If you’re just getting started with technical SEO, schema can look and sound incredibly confusing. Whether you’re looking to implement local business schema to help more local users find your services or just trying to understand more about what schema is and why it’s important, you’re in the right place. In this blog, we’ll go over everything you need to know about schema, including what it is, why it’s important for SEO, how to create and implement it, and the most important types.
Here’s a quick introduction to schema markup and why it’s so important to SEO:
Schema markup, also known as structured data, is code you can add to your website to help search engines read and understand your content. This code helps search engines display your content in a rich format.
In the example above, Google has displayed an image, author, star rating, review count, cooking time and recipe ingredients in a dedicated Recipes section. For the above search results, this Recipes section appears before the rest of the search results, allowing you to gain a competitive edge over your competitors.
Although search engines are very powerful tools, they don’t have the same visual and linguistic understanding of content as humans. This means they require additional information to read, identify and categorise content. Although a human might look at a list of ingredients and quantities and intuitively understand that they’re looking at a recipe, search engines lack this intuitive understanding.
Adding recipe schema and including recipe ingredients (pictured above) helps search engines understand that a particular webpage is a recipe and should be shown for relevant recipe searches. Without schema, search engines would find it much more difficult to understand the meaning of content.
Schema can be applied to pages through encodings, such as RDFa, Microdata, and JSON-LD. All three languages are supported by Google, however, JSON-LD is preferred as it is the easiest to understand.
Schema.org is an independent, community-driven project that helps people add structured data to their web pages. It provides a collection of schemas that are used to apply structured data markup to different types of content, such as recipe schema, product schema and organisation schema. Since 2011, Schema.org has collaborated with search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, Bing and Yandex, to create, maintain and promote schemas.
Although schema is not a ranking, that does not mean that it is not important for SEO. Here are five of the main reasons why you should consider adding relevant schema to your website.
Although it is technically possible for Google to display rich results based on its own understanding of content, adding schema helps Google understand your content much easier and therefore increases the likelihood of your page appearing in rich results.
There is a wide range of rich results or snippets that can be achieved by adding relevant structured data:
Below you can see an example of how the BBC appears as an organisation snippet, including founding date, founders, headquarters, number of employees and its predecessor.
Check out our blog, ‘How Do You Appear in Rich Results?’, for more information.
Adding schema to your website means you’re more likely to appear in rich results, which means more people are likely to notice and click on your page. Rich results are more engaging and include additional information, such as a review rating, that can entice users to click on your page above your competitors. This can enhance your click-through rate and bring more traffic to your webpage.
Schema markup is essential in helping search engines, like Google, better understand the meaning, context and content of your pages. Sometimes search engines have a hard time understanding the exact meaning of words, especially when they have multiple meanings. Take a look at this example from Schema.org:
“Most webmasters are familiar with HTML tags on their pages. Usually, HTML tags tell the browser how to display the information included in the tag. For example, <h1>Avatar</h1> tells the browser to display the text string “Avatar” in a heading 1 format.
However, the HTML tag doesn’t give any information about what that text string means—“Avatar” could refer to the hugely successful 3D movie, or it could refer to a type of profile picture—and this can make it more difficult for search engines to intelligently display relevant content to a user.”
Ensuring that search engines fully understand the meaning of your content can help your pages be shown for more relevant search queries, which can lead to more rankings and more traffic.
Schema can also be used to build a knowledge graph of entities and topics. This helps to align your website with how AI algorithms categorise content and helps your site appear in AI Overviews, first launched in the US in May 2024.
The following quote from Google helps explain why schema is a useful tool for helping your site ranking in AI Overviews:
“You can help us by providing explicit clues about the meaning of a page to Google by including structured data on the page.
For example, on a recipe page, what are the ingredients, the cooking time and temperature, the calories, and so on.”
Although schema has been around since 2011, many sites still aren’t utilising schema markup to its full capabilities and many aren’t using it at all. Properly marking up your site is an effective way to get ahead of your competitors and make your website stand out in the search results.
To learn more about the importance of schema for SEO, take a look at our blog, ‘Is Structured Data a Google Ranking Factor?’.
Schema markup can be created manually and this might be a good option if you only need to implement basic schema, such as organisation schema. However, for more complex types of schema, you can use online tools, such as Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper or the Merkle Schema Markup Generator.
You can also use AI platforms, such as chat GPT, to provide you with a template for a particular type of schema. Then, you can fill in the gaps with your own information.
Whatever method you use, you must validate your schema to ensure it’s correct. Copy the code and run it through two different structured data testing tools. Google recommends using their Rich Results Test and the Schema Markup Validator from Schema.org.
There are also a range of plugins that you can install to dynamically generate structured data. This includes Yoast SEO, Rank Math or All In One SEO for WordPress. Implementing schema through these tools will ensure your markup stays up to date, which can be particularly useful for large eCommerce sites.
Once you’ve created your structured data, either manually or through an online tool, you’ll have some code that you can add to your website. There are a few different ways that you can add this:
JSON-LD schema markup should be implemented directly in the page source code. It can be added within <script> tags in the <head> of your page.
If you’re adding schema markup that needs to be on all pages, like breadcrumb schema, you’ll need to add it in a place in your CMS that allows sitewide scripts. Look for settings that allow you to add scripts to your header or footer.
For a lot of schema markup, you’ll only need to add it to one page. How you approach this will depend on your CMS system. In many cases, it should be possible to use a field to add scripts to an individual page’s header or footer.
