Schema markup

Structured data tells a search engine what a page is rather than making it rank. Done right it earns a richer result and makes the page easier for an engine to summarize. Done wrong it earns a manual action.

Four rules govern everything below:

• Mark up only what the page visibly shows. Schema describing content a reader can't see is a spam signal, and it's the single most common reason markup gets penalized rather than ignored.
• Use JSON-LD, in a <script type="application/ld+json"> in the head or at the end of the body. Google recommends it, and it's the only format you can add without touching the page's markup.
• Only claim types and properties the engine actually supports for a rich result. Valid schema.org markup with no supported result does nothing for search, which is fine, but don't promise a rich result it can't produce.
• Validate before it ships, then watch Search Console. Markup that validates can still be wrong about the page.

Choosing the type