Technical SEO guide
Schema markup is invisible to visitors but very visible to search engines and AI. Think of it as filling in a form about your business so Google doesn’t have to guess.
Short answer
Schema markup (structured data) is code that labels the information on your page, such as your business name, address, opening hours, services, reviews, prices and FAQs, in a format Google and AI tools understand. It can make you eligible for rich results and helps AI tools describe your business correctly. Most WordPress sites can add it with a plugin like Rank Math.
Key takeaways
- Schema labels your content so machines don’t have to guess
- LocalBusiness and Organization schema matter most for local firms
- Add Service, FAQ, Article and Product schema where they fit
- Rank Math adds most schema with no coding
- Test with Google’s Rich Results Test
What schema does, in one example
What a visitor sees
“Murphy Dental, 12 Main Street, Navan. Open Mon–Fri 9–6. ★ 4.9 from 212 reviews.”
What schema tells Google
Type: Dentist. Name: Murphy Dental. Address: 12 Main Street, Navan, Co. Meath. Hours: Mo–Fr 09:00–18:00. Rating: 4.9 from 212 reviews.
The schema types Irish businesses should use
| Schema type | Use it on | What it helps with |
|---|---|---|
| Organization / LocalBusiness | Homepage, contact page | Name, logo, address, phone, hours, social profiles |
| Service | Each service page | What you offer and where |
| FAQPage | Pages with FAQs | Helps machines read your questions and answers |
| Article / BlogPosting | Blog posts and guides | Author, dates and topic |
| BreadcrumbList | Every page | Site structure in search results |
| Product / Offer | Online shops | Price, stock and delivery |
| Review / AggregateRating | Product and service reviews | Star ratings, within Google’s rules |
Since 2023, Google only shows FAQ rich results for a small set of authoritative government and health sites, but FAQ schema still helps search engines and AI tools understand your content.
How to add schema in WordPress
01
Install Rank Math
Or another reputable SEO plugin.
02
Fill in business details
Rank Math’s Local SEO and Knowledge Graph settings: name, logo, address, phone, hours.
03
Set schema per page
Article for posts, Service or LocalBusiness for service pages.
Common schema mistakes
Avoid this
- Marking up reviews or ratings that aren’t shown on the page
- Adding fake or self-written reviews to schema
- Different address details in schema and on the page
- Several plugins adding duplicate, conflicting schema
Schema and AI search
AI tools need to work out quickly who you are, what you do and where. Clean Organization, LocalBusiness and Service schema removes guesswork. It’s one of the nine steps in our AI SEO guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does schema markup improve rankings?
Not directly. It helps Google understand your pages and can make you eligible for rich results, which can improve clicks.
Do I need a developer to add schema?
Usually not. SEO plugins like Rank Math handle the most common types. Custom types may need a developer.
How do I check if my site has schema?
Run any page through Google’s Rich Results Test or the Schema Markup Validator.
Want your schema checked?
We’ll test your key pages and show which schema is missing, broken or outdated.