If you’re looking to add schema to your website, using Google Tag Manager is the simplest way, especially if you already have it set up! Here’s the process you’ll need to follow:
Name it according to what the schema is, for example, ‘Organisation Schema Markup’.
Paste the schema markup you have created manually or through an online tool (make sure you’ve validated it first) into the text box.
You will need to create a Page View trigger for your tag to fire on. Click the plus icon on the right-hand side and choose Add Trigger. Name the trigger based on which page or pages you want your structured data on. I’ve called mine Home Page View as I will be adding organisation schema which should be placed on the home page or about us page. Choose Page View for your Trigger Type
Choose All Page Views if you want your structured data to appear on all pages or Some Page Views if you only want it to appear on certain pages. You can then choose ‘Page URL’ and select ‘equals’ or ‘contains’ depending on which pages you want your structured data on. I’ve selected ‘equals’ and put the URL of my website’s home page, as I only want my organisation schema on this page. Click Save.
Select the ‘Organisation Schema Markup’ you created in step 1 and open it. Choose the ‘Page View’ trigger you just created to ensure your tag fires on the desired page or pages. Save your tag.
Click Submit and then Publish. You can add a version name and description of what you’ve added.
You should use the Rich Results Test and the Schema Markup Validator to check your schema is working properly, by entering the URL of the page with the newly added structured data on. For my example, the organisation schema is detected by the Rich Results test and shows on the Schema Markup Validator with zero warnings or errors.
As I mentioned earlier, you can also create and implement schema dynamically using a plugin.
There are currently 811 types of schema, according to Schema.org (as of February 2025). However, most of these are very specific and will rarely need to be implemented. Here’s an overview of the most common types of schema:
We’ll go into these in a bit more detail below.
Local Business Schema is a structured data markup that provides search engines with additional information about a local business. This includes:
As a general rule, you should implement Local Business schema on your homepage. If you have more than one location, we have some advice about the best practice for implementing Local Business schema in our blog, ‘Should You Add Local Business Schema on Every Page?’.
Organisation Schema is fairly similar to Local Business Schema, but it can be used for any type of organisation, company or business. It provides search engines with detailed information, including:
Organisation schema is typically implemented on the home page or About Us page.
Recipe Schema allows you to provide detailed information about a recipe on your website in a format that search engines can easily understand. Implementing recipe schema allows your recipe to appear in a dedicated Recipes section in the search results. Recipe schema can include:
Recipe schema should be added to an individual page and tailored to the specific recipe on that page.
Product Schema is a type of structured data markup that provides detailed information about a product being sold on a website. Implementing product schema helps search engines better understand products and display them in rich snippets in search results. Here is some information that can be included in product schema:
Specific product schema should be added to individual product pages, but aggregated product information can also be added to category pages using Item List structured data. Here’s a simplified example of what this might look like:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "ItemList",
"name": "White Trainers",
"url": "https://www.example.com/category/white-trainers",
"itemListElement": [
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 1,
"item": {
"@type": "Product",
"name": "Classic White Sneakers",
"image": "https://www.example.com/images/classic-white-sneakers.jpg",
"description": "Comfortable and stylish classic white sneakers for everyday wear.",
"url": "https://www.example.com/product/classic-white-sneakers",
"offers": {
"@type": "Offer",
"priceCurrency": "USD",
"price": "49.99",
"availability": "InStock",
"url": "https://www.example.com/product/classic-white-sneakers"
}
}
},
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 2,
"item": {
"@type": "Product",
"name": "White Running Shoes",
"image": "https://www.example.com/images/white-running-shoes.jpg",
"description": "Lightweight and durable white running shoes for athletes.",
"url": "https://www.example.com/product/white-running-shoes",
"offers": {
"@type": "Offer",
"priceCurrency": "USD",
"price": "69.99",
"availability": "InStock",
"url": "https://www.example.com/product/white-running-shoes"
}
}
}
]
}
</script>Breadcrumb Schema is structured data that helps search engines understand the hierarchy and navigation of a website. It does this by defining the path that a user must follow to get to a specific page. Breadcrumb schema allows Google to display breadcrumb navigation in search results. In the example below, this looks like www.bbc.com > news > world.
The key elements that need to be implemented are::
Here’s a simplified example of what breadcrumb schema might look like for the above example:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "BreadcrumbList",
"itemListElement": [
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 1,
"item": {
"@type": "WebPage",
"name": "Home",
"url": "https://www.bbc.com/"
}
},
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 2,
"item": {
"@type": "WebPage",
"name": "News",
"url": "https://www.bbc.com/news"
}
},
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 3,
"item": {
"@type": "WebPage",
"name": "World",
"url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/world"
}
}
]
}
</script>Breadcrumb schema should be added to any page where you have breadcrumb navigation visible to the user (in the header or at the top of the page). Each page will need its own breadcrumb schema to reflect its position in the website hierarchy.
Blog schema provides additional information about blog posts or articles on a website to help search engines understand them better. Implementing blog schema communicates that you’re offering helpful informative content, helping search engines serve your blog post for relevant queries. Blog schema should be added to individual blog posts.
Here’s an overview of what’s typically included in blog schema:
Review Schema is used to mark up reviews on a website to help search engines understand ratings and reviews of products and services. When implemented correctly, it can help rich snippets appear in search results. Review schema should