Schema markup — structured data added to a page's code — is invisible to a human visitor but gives search engines and AI assistants an explicit, unambiguous description of what a page actually contains. Most small business websites still have none of it, which is a genuinely low-effort, high-value gap to close.
What schema actually does
Without schema, a search engine has to infer what a page is about from unstructured text — usually correctly, but not always precisely. With schema, a business can explicitly state: this is a Restaurant, its address is X, its hours are Y, its menu items are Z — removing the guesswork entirely.
The schema types worth prioritising
- Organization/LocalBusiness: name, address, phone, hours — the foundational entity data.
- FAQPage: marking up genuine frequently-asked-questions content, which can also earn expanded results directly in search.
- Product or Service: for anything sold directly, including pricing and availability where relevant.
- Review/AggregateRating: where genuine reviews exist, to surface star ratings directly in search results.
A rule worth following strictly
Schema must always match what's actually visible on the page — marking up content that doesn't genuinely appear for a visitor is treated as manipulative by search engines and risks a penalty rather than a benefit. Schema should describe real content, not aspirational content.
How to check if it's already there
Google's Rich Results Test tool shows exactly what structured data, if any, currently exists on a page — a five-minute check that tells a business owner precisely where they stand.