SEO Glossary

Schema Markup

Structured data vocabulary helping search engines understand and display web page content in enhanced search features.

Updated July 9, 2025
SEO

Definition

Schema Markup, also known as structured data, is a semantic vocabulary of tags (microdata) that can be added to HTML to improve the way search engines read and represent web pages in search results. Developed collaboratively by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Yandex, Schema.org provides a collection of shared vocabularies that webmasters can use to mark up their pages in ways that search engines understand.

Schema markup helps search engines understand the content and context of web pages, enabling the creation of rich snippets, knowledge panels, and other enhanced search features. Common schema types include Article, Product, Review, Event, Organization, Person, Recipe, FAQ, and How-to guides.

In the context of AI-powered search and GEO, schema markup becomes increasingly important because AI systems can more easily parse and understand structured data when generating responses and citations. Well-implemented schema markup provides clear context about content, helps AI systems understand relationships between different pieces of information, improves the likelihood of content being featured in rich results, and provides semantic clarity that AI models can leverage for better understanding.

For businesses optimizing for AI search, implementing comprehensive schema markup helps ensure that AI systems can accurately understand and cite their content.

Examples of Schema Markup

  • 1

    An e-commerce site using Product schema to display price, availability, and review ratings in search results

  • 2

    A news website implementing Article schema to help AI systems understand publication dates, authors, and content structure

  • 3

    A restaurant using LocalBusiness schema to provide location, hours, and contact information for voice search and AI assistants

Frequently Asked Questions about Schema Markup

Terms related to Schema Markup

SERP Features

SEO

SERP Features are enhanced search results elements that appear on Search Engine Results Pages beyond traditional blue links, designed to provide users with immediate answers and rich information directly in the search results. These features include featured snippets, knowledge panels, local packs, image carousels, video results, shopping results, news boxes, related questions (People Also Ask), site links, reviews and ratings, and AI Overviews.

SERP features have evolved significantly with the introduction of AI-powered search, as search engines aim to provide more comprehensive and immediate answers to user queries. For businesses and SEO professionals, SERP features represent both opportunities and challenges: they can significantly increase visibility and click-through rates when captured, but they can also reduce organic traffic by answering user questions directly in the search results.

Understanding and optimizing for SERP features requires content structure optimization, implementation of relevant schema markup, focus on question-based content, local SEO optimization for location-based features, and monitoring of feature appearance and performance.

In the context of GEO and AI-powered search, many SERP features now incorporate AI-generated content, making it essential for businesses to optimize their content for both traditional SERP features and AI-powered enhancements.

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