Schema markup
Schema markup is structured data, written in the schema.org vocabulary and usually embedded as JSON-LD, that describes a page's content in a standardized format search engines and AI systems can read without guessing.
Also called structured data, JSON-LD, schema.org markup
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- 4 sources, linked
- 4 related terms
What it means
Google describes structured data as a standardized format for providing information about a page and classifying its content. Most of it uses the schema.org vocabulary, and Google recommends JSON-LD where a site's setup allows it.
A treatment center site might describe the business as an Organization or a MedicalClinic, with address, phone and hours, and add BreadcrumbList for navigation and FAQPage for question-and-answer pages. In schema.org, MedicalClinic sits under MedicalBusiness and LocalBusiness, so it carries local details naturally.
Markup describes; it does not rank a page by itself. It can make a page eligible for some rich results and removes ambiguity about who you are, but Google says no special markup is needed to appear in its AI features.
Why it matters for your website
The markup has to match what the page shows. Google's guidelines say not to mark up content that is not visible to readers and that structured data must be a true representation of the page, so marking up reviews, addresses or services the page does not show is a fast way to lose trust.
Use one consistent organization entity across the site, with the same name, address and phone as your Google Business Profile, so every page reinforces the same facts. Every page in this glossary carries DefinedTerm markup, for example.
Sources
The facts on this page about a law, a regulator, a clinical standard or a platform come from these sources. Each link opens the original in a new tab.
- Google Search CentralIntroduction to structured data markup in Google Search (opens in a new tab)
- Google Search CentralGeneral structured data guidelines (opens in a new tab)
- Schema.orgMedicalClinic (opens in a new tab)
- Google Search CentralAI features and your website (opens in a new tab)
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