Schema markup, also known as structured data, is a standardized vocabulary of tags (using JSON-LD, Microdata, or RDFa formats) that you add to your web pages to help search engines understand the content's meaning and context. Defined by Schema.org — a collaboration between Google, Bing, Yahoo, and Yandex — schema markup enables rich results (formerly 'rich snippets') in search, including star ratings, FAQ accordions, how-to steps, and more.
The most impactful schema types for content marketers include:
When search engines recognize schema markup, they can display enhanced search results. FAQ schema can add expandable questions directly in search results, HowTo schema shows step-by-step instructions, and Article schema improves how your content appears in Google News and Discover. These rich results typically see 20-30% higher click-through rates than standard results.
Schema markup is increasingly important for GEO because it provides AI search engines with explicit, machine-readable context about your content. When an AI model encounters well-structured schema data, it can more accurately extract and cite information. FAQ schema is particularly valuable as AI engines can directly pull question-answer pairs.
Schema markup helps search engines understand your content beyond just the visible text, leading to rich results that dramatically improve click-through rates. For GEO, structured data makes your content more accessible and citable by AI models, increasing the chances of being referenced in AI-generated answers.
The practice of optimizing content so it gets cited and surfaced by AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.
Google's framework for evaluating content quality based on the creator's Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
A numerical rating that measures how well a piece of content is optimized for search engine visibility.
The measure of a website's comprehensive expertise on a particular subject, demonstrated through depth and breadth of content coverage.