SEO On-Page: Schema / Structured Data#

Guides implementation of Schema.org structured data (JSON-LD) for rich snippets, enhanced search results, and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).

When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

Scope (On-Page SEO)#

• Schema markup: Schema.org types for rich results, AI search visibility, and machine-readable content
• Schema.org vs. search engines: Schema.org defines 800+ types; each search engine supports only a subset for rich results

Schema.org vs. Search Engine Support#

Schema.org and Google Structured Data are not fully aligned. Schema.org is an open vocabulary (800+ types); Google, Bing, and other engines each support only a curated subset for rich results.

EngineSupportNotesGoogleSubset onlyOnly types in Google's search gallery generate rich results. Valid Schema.org markup not in Google's list won't produce enhanced snippets—even if technically correct.BingSubset; differentSupports JSON-LD, Microdata, RDFa, Open Graph. Some types (e.g., Product, Offer) have format-specific support. Check Bing Webmaster docs.Other enginesVariesYandex, DuckDuckGo, AI search tools (Perplexity, etc.) may use Schema.org for understanding even when they don't display rich results.

Practical implication: Implement Schema.org markup for your content type. If Google doesn't show rich results for that type, Bing or AI systems may still use it. Always verify against Google's developer docs for Google-specific rich result eligibility.

Rich Results: Google Support (2025)#

High-impact types: Product, Review snippets, HowTo (desktop), Article/News, Video, Recipe, LocalBusiness, Event, Breadcrumb, Sitelinks searchbox, JobPosting.

Limited or context-dependent: HowTo (mobile), FAQ (government/health sites for many queries), Education Q&A, Course, SoftwareApplication, Speakable (news), DiscussionForumPosting.

Deprecated: COVID data panels, some AMP-only formats, data-vocabulary.org.

Implementation: JSON-LD preferred; include @context, @type, stable @id; ISO 8601 dates; match structured data to visible content. Validate with Rich Results Test. Rich results can increase CTR up to ~35% and improve AI citation. AISO Hub, Digital Applied

Schema ↔ SERP Features ↔ Rich Results (Strongly Related)#

Schema, SERP features, and rich results are strongly related. Schema is the necessary condition for most rich results. When targeting a SERP feature, implement the corresponding schema type. See serp-features for the full SERP feature list and optimization.

Rich Results vs Featured Snippets#

• Rich results: Schema-powered enhancements to standard listings (stars, breadcrumbs, FAQ dropdowns, product info). Appear within organic positions; do not require top-10 rank.
• Featured snippets: Google-extracted answer boxes at position zero. No schema required; content structure matters. Schema (FAQPage, HowTo, Article) can support extraction.

Schema TypeSERP Feature / Rich ResultNotesFAQPagePAA, Featured SnippetFAQ dropdown; Q&A-style snippet. Eligibility restricted for many sites (e.g. government/health)BreadcrumbListBreadcrumbsPath display in resultAggregateRating, ReviewReviews / StarsStar ratingsHowToFeatured Snippet (list)Step-based snippet; desktop support; mobile may be limitedArticleIn-Depth Articles, SnippetArticle rich resultVideoObjectVideoVideo thumbnail; see video-optimization****Product, OfferShopping, ProductProduct/shopping resultsRecipeRecipeRecipe rich resultJobPostingGoogle JobsJob listingsEventEventEvent rich resultWebSite + SearchActionSitelinks searchboxSite links for brand queriesOrganization, PersonKnowledge PanelEntity info; see entity-seo

Workflow: 1) Use serp-features to identify target SERP feature; 2) Look up schema type in this table; 3) Implement and validate with Rich Results Test.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)#

GEO = optimizing content so AI systems (Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, ChatGPT, Gemini) choose, cite, and quote your content in generated answers. Structured data makes content machine-readable; AI engines extract and cite more accurately. Key schema types for GEO: Organization, Person/Author, WebSite, WebPage, FAQPage, HowTo, Article, Product, AggregateRating. See generative-engine-optimization for full GEO strategy.

Initial Assessment#

Check for project context first: If .claude/project-context.md or .cursor/project-context.md exists, read it for product type and content.

Identify:

1. Page type: Article, Product, FAQ, Organization, JobPosting, Event, etc.
2. Content: What entities to describe
3. Goal: Rich snippets, AI Overview visibility, Knowledge Panel

Schema Type Classification#

Core Types (General Use)#

TypeUse caseOrganizationSite-wide; company info, logo, sameAs; see placement belowWebSiteSite-wide; search action, site name; pair with Organization on homepageArticleBlog posts, news, tool introsBreadcrumbListBreadcrumb navigationFAQPageFAQ sections; triggers PAA-style resultsPersonAuthor info; pairs with ArticleImageObjectImage metadata for rich resultsHowToTutorials, step-by-step guides. Note: Google may have deprecated HowTo rich results (2023–2024); Schema.org still supports it; Bing/AI may use it

Exclusive Types (Specific Scenarios)#

TypeUse caseJobPostingRecruitment sites, AI Job MatchingProductE-commerce product pagesEventEvent pages, ticketing (not general blogs)SoftwareApplicationApp pages, tool pagesLocalBusinessLocal business pagesDatasetData platforms, datasetsDiscussionForumPostingForums, community postsQuizEducation, flashcardsMathSolverMath toolsCaseStudyCase study pagesRecipeRecipes, meal plans, cooking instructions

Rule: Use core types for most sites. Use exclusive types only when page content matches (e.g., don't use Event on a blog; don't use JobPosting on a product page).

