What Schema.org structured data is worth using from an SEO perspective?

Schema.org structured data is code that describes a page’s content (a product, an article, a business) in a format search engines understand. Created jointly by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Yandex, it can make a page eligible for rich results such as product prices, star ratings or breadcrumbs. In 2026 fewer types produce rich results than a few years ago, so the key is choosing the ones that still matter for your site.

Which schema types should you use for your type of site?

Site type	Recommended types	What it can give in Google
Every site	Organization (with logo, sameAs), WebSite, BreadcrumbList	Logo and knowledge panel signals, breadcrumbs in results
E-commerce	Product, Offer, AggregateRating / Review, MerchantReturnPolicy, OfferShippingDetails	Price, availability, ratings, shipping and returns in results and Shopping
Local business	LocalBusiness (or a subtype such as Restaurant, Dentist)	Supports business details; the Google Business Profile remains the main source
Blog, news, media	Article / NewsArticle / BlogPosting with author (Person) and dates	Better understanding of author and dates; Top stories for news
Video	VideoObject	Video results and key moments
Events	Event	Event listings
Recruitment	JobPosting	Google for Jobs listings
Recipes	Recipe	Recipe rich results with image, time and ratings
Software	SoftwareApplication	Ratings and price

Check the current list in Google’s search gallery before you implement: supported types change.

Which schema types no longer produce rich results?

Type	Status in Google	What to do
FAQPage	Removed in May 2026 (limited to government and health sites since 2023)	Keep a visible FAQ section for users and AI; markup optional
HowTo	Removed in 2023	Keep steps in visible content
SpecialAnnouncement, Course Info, Claim Review, Estimated Salary, Learning Video, Vehicle Listing, Book Actions	Phased out in June 2025	No need to add for rich results
AggregateRating on articles or on your own business (LocalBusiness, Organization)	No stars (self-serving reviews, ineligible types)	Use ratings only on eligible types such as Product

How do you choose and implement structured data?

1. Define the site and page type (product, category, article, contact page) and match schema types to it using the table above.
2. Match properties to visible content. If the address isn’t on the page, don’t add it to the markup. Markup must describe what users see.
3. Follow Google’s documentation, not only Schema.org. Schema.org lists all possible properties; Google lists which ones are required and recommended for rich results.
4. Implement in JSON-LD, ideally generated by the CMS from the same data as the page (price, availability), so markup and content don’t drift apart.
5. Validate with Google’s Rich Results Test (eligibility for rich results) and the Schema Markup Validator (general Schema.org syntax, including types Google doesn’t use).
6. Monitor the Enhancements reports in Search Console (e.g. Products, Breadcrumbs, Review snippets) for errors after deployments.

JSON-LD, Microdata or RDFa?

Format	How it works	When to use
JSON-LD	A separate <script type=”application/ld+json”> block in the head or body	Recommended by Google; easiest to maintain and generate
Microdata	Attributes (itemscope, itemtype, itemprop) inside HTML tags	Legacy templates where markup is already built into HTML
RDFa	Attributes (vocab, typeof, property) inside HTML tags	Rarely needed; used in some CMSs and linked-data projects

Example of Product markup in JSON-LD (values must match the page):

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Product",
  "name": "Women's leather loafers Mila",
  "image": ["https://example.com/img/mila-1.jpg"],
  "sku": "MILA-38-BLK",
  "brand": {"@type": "Brand", "name": "Example"},
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": "349.00",
    "priceCurrency": "PLN",
    "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock",
    "url": "https://example.com/mila-loafers"
  },
  "aggregateRating": {"@type": "AggregateRating", "ratingValue": "4.7", "reviewCount": "128"}
}
</script>

Make sure the JSON-LD is in the HTML the server sends, not only added by JavaScript; you can check this in Chrome DevTools.

Does structured data help in AI search?

Indirectly. Structured data helps Google understand and display pages, and product data feeds Shopping and AI Mode. But an Ahrefs study found no citation lift from schema alone in AI answers; what AI quotes is the visible content. See structured data and AI search.

FAQ

Which schema markup is most important for SEO?

It depends on the site: Product and Offer for e-commerce, LocalBusiness for local businesses, Article for content, plus Organization, WebSite and BreadcrumbList for every site.

Is FAQ schema still worth adding?

Not for rich results: Google removed FAQ rich results in May 2026. A visible FAQ section is still useful for users and AI assistants.

Should I use JSON-LD or Microdata?

JSON-LD. Google recommends it, and it’s easier to maintain because it’s separate from the HTML layout.

Why don’t my star ratings show in Google?

Review snippets appear only for eligible types (such as Product or Recipe), not for articles or for a business reviewing itself, and Google decides whether to show them even when markup is valid.

Sources

• Google Search Central: Introduction to structured data
• Google Search Central: Structured data search gallery
• Google Search Central: Structured data general guidelines
• Google Search Central: Simplifying the search results page (Jun 2025)
• Search Engine Journal: Google drops FAQ rich results (May 2026)
• Google Search Central: Review snippet
• Google Search Central: Making review rich results more helpful (2019)
• Schema.org: Getting started
• Ahrefs: Schema and AI citations