Last checked: 9 November 2026. Google updates its structured data documentation regularly, so check the linked Google pages before you change your site.
Short answer: Schema markup (also called structured data) is a small block of code that tells search engines exactly who your business is, where you are and how to contact you. Most small businesses only need three types: Organization (or the more specific LocalBusiness) on the home or about page, Article on blog posts, and Person for the author or founder. Google says there is no special schema needed to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, so schema is a clarity tool, not a shortcut. It must always match what people can see on the page.
What is schema markup, in plain English?
Schema markup is code added to a web page that labels the information already on it. Your page might say “Open Monday to Friday, 9 to 5” in normal text. Schema puts the same fact in a format machines read without guessing: this is the business name, this is the phone number, these are the opening hours.
The vocabulary comes from Schema.org, a shared vocabulary founded by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Yandex. Google’s general structured data guidelines say it supports three formats (JSON-LD, Microdata and RDFa) and recommends JSON-LD, which sits in a single script block and doesn’t change how the page looks.
Do small businesses actually need schema markup?
Yes, but a small amount, done properly. You don’t need dozens of schema types. You need the few that describe your business accurately, kept in line with your website, Google Business Profile and social profiles.
Google’s Organization structured data guide says this markup can help Google understand your organisation’s administrative details and disambiguate it from other organisations in search results. For a small business that shares a name with someone else, or trades in more than one country, that clarity matters.
Does schema help you appear in AI Overviews and AI Mode?
Not directly. Google’s guide to AI features and your website says there are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, and no special schema.org structured data you need to add. It also lists “making sure your structured data matches the visible text on the page” as one of the SEO fundamentals that still applies.
So treat schema as part of good housekeeping. It helps search engines confirm facts about you. It won’t make up for thin content, a missing Google Business Profile or a site that’s hard to crawl. Our complete guide to GEO covers the bigger picture of being cited by AI tools.
Which schema types does a small business need?
For most small businesses in the UK, Spain and the US, these are the types worth getting right first:
| Schema type | Where it goes | What it tells search engines |
|---|---|---|
| Organization (or a specific subtype such as OnlineStore) | Home page or about page | Your business name, logo, website, contact details, address and official social profiles |
| LocalBusiness (or a specific subtype such as Electrician or Restaurant) | Home page, contact page or each location page | Your physical address, phone number, opening hours and location |
| Article or BlogPosting | Each blog post | The headline, author, publish date and image |
| Person | Author or team pages | Who wrote the content and their role |
| BreadcrumbList | Site-wide | How the page sits in your site structure |
| Product | Product pages (e-commerce only) | Price, availability and product details |
Google’s guidance is to use the most specific type that fits. Its LocalBusiness documentation gives examples such as Restaurant, DaySpa and HealthClub, and says that if you offer several services you can list multiple types as an array, for example Electrician, Plumber and Locksmith.
What should go in your Organization or LocalBusiness markup?
Start with the details customers rely on. Google’s Organization guide says there are no required properties, and recommends focusing on properties useful to users, such as your name, a sign of real-world presence (address or telephone) and a sign of online presence (website URL or logo).
For LocalBusiness, Google lists name and address as required for local business rich results, and recommends telephone, URL, opening hours, geo coordinates and price range where relevant.
A good small business checklist of properties:
- name and, if you use one, alternateName (for example a short brand name or initials)
- url for your main website
- logo (Google says at least 112 x 112 pixels, crawlable and indexable)
- address, with the two-letter country code such as GB, ES or US
- telephone with the country and area code
- openingHoursSpecification if customers visit or call
- sameAs links to your official profiles, such as LinkedIn, Instagram or a Google Business Profile URL
- legalName if your registered company name differs from your trading name
- vatID where relevant, which Google describes as an important trust signal because people can check public VAT registries
Here’s a simplified example for a fictional business:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Electrician",
"name": "Example Electrical Services",
"url": "https://www.example.co.uk",
"logo": "https://www.example.co.uk/logo.png",
"telephone": "+44-116-000-0000",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "1 Example Street",
"addressLocality": "Leicester",
"postalCode": "LE1 0AA",
"addressCountry": "GB"
},
"sameAs": ["https://www.linkedin.com/company/example"]
}
</script>Every value in your real markup should appear somewhere a visitor can see it, and match your Google Business Profile.
Where should you put schema on your website?
Google recommends placing Organization markup on your home page or a single page that describes your organisation, such as the about page. You don’t need to include it on every page.
LocalBusiness markup can go on any page, but Google says it may make more sense on a page that contains information about your business. If you have more than one location, each location page should describe its own address, phone number and hours.
Article markup belongs on each post, and Google’s general guidelines say to put structured data on the page it describes.
If your site runs on WordPress, an SEO plugin such as Yoast SEO or Rank Math usually adds Organization, Article, Person and BreadcrumbList markup for you once the settings are filled in. Check those settings before adding extra code, so you don’t end up with two conflicting versions. Our web team can check this as part of a site review.
What schema mistakes should small businesses avoid?
Google’s general structured data guidelines set out the rules. The ones small businesses break most easily are:
- Marking up content that isn’t visible. Google says not to mark up content that isn’t visible to readers of the page.
- Adding your own star ratings. Google’s review snippet guidelines say review and rating markup for a local business is only for sites that capture reviews about other local businesses. Rating your own business with your own markup is a self-serving review and isn’t eligible.
- Expecting FAQ rich results. Google’s FAQ documentation says FAQ rich results are only shown for well-known, authoritative government and health websites. FAQ markup won’t give most business sites expandable answers in search.
- Out-of-date details. Old phone numbers, addresses or hours in your markup contradict your website and Google Business Profile.
- Duplicate markup. A plugin and a hand-coded block can both describe your business with slightly different details.
- Misleading markup. Google says not to impersonate any person or organisation or misrepresent your ownership, affiliation or primary purpose.
Google also notes that a structured data manual action removes a page’s eligibility for rich results, though it doesn’t affect how the page ranks in web search.
How do you test your schema markup?
Use two free tools:
- Google’s Rich Results Test shows which Google rich results your page is eligible for and flags critical errors.
- Schema Markup Validator checks any Schema.org markup, including types Google doesn’t show as rich results.
Then use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console to see how Google views the live page. Google reminds site owners that correct markup makes a feature possible but doesn’t guarantee it will appear.
Schema markup checklist for small businesses
- Decide the most specific type that describes your business (for example Electrician rather than LocalBusiness).
- Check what your SEO plugin or website builder already outputs before adding anything.
- Add Organization or LocalBusiness markup to your home, about or contact page.
- Include name, URL, logo, address, telephone and email, matching your Google Business Profile exactly.
- Add opening hours if customers visit or call.
- Add sameAs links to your official social and business profiles.
- Add a separate LocalBusiness block for each physical location.
- Make sure each blog post has Article or BlogPosting markup with a real named author.
- Remove any self-serving review or star rating markup.
- Test with the Rich Results Test and the Schema Markup Validator.
- Inspect the live URL in Search Console.
- Review your markup whenever your address, phone number, hours or brand name change.
Frequently asked questions
Is schema markup a ranking factor?
Google doesn’t describe schema as a direct ranking factor. It helps Google understand your page and can make it eligible for rich results, which can change how your listing looks.
Do I need schema to appear in Google AI Overviews?
No. Google says there’s no special schema needed for AI Overviews or AI Mode. Your page needs to be indexed and eligible to show with a snippet in Google Search.
What is the difference between Organization and LocalBusiness schema?
LocalBusiness is a more specific type of Organization for businesses with a physical location customers visit or that serve a local area. Use LocalBusiness, or a more specific subtype, if you have premises or a service area.
Can I add star ratings to my own website with schema?
Not for your own business. Google only supports local business review markup on sites that collect reviews about other local businesses.
Is FAQ schema still worth adding?
It won’t produce FAQ rich results for most businesses, because Google limits them to well-known government and health sites. The visible FAQ content itself is still useful for readers and for answer engines.
Does my WordPress SEO plugin already add schema?
Usually, yes. Plugins such as Yoast SEO and Rank Math output Organization, Article and breadcrumb markup by default once configured. Check their settings and test a page before adding your own code.
How often should I check my schema?
Check it whenever your business details change, after a site redesign or plugin change, and as part of a regular SEO review.
Summary
Schema markup is a simple way to label the facts about your business so search engines don’t have to guess. For most small businesses, that means one accurate Organization or LocalBusiness block, Article markup on blog posts and a real named author. Keep it consistent with your website and Google Business Profile, avoid self-serving ratings and hidden content, and test it with Google’s free tools. It won’t replace good content, but it removes doubt about who you are.
Want help checking your website’s schema?
If you’d like an expert check of your structured data, our web team can review your markup, plugin settings and Google Business Profile together. See how discoverable your business is, read how to optimise your content for AI search, compare our digital packages, or book a free call with Everything Digital.