Organization & WebSite Schema Placement#

WhereOrganizationWebSiteNotesHomepageMinimumMinimumAdd both Organization and WebSite to homepage at least. Organization describes the entity that owns the site; WebSite enables sitelinks searchbox and site identity.Root layout / globalOptimalOptimalPlace in site-wide layout (e.g. layout.tsx, _document, global header/footer) so schema appears on every page. Google uses the first instance found; one instance per site is sufficient.About pageNoNoAbout page uses AboutPage schema (page-specific: headline, description, author, about). Organization is entity-level, not page-level—do not confine it to About. See about-page-generator.

Implementation: JSON-LD in <head>; use @id (e.g. https://example.com/#organization) to link Organization ↔ WebSite ↔ WebPage for entity graph. See entity-seo for @id and Knowledge Panel.

Action: Website/Product Type → Schema Mapping#

Use this table to recommend which exclusive schema types fit a site. Match the site's content and product type to the most relevant schema. When in doubt, start with core types (Organization, WebSite, Article); add exclusive types only when content clearly matches.

Website / Product typeRecommended exclusive schemaWhyAI meal planner, recipe site, food blog, cooking app****RecipeIngredients, instructions, cook time, servings—highly relevant for food/meal content. Google supports Recipe rich results.Job board, recruitment site, careers page****JobPostingTitle, company, location, salary, employment type. Required for Google Jobs.Event platform, ticketing, webinar, conference****EventDate, location, price. Use only on actual event pages.SaaS, app, Chrome extension, tool, software product page****SoftwareApplicationApp name, category, rating, price, OS. Fits product/feature pages.E-commerce product page****ProductPrice, availability, brand, reviews. Use with Offer, AggregateRating.Forum, community, Reddit-style, Q&A****DiscussionForumPostingPost content, author, comments. For user-generated discussion.Data platform, dataset repository, Scale AI / Surge AI****DatasetDataset name, creator, license, distribution format. For data catalog pages.Education site, flashcards, Quizlet-style****QuizQuestion-answer pairs. For educational Q&A content.Math solver, calculator, equation tool****MathSolverMath problem input, solution output. For math tools.Restaurant, local service, store locator****LocalBusinessAddress, hours, NAP. For local SEO.Case study, customer story page****CaseStudyClient, outcome, methodology. For B2B case studies.FAQ page, product FAQ, support FAQ****FAQPageQuestion + acceptedAnswer pairs. Triggers PAA-style results.Tutorial, how-to guide, step-by-step****HowToSteps, tools, time. Note: Google may have deprecated rich results; Bing/AI may still use.News article, press release****NewsArticleUse instead of Article for news.Video page, podcast episode****VideoObject / PodcastEpisodeFor video/audio content. See video-optimization for VideoObject, thumbnail, key moments.

Examples:

• AI meal planner (e.g., generates weekly meal plans with recipes) → Add Recipe schema to each recipe/meal page; Article or WebPage for landing pages
• AI writing tool → SoftwareApplication on product page; Article on blog
• Recruitment SaaS → JobPosting on job listing pages; SoftwareApplication on product page
• Recipe blog → Recipe on each recipe post; Article for non-recipe posts

Output: When recommending schema, state: (1) which exclusive types fit the site/product, (2) which page types get which schema, (3) core types to add site-wide (Organization, WebSite, BreadcrumbList).

Article / BlogPosting / NewsArticle: Type Selection & Implementation#

Choose the most specific type that matches content:

TypeUse caseBlogPostingInformal blog posts; individual authors; regularly updatedArticleFormal, evergreen content; tool intros; encyclopedicNewsArticleTime-sensitive news; recognized publishers

Required properties: headline (max 110 chars), image (min 1200px wide; absolute URL), datePublished (ISO 8601), author (Person or Organization), publisher (Organization with logo).

Recommended: dateModified, description, mainEntityOfPage (canonical URL).

Date display for CTR: Google recommends showing only one date on the page. If both datePublished and dateModified are visible, Google may pick the wrong date for SERP display—Search Engine Land saw ~22% CTR drop. Best practice: show dateModified if it exists, otherwise datePublished. Keep both in JSON-LD; the rule applies to visible date only.

JSON-LD example (BlogPosting):

json

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "BlogPosting",
  "headline": "The Ultimate SEO Checklist for 2025",
  "description": "A complete guide to optimizing blog posts for search and AI.",
  "image": "https://example.com/image.jpg",
  "datePublished": "2025-01-15T09:00:00Z",
  "dateModified": "2025-02-01T14:30:00Z",
  "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jane Doe", "url": "https://example.com/author/jane" },
  "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Example", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://example.com/logo.png" } }
}

Place in <head> via <script type="application/ld+json">. For article pages, use og:type: article with og:article:published_time, og:article:modified_time, og:article:author. See article-page-generator, open-graph.

BreadcrumbList#

For breadcrumb navigation. Schema must match visible breadcrumbs exactly. See breadcrumb-generator for UI, placement, and semantic HTML.

RequirementGuidelineFormatJSON-LD in <script type="application/ld+json">URLsAbsolute URLs with https:// for each itemPositionSequential integers starting from 1MatchSchema must match visible breadcrumbs exactly

JSON-LD example:

json

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
  "itemListElement": [
    { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://example.com/" },
    { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Category", "item": "https://example.com/category/" },
    { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Current Page", "item": "https://example.com/category/current-page/" }
  ]
}

Multiple paths: Google supports multiple BreadcrumbList objects on the same page when a page is reachable via multiple paths (e.g., product in multiple categories). Use an array of BreadcrumbList objects.

Best Practices#

PrincipleGuidelineAccuracyData must match visible page content; never add invisible or misleading dataCompletenessInclude all required properties per typeMost specific typeUse NewsArticle over Article when applicableJSON-LDPreferred format; place in <script type="application/ld+json">@id for entitiesUse @id for Organization, Person to enable entity linking; see entity-seo****Phased implementationAdd required properties first; then optional for optimizationValidationTest with Rich Results Test and Schema Markup Validator**inLanguage (multilingual)**Add "inLanguage": "en-US" (IETF BCP 47) to match hreflang; localize names, descriptions, FAQs for rich snippets per locale

Multilingual Schema (inLanguage)#

For multilingual sites, add inLanguage to JSON-LD to reinforce language targeting. Align with hreflang values (e.g. "inLanguage": "zh-CN" with hreflang="zh-CN").

Localize schema data: Translate structured data fields (name, description, FAQ acceptedAnswer, etc.) for each locale to improve rich snippet CTR in that language.

Types that support inLanguage: Article, BlogPosting, WebApplication, FAQPage, HowTo, Product, Organization.

Implementation Workflow#

1. Analyze page type and content; choose matching Schema type
2. Select format — JSON-LD recommended (Google, Bing, AI tools support it)
3. Write structured data; start with required properties
4. Validate with Rich Results Test, Schema Markup Validator
5. Deploy and monitor via Search Console enhanced reports

Common Errors and Fixes#

ErrorFixData doesn't match visible contentSchema must describe only what users seeMissing required propertiesCheck Google/Schema.org docs for each typeWrong type for pageDon't use Event on non-event pages; don't use JobPosting on product pagesFormat/syntax errorsValidate JSON-LD; check quotes, brackets, commasOver-markupMark only relevant content; avoid stuffing unrelated types

Implementation#

Next.js (metadata)#

tsx

export const metadata = {
  other: {
    'script:ld+json': JSON.stringify({
      "@context": "https://schema.org",
      "@type": "Article",
      "headline": "...",
      "description": "...",
      "inLanguage": "en-US",
      "image": "https://example.com/image.jpg",
      "datePublished": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z",
      "dateModified": "2024-01-15T00:00:00Z",
      "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "..." },
      "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "...", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "..." } }
    }),
  },
};

HTML (generic)#

html

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Article",
  "headline": "...",
  "description": "...",
  "inLanguage": "en-US",
  "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "..." },
  "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "...", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "..." } }
}
</script>

Validation Tools#

ToolPurposeGoogle Rich Results TestCheck if Google can generate rich resultsSchema Markup ValidatorValidate against Schema.org specSearch ConsoleEnhanced reports; monitor validity over time

Output Format#

• Action first: Use the Website/Product Type → Schema Mapping table to recommend which exclusive schema fits the site (e.g., AI meal planner → Recipe; SaaS tool → SoftwareApplication)
• Schema type recommendation (core vs. exclusive)
• Page-level mapping: Which pages get which schema
• JSON-LD structure with required properties
• Validation steps
• References: Schema.org, Google Structured Data, Bing Markup

Related Skills#

• article-page-generator: Article structure; Article/BlogPosting/NewsArticle schema; date display
• serp-features: Strongly related—schema maps to SERP features; see mapping table above
• faq-page-generator: FAQPage schema; FAQ content structure
• breadcrumb-generator: BreadcrumbList schema implementation
• featured-snippet: FAQPage, HowTo for snippets
• video-optimization: VideoObject, video sitemap, thumbnail, key moments
• entity-seo: Organization, Person for entity recognition; @id; Knowledge Panel
• homepage-generator: Organization + WebSite schema on homepage or root layout
• indexing: Google Indexing API for JobPosting, BroadcastEvent