What is Schema Markup?

Schema Markup is a piece of code that you add to your website's HTML, helping search engines like Google better understand what's on your page.
Instead of just seeing text, this markup gives the search engine context: is it about a product, article, organization, event or review?

The goal is simple: search engines clarify what visitors already intuitively understand. For example, Google can use that information to make your page richer and more striking in search results, such as stars, prices, or an FAQ section.

A simple example of such a code block looks like this:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "LocalBusiness",
  "name": "Rank Rocket",
  "url": "https://www.rankrocket.nl",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "Van Dijklaan 11B",
    "addressLocality": "Waalre",
    "postalCode": "5581 WG"
  },
  "telephone": "+31 6 13959790"
}
</script>

Why use Schema Markup?

Schema Markup not only helps search engines to better understand your content, but also to show it more attractively in search results.
This often results in higher click rates (CTR), greater trust and a better user experience.

In addition, it increases the chance of rich results, comprehensive search results where Google shows additional information, such as ratings, prices, or events.

In short: Schema Markup doesn't change what you say, but it does change how Google understands and presents it.

What does Google say?

According to Google,”structured data is a standardized format for providing information about a page and classifying content.”

In other words, by explicitly stating what you mean on a page, you help Google put the right context. On a recipe page, for example, you can mark the ingredients, cooking time, and calories. This way, Google knows it's a recipe and can show that data directly in the search results.

The most used types of Schema Markup

There are hundreds of variants of Schema Markup, each with their own application. The table below provides an overview of the most commonly used varieties and their purpose.

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Type schema</th>
      <th>Toepassing</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Organization</td>
      <td>Algemene bedrijfsinformatie, zoals naam, adres en contactgegevens</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>LocalBusiness</td>
      <td>Bedrijven met een fysieke locatie, inclusief openingstijden en adres</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Product</td>
      <td>Informatie over producten, prijzen, voorraad en reviews</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Article / BlogPosting</td>
      <td>Nieuwsartikelen of blogs met auteur en publicatiedatum</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>FAQPage</td>
      <td>Veelgestelde vragen die kunnen worden weergegeven in Google</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Event</td>
      <td>Evenementen met locatie, datum en ticketinformatie</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Review</td>
      <td>Beoordelingen en sterren die zichtbaar zijn in de zoekresultaten</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

These variants are the building blocks for almost every modern website.

Google's guidelines

Not every markup automatically provides a rich result. Google has clear guidelines for the minimum requirements per type.

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Rich result</th>
      <th>Vereiste properties</th>
      <th>Aanbevolen properties</th>
      <th>Belangrijkste richtlijnen</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Article</td>
      <td>headline, datePublished, author.name, image</td>
      <td>dateModified, publisher, mainEntityOfPage</td>
      <td>Gebruik een grote afbeelding en houd de titel identiek aan de zichtbare headline.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Product</td>
      <td>name, offers.price, offers.priceCurrency</td>
      <td>aggregateRating, review, sku, gtin/mpn</td>
      <td>Prijs en voorraad moeten overeenkomen met wat zichtbaar is op de pagina.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>FAQPage</td>
      <td>mainEntity.question.name, mainEntity.acceptedAnswer.text</td>
      <td>author, dateModified</td>
      <td>Alle vragen en antwoorden moeten op de pagina zelf staan.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Event</td>
      <td>name, startDate, location</td>
      <td>offers, organizer, eventStatus</td>
      <td>Gebruik correcte tijdstippen en onderscheid online/offline events.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>LocalBusiness</td>
      <td>name, address, telephone</td>
      <td>openingHours, geo, hasMap</td>
      <td>NAP-gegevens moeten overeenkomen met je Google Bedrijfsprofiel.</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Google is strict in compliance: markup should only be used for information that is visible on the page itself.

Common mistakes

In practice, we see that many websites make mistakes in their structured data. The most common ones are:

• Self-written reviews for your own company;
• FAQ schemes that contain no real questions;
• Duplicate or conflicting schedules due to multiple plugins;
• Markup for invisible content (such as hidden prices)

So make sure your markup always matches what users actually see.

JSON-LD and @graph

The recommended method for adding Schema Markup is JSON-LD. This code is separate from the HTML structure, making it easier to manage.
Within JSON-LD, you can use @graph combine multiple entities. For example, you can link the Organization, WebSite and Article.

A compact example:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@graph": [
    {
      "@type": "Organization",
      "@id": "https://www.rankrocket.nl/#organisatie",
      "name": "Rank Rocket",
      "url": "https://www.rankrocket.nl",
      "logo": "https://www.rankrocket.nl/logo.png"
    },
    {
      "@type": "WebSite",
      "@id": "https://www.rankrocket.nl/#website",
      "url": "https://www.rankrocket.nl/",
      "publisher": {"@id": "https://www.rankrocket.nl/#organisatie"}
    },
    {
      "@type": "Article",
      "headline": "Wat is Schema Markup en waarom is het belangrijk?",
      "author": {"@type": "Person", "name": "Daan Coenen"},
      "publisher": {"@id": "https://www.rankrocket.nl/#organisatie"},
      "datePublished": "2025-10-17"
    }
  ]
}
</script>

For example, Google understands that the author belongs to Rank Rocket and that the article has been published on the official company website.

E-E-A-T and Reliability

Structured data also plays a role in E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).
With markup, you can explicitly specify who the author is, what organization is behind it, and when the information was updated.
For example, use:

• author and publisher with name and position;
• SameAs-links to LinkedIn, Wikipedia or company profiles;
• DateModified to show current events.

Graphics, language, and quality

Minimum quality standards apply to rich results:

• Images must be at least 1200 px wide;
• Dates follow the ISO 8601 format (2025-10-17);
• Prices and currencies must match the visible content;
• The language code must be correct (e.g. “nl-NL” or “en-GB”).

Make sure your markup is always up to date and updated correctly after each content update.

Multilingualism and International SEO

Do you have a multilingual website? Then combine Schema Markup with hreflang tags.
Use translated titles, local currencies, and separate schedules per language version.
This way, Google understands which page belongs to which language area, and you prevent content from competing with each other.

Implementation and maintenance

Adding markup can be done manually, but for larger websites, automation is key.
For example, use templates within your CMS or have the data filled automatically via fields such as title, price or author.
In WordPress, Rank Math and Yoast SEO are the best-known solutions: they automatically add schedules to articles, products, or FAQs.

Then check regularly with:

• Google Rich Results Test
• Search Console (“Improvements” section)
• Screaming Frog with structured data extraction

This way, you can maintain the quality and you can immediately see whether Google is processing your markup correctly.

Where do you start?

There is no need to implement everything at once.
Start with the basics:

1. Organization
2. WebSite
3. BreadcrumbList

Then add page-specific schemes:

• Product, sacrificial, Review for commercial pages
• Article for blogs
• FAQPage for informative parts
• Local Business for local findability

Summary

Schema Markup is a small technical addition with a major SEO impact.
It does not immediately increase rankings, but it does provide more visibility, a higher CTR and better understanding by search engines.
By keeping structured data consistent and up to date, you give Google the confidence that your site is reliable, complete, and relevant.