Schema markup for a small business starts with Organization and LocalBusiness, then Breadcrumb on pages inside a section and Article on blog posts. Google says AI features need no special markup, and its FAQ and HowTo rich results no longer appear. Schema helps Google identify what a page is, and eligible pages can still earn the rich results Google supports.
By Donnie Strompf. Updated October 2026.
Key takeaways
- Google describes structured data as a standard format that classifies what a page contains. Valid markup makes a page eligible for rich results and does not guarantee one (Google Search Central, read October 15, 2026).
- Google’s guide, last updated July 10, 2026, says structured data “isn’t required for generative AI search, and there’s no special schema.org markup you need to add.”
- Google stopped showing FAQ rich results on May 7, 2026. HowTo rich results were already gone, per Google’s September 14, 2023 changelog entry.
- Evidence on AI answers is mixed. A Search Atlas study of 104,855 citations found minimal influence, while a 29-site lawn care test found a ChatGPT gain from LocalBusiness schema on one query.
- Markup must match what visitors can see on the page, and a business cannot earn review stars from reviews it controls about itself.
- Test with Google’s Rich Results Test before launch, then watch the rich result reports in Search Console.
What does schema markup do for a small business?
Google’s introduction to structured data (last updated December 10, 2025) calls it “a standardized format for providing information about a page and classifying the page content.” Visitors never see it. It sits in the page code and gives search engines explicit clues about what the page is.
Google recommends JSON-LD when your site’s setup allows it, and also supports Microdata and RDFa. The same page says you must include all required properties for a page to be eligible for an enhanced result. Google’s Organization page (last updated September 8, 2026) adds that Google “does not guarantee that features that consume structured data will show up in search results.”
I’m Donnie Strompf, and I’ve done SEO since 2008. Start with the types Google documents for your kind of business and the pages you publish. The table below shows what each type can earn. Our guide to what technical SEO is covers where structured data sits next to crawling and indexing.
Which schema types should a small business add first?
I would add Organization and LocalBusiness first, then the page-specific types where they apply, based on what each Google page says the markup can feed. The effort ratings assume your pages already contain the information the markup needs.
| Order | Type | What Google says it feeds | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Organization | Knowledge panel details and logo | Low |
| 1 | LocalBusiness | Business details in the knowledge panel | Low to medium |
| 2 | WebSite | The site name shown in results | Low |
| 2 | BreadcrumbList | A breadcrumb trail on desktop | Low |
| 3 | Article or BlogPosting | Title text, images and dates on articles | Low |
| 3 | Product | Price and availability, plus ratings | Medium |
Put Organization on your home page. Google’s Organization page says it has no required properties. It recommends a name and url, a logo of at least 112 by 112 pixels, sameAs links to your other profiles, and contact details.
LocalBusiness fits a business with a physical location. Google’s local business page (last updated September 8, 2026) requires address and name. It recommends opening hours, a telephone number, a url, geo coordinates and a priceRange. Schema.org defines LocalBusiness as a single physical location and lists more specific subtypes such as Dentist and LegalService, so pick the closest subtype.
Google’s site names page (last updated December 10, 2025) says WebSite markup on the home page signals your preferred name and calls the result “completely automated.” Its breadcrumb page (last updated September 8, 2026) says breadcrumbs are available on desktop. Its article page (September 8, 2026) lists BlogPosting as supported and no required properties. Its product snippet page (September 8, 2026) is for pages about a single product.
Which schema types should you add only when they fit, or skip?
Google’s search gallery (read October 16, 2026) lists the features it currently documents, and FAQ and HowTo are not among them.
| Type | What Google says | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| VideoObject | Name, thumbnail, upload date | Add if you publish videos |
| Event | Own page, place, start date | Add for public events |
| JobPosting | Five required properties | Add if you hire |
| Review and AggregateRating | Ineligible if self-controlled | Skip for your own reviews |
| FAQPage | Stopped appearing May 7, 2026 | Skip for rich results |
| HowTo | Gone since September 14, 2023 | Skip for rich results |
A video needs a name, a thumbnail URL and an upload date, and Google says it tries to understand videos on its own. Each event needs its own page and a physical location. A job posting needs description and hiringOrganization among its five required properties. The sources are Google’s pages on video (last updated September 24, 2026), event and job posting (both September 8, 2026).
What happened to FAQ and HowTo markup?
Google’s Search Central changelog records the sequence. On September 14, 2023 it removed the HowTo documentation, saying the rich result “is no longer shown in search results, on both desktop and mobile devices.” The same day it noted the FAQ result “is only shown for well-known, authoritative government and health websites.”
On May 8, 2026 Google added a deprecation notice, saying FAQ rich results would stop appearing in Search starting May 7, 2026. On June 15, 2026 it removed the FAQ documentation because the feature was “no longer shown in Google Search results.”
Other retirements are on the same page. Documentation for five types, including course info and vehicle listing, was removed on September 9, 2025. The sitelinks search box documentation went on November 29, 2024. A plugin or template that still outputs these types is doing work that earns no Google feature.
A visible FAQ section can still help your readers. Microsoft’s October 8, 2025 advertising blog post still names FAQ among the things schema can label. Do not pay extra for FAQ markup.
Does schema markup help you appear in AI answers?
Google says schema is not required for AI features, and other sources disagree on whether it affects AI citations.
| Source | Date | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Google, AI optimization guide | July 10, 2026 | Not required for AI search |
| Microsoft Advertising blog | October 8, 2025 | Schema helps AI systems understand content |
| Search Engine Land | March 20, 2025 | Bing uses schema for its LLMs |
| Search Atlas study | January 17, 2026 | Minimal influence across platforms |
| Evergrow Marketing study | June 3, 2026 | ChatGPT gain on one query |
| OpenAI, ChatGPT search help | Read October 15, 2026 | Schema not mentioned |
Google’s guide says structured data still helps with eligibility for rich results. Microsoft’s blog post, by Krishna Madhavan, says schema “helps search engines and AI systems understand your content.” Search Engine Land’s Barry Schwartz reports that Microsoft’s Fabrice Canel confirmed this on stage at SMX Munich, relayed through a LinkedIn post, so it is secondhand.
The Search Atlas study (updated June 19, 2026) is a correlation across 104,855 citations. Four engines showed a neutral to negative link with schema, and two others a slightly positive one. OpenAI’s help article says only that sites must allow the OAI-SearchBot crawler.
Jake Hundley’s Evergrow study tested 13 control and 16 test lawn care and outdoor service sites, with LocalBusiness added to test home pages after a five-week control period. It found no effect on organic or Maps rankings. For ChatGPT on one of two queries it reported 92.91% confidence of a gain of about 3.33 positions.
Other AI engines stayed under its 90% bar. The study covered one industry by design and tested LocalBusiness schema on home pages only, and Hundley notes that uncontrollable factors remain.
I would add schema where it supports a documented Google feature, and I would not pay extra for promises about AI recommendations on this evidence. For ChatGPT search, first check that OAI-SearchBot can reach the site, since OpenAI lists that as a requirement. Our guide to getting recommended by ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews covers the rest. How each engine picks sources is in how AI search engines choose their sources, and the definitions are in what answer engine optimization is.
What rules keep your markup out of trouble?
Google’s general structured data guidelines (last updated July 10, 2026) say “Don’t mark up content that is not visible to readers of the page.” They also say not to use structured data “to deceive or mislead users.”
A structured data issue can lead to a manual action. Google says that removes eligibility for rich results and “doesn’t affect how the page ranks in Google web search.” Violating a quality guideline can also stop correct markup from showing as a rich result.
Reviews carry their own rules. Google’s review snippet page (last updated September 8, 2026) says pages are ineligible for star results if the entity being reviewed controls the reviews about itself. Its changelog added a rule on fake and undisclosed incentivized reviews on July 24, 2026. If your site shows testimonials you collected, leave them as visible text.
Keep markup current too. When your hours, phone number or address change, update the visible page and its markup together.
How do you add schema and check that it works?
- Choose JSON-LD, the format Google recommends when your setup allows it.
- Put Organization and WebSite markup on the home page, and LocalBusiness on the page for each location.
- Fill in every required property and every recommended one you can back up with visible content.
- Run each page through Google’s Rich Results Test, which shows which rich results the page can generate. The Schema Markup Validator is a second checker.
- After launch, use the rich result status reports and the URL Inspection tool in Search Console. Google says templating or serving problems can break markup after deployment.
How you add it depends on your website platform. A site builder setting, a plugin or a developer can handle steps 1 to 3. Our website development services page covers site builds, and the SEO groundwork is in the SEO fundamentals guide.
What should you ask your agency or developer about schema?
- Which types are on the site today, and which Google feature does each one feed?
- Does the markup match the visible text, such as the hours and phone number?
- Is any retired type, such as FAQPage or HowTo, being output, and is anyone charging for it?
- Which report will show whether the markup has errors after each site update?
- Is schema being sold as an AI ranking tool, and which company documents that claim?
Our AEO services page describes the work around AI answers. AEO costs $950 to $2,000 a month alongside SEO, and every service price is on the pricing page. Our guide to how much AEO costs sets out the ranges.
FAQ
Will schema markup improve my Google rankings?
Google’s documentation describes structured data as a way to classify a page and become eligible for rich results, and it lists no ranking boost. The Evergrow lawn care study also found no effect on organic rankings. What a feature can give a page is a better-looking result.
Should I use JSON-LD, Microdata or RDFa?
JSON-LD, if your setup allows it. Google supports all three formats and accepts any of them when the markup is valid. JSON-LD sits in one script block instead of being woven through your page’s HTML, so a developer can review it, update it or remove it quickly.
Do I remove my old FAQ markup now that the rich result is gone?
Google’s changelog says the feature no longer appears and does not address existing markup. Removal is a judgment call for your developer. Keep the visible questions and answers on the page, and do not add FAQ markup to new pages hoping for a Google rich result.
How should a business with several locations mark itself up?
Schema.org defines LocalBusiness as one physical location, so each location page can carry its own LocalBusiness block with its own address and hours. Organization goes once on the home page, which is where Google recommends placing it. Each location block should match the visible details on that page.
Does LocalBusiness markup change my Google Maps ranking?
Google’s local business page says nothing about Business Profile rankings. The Evergrow lawn care study found no Maps ranking effect from LocalBusiness schema on home pages. Treat your Business Profile, which Google manages separately, as its own job apart from markup on your website.
Does ChatGPT read schema markup?
OpenAI’s ChatGPT search help article does not mention schema. The one requirement it lists is letting OAI-SearchBot crawl your site. The Evergrow test saw a ChatGPT gain on one query only, and the Search Atlas study saw little. Fix bot access before spending on markup for ChatGPT.
Related reading
- How to fix wrong information about your business in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
- Can you pay to be recommended by ChatGPT or Google AI answers?
- What AI recommends for local services in Palm Beach County: a 120-answer study
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