier for AI tools to interpret, which connects Schema.org to the new kind of visibility in AI answers.
Schema.org in practice
Say you run a dental clinic. With the right markup, Google can show your opening hours, average rating, and common questions like "does a filling hurt?" directly in the search result. Someone searching for a dentist sees both ratings and answers before they have even clicked.
The markup is added as a small piece of code in the page background — the visitor never sees it, but the search engine reads it and rewards you for it.
Common questions about Schema.org
What does Schema.org mean?
Schema.org is a standardised way to mark up content on a web page so search engines understand what each part is — for example price, rating, or opening hours. The markup is usually written in JSON-LD format.
What is JSON-LD?
JSON-LD is the technical format Schema.org is usually written in. It is a small piece of code in the page background that describes the content for search engines without being visible to visitors.
Does Schema.org improve ranking?
Schema.org is not a guarantee of higher ranking in itself, but it can give richer search results with stars and FAQ boxes that attract more clicks. It also helps search engines and AI understand your page better.
Related terms
SERP
The Google page where everyone fights for attention. SERP simply means the results list you get after searching.
AI Overviews
Google's AI-generated summaries at the top of search results. Being featured here is 2026's new top spot.
Alt Text
The short description behind an image. Screen readers and Google cannot see — alt text is the voice that says what is there.
Backlink
A link from another site to yours. Google treats it like a recommendation — a good word in passing, but on the web.
Core Web Vitals
Google's metrics for page performance — load speed, interactivity, visual stability. Poor scores hurt ranking; good scores help.
Domain Authority
A kind of trust score for your site on a 0–100 scale. Not Google's own number — but a rough guide to how much weight you carry.