Definition
Schema markup is a standardised vocabulary of data types (defined on schema.org) embedded in HTML - usually as JSON-LD in the `<head>`. It translates content into a machine-readable structure: a text becomes an `Article`, a list becomes a `FAQPage`, a person becomes a `Person` with job and employer.
Search engines use these annotations to display rich results: star ratings, FAQ accordions, breadcrumbs, event dates. AI answer systems use them to extract content precisely and attribute it correctly.
Without schema markup, a site is just text to machines - with schema, it becomes a queryable database.
Why it matters
Schema is the critical translator between human-readable and machine-readable web. Without it you lose rich results, AI citations, and most of the semantic intelligence modern search depends on.
In practice
- 01A blog post with `Article` schema (datePublished, dateModified, author) shows up as a news card in Google.
- 02A FAQ section with `FAQPage` schema expands inline in search results.
- 03A service page with `Service` schema can appear in Google Knowledge Panels.
