SEO Reference
Schema Types for Marketers
There are hundreds of schema.org types and about a dozen that do anything visible in search. This is the shortlist I implement, with the properties Google actually requires rather than the full vocabulary.
| Type | What it can earn | Key required properties |
|---|---|---|
| Article | Article rich result and Top stories eligibility | headline, image, datePublished |
| Product | Price, availability and review snippet | name, image, offers |
| FAQPage | Expandable questions, now limited in display | mainEntity with Question and Answer |
| BreadcrumbList | Breadcrumb trail in results | itemListElement with position and name |
| Event | Event listing with date and location | name, startDate, location |
| Recipe | Recipe card with image and rating | name, image, recipeIngredient |
| VideoObject | Video thumbnail and key moments | name, description, thumbnailUrl, uploadDate |
| LocalBusiness | Business details in local surfaces | name, address, telephone |
| JobPosting | Google Jobs listing | title, datePosted, hiringOrganization |
| Type | Why it is still worth adding |
|---|---|
| Organization | Entity identity, logo and social profiles |
| Person | Author and personal brand entity resolution |
| WebSite | Enables sitelinks search box eligibility |
| sameAs property | Connects your entity to authoritative profiles |
| Item | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Format | JSON-LD, recommended by Google |
| Placement | In the head or body, either is supported |
| Validation | Rich Results Test and Schema Markup Validator |
| Monitoring | Search Console enhancement reports |
Notes
Structured data describes what is already on the page. It is not a ranking lever and it is not a place to make claims the page does not support. Marking up reviews that are not visible, or an offer that is not real, is a manual action risk, and Google does enforce it.
FAQPage markup is a cautionary tale worth remembering. It was widely deployed for the visible result, then Google sharply restricted display to a narrow set of authoritative sites. Implement structured data because it is accurate, and treat any rich result as an upside that can be withdrawn.
Organization and Person markup with a well populated sameAs array is the highest value work for a personal brand or a small company, even though it produces no visible snippet. It is how search engines and language models resolve who you are and connect your profiles into a single entity.
Google's structured data requirements change, and types are added and deprecated. The Search Central structured data gallery lists exactly which types are currently supported for rich results, and it is the only source worth trusting for eligibility.
Frequently asked questions
Does schema markup improve rankings?
Not directly. Google has been consistent that structured data is not a ranking factor. It affects how your result is displayed and how confidently search engines understand your content.
JSON-LD, Microdata or RDFa?
JSON-LD. Google recommends it, it lives in one block instead of being woven through your HTML, and it survives template changes far better.
Should I still add FAQ schema?
Add it where the FAQs are genuinely on the page and useful. Just do not build a content strategy around the rich result, since display is now heavily restricted.
Official sources
Platforms change specifications without notice. Check the primary documentation before a launch that depends on an exact value.
Read next
You might also like
Ranked by how closely each page overlaps with this one, using a similarity model over the whole library.
More SEO Reference
Meta Tag Length Guide
Title tag and meta description length limits, pixel widths, Open Graph tags, and what Google actually displays in results.
HTTP Status Codes for SEO
What each HTTP status code means for crawling and indexing, when to use 301 versus 302, and how Google treats soft 404s.
Robots.txt Directives Reference
Robots.txt directives Google actually supports, correct syntax and wildcards, common mistakes, and how robots.txt differs from noindex.
Google Search Operators
Google search operators that still work, what each one does, and how to combine them for technical SEO audits and competitive research.
Core Web Vitals Thresholds
Core Web Vitals metrics and their good, needs improvement and poor thresholds, plus how field data is assessed and what moves each metric.
Canonical Tag Rules
How rel canonical works, correct implementation patterns, common mistakes, and when to use a canonical instead of a redirect or noindex.