Schema.org is a shared vocabulary for structured data: a standard set of types and properties you use to describe what a page is about, so search engines and AI can read it precisely. You add it to a page as markup, usually in JSON-LD, and it is the backbone of structured data on the web.
Created by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Yandex, Schema.org gives everyone one dictionary to label content. That shared language is what lets a search engine know a page is an article, a product or an organisation, rather than guessing from the text.
What is Schema.org?
Schema.org is a collaborative vocabulary of structured-data types, such as Article, Product, Organization, LocalBusiness and Review, each with defined properties. You apply it to a page as markup so machines can extract labelled facts. In practice, schema markup and structured data mean almost the same thing: structured data is the concept, and Schema.org is the vocabulary most people use to express it.
Why Schema.org matters for SEO and AI search
Schema.org markup does two jobs. It unlocks rich results, the stars, prices and other enhancements that stand out in search and win more SERP features, and pages with structured data get about 30% more clicks than plain results (BrightEdge). It also makes a page machine-readable for AI: with AI Overviews on 50 to 60% of US searches (Digital Applied, 2026), the entity signals in your schema help engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity recognise and cite your brand. It is a core part of generative engine optimisation.
How to implement Schema.org markup
Use JSON-LD. Add the markup as a small script in the page head; it is the format Google and AI engines prefer and the easiest to maintain.
Choose the right type. Pick the Schema.org type that matches the page, and only describe content a user can actually see. Validate with Google's Rich Results Test and the Schema.org validator before and after publishing, and keep dates and prices current. For the wider picture, read our structured data guide.
Schema.org and FAQ rich results (2026 update)
Google has wound down FAQ and HowTo rich results for most sites, so FAQPage markup rarely produces a visible enhancement now. Keep a visible FAQ section, because it helps users and gives AI clean question-and-answer passages to cite, but focus your schema on Organization, Article and Product, where the payoff is real. MADX can implement this for your SaaS through GEO.
Schema.org FAQ
What is Schema.org in simple terms?
It is a shared vocabulary for labelling web content so machines understand it. You add Schema.org types like Article or Product to a page as markup, and search engines and AI read those labels instead of guessing from the text.
What is the difference between Schema.org and structured data?
Structured data is the general idea of labelling content for machines. Schema.org is the specific vocabulary most sites use to do it. When people say schema markup, they mean structured data written with the Schema.org vocabulary.
Does Schema.org markup help with AI search?
Yes. The entity signals in your schema help AI engines recognise what a page is about, which supports citations in AI Overviews and chatbots and reduces misattribution. As AI answers appear on most searches, schema has become part of core GEO.
Which Schema.org types should I use?
Start with Organization, Article or BlogPosting, Product and LocalBusiness, matched to what the page actually is. Validate the markup and only describe visible content. If you want it set up properly, book a call with MADX.