Structured data (schema) explained for business owners

Structured data, often called "schema" or "schema markup", is a way of labeling the information on your web pages so machines can read it without guessing. It's been part of SEO for years, and it's getting fresh attention because of AI search. This guide explains what it is in plain English, what it realistically does, and which kinds a typical small business site should have.

What it is, in plain English

A person reading your contact page sees "Open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm" and understands it. A computer sees a string of text that could mean many things. Structured data adds a hidden, standardized label alongside it: this is the opening hours, these are the days, these are the times.

The vocabulary most sites use comes from schema.org, a shared project started by major search engines. It defines "types" (like LocalBusiness, Product, Event, Article) and the properties each can have (like address, openingHours, price).

The usual format is JSON-LD, a small block of code placed in the page that visitors never see. You don't need to write it by hand. Most website platforms and SEO plugins generate some of it automatically.

Here's a simplified example of what it looks like:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "LocalBusiness",
  "name": "Northside Heating",
  "telephone": "+44 161 555 0100",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "12 Mill Lane",
    "addressLocality": "Manchester",
    "postalCode": "M1 1AA"
  },
  "openingHours": "Mo-Fr 08:00-18:00"
}

What structured data does

Helps search engines understand your pages. Google describes structured data as a way to provide explicit clues about a page's meaning.

Makes pages eligible for rich results. These are enhanced search listings: product prices and availability, event dates, recipe details, breadcrumb trails and so on. Google is clear that markup makes a page eligible, not guaranteed. It decides whether to show them.

Reduces ambiguity about who you are. Organization markup with your official name, logo, contact details and links to your official profiles helps tie your website to your business identity.

What it doesn't do

It isn't a ranking boost on its own. Google has said structured data isn't a general ranking factor. Its value is in understanding and presentation.
It isn't required for AI features. Google's documentation on AI features says there's no special schema.org markup you need to add to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. Other AI providers haven't published structured data requirements either.
It can't make claims the page doesn't support. Google's guidelines require markup to represent content visible on the page. Marking up reviews nobody can see, or prices that aren't shown, is against the guidelines and can lead to a manual action.

So why mention it in an AI search section? Because clear, consistent facts about your business, in a machine-readable form, are useful to any system trying to understand you. It's good hygiene, not a magic switch.

Which types are worth having

For most small business sites:

Type	Use it for	Notes
`Organization` or `LocalBusiness`	Your business identity	Use a specific subtype if one fits (e.g. `Dentist`, `Plumber`). Keep name, address and phone identical to your Google Business Profile.
`WebSite`	Your site as a whole	Often added automatically by SEO plugins.
`BreadcrumbList`	Showing where a page sits in your site	Often automatic.
`Product` and `Offer`	Online stores	Price, availability, reviews. Shop platforms usually add this.
`Event`	Classes, workshops, events	Dates, location, tickets.
`Article` or `BlogPosting`	Blog posts and guides	Author, date published and updated.

Some types have changed in usefulness for search:

FAQ rich results were limited by Google in 2023 to well-known, authoritative government and health sites. FAQ markup won't usually produce special results for a business site.
HowTo rich results were removed by Google in 2023.
Review stars for your own businessGoogle doesn't show review rich results for "self-serving" reviews a local business or organization marks up about itself on its own site.

Adding these types isn't harmful if they're accurate, but don't expect search features from them.

How to check your structured data

Run Google's Rich Results Test on your homepage and a key page. It shows which structured data Google found and whether it's eligible for rich results.

Run the Schema Markup Validator (from schema.org) to see all the markup on a page, including types Google doesn't use for rich results.

Check Search Console's Enhancements reports. If Google finds structured data it supports, reports appear in the left menu, with any errors.

Compare what's marked up with what's visible. Is the phone number the same? The address? The hours? Are there leftover details from an old location or an old business name?

Common problems

Duplicate or conflicting markup. A theme, an SEO plugin and a separate schema plugin all adding business details, sometimes contradicting each other.
Outdated details in markup that nobody remembers is there.
Placeholder values from a theme demo, such as a sample address.
Markup that describes content not on the page.

If you're on WordPress, see SEO plugins explained: most SEO plugins have a schema settings area where your business details are entered once.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a developer for this?

For the basics, often not: your SEO plugin or platform handles much of it from settings you fill in. For custom types, fixing conflicts, or anything on a custom-built site, a developer is helpful. It's work Chykalophia does as part of technical SEO.

Will adding schema get me into ChatGPT or AI Overviews?

There's no public evidence that it's required or that it guarantees anything, and Google says it's not needed for its AI features. Accurate structured data supports understanding of your business. Treat it as one part of being clear and consistent everywhere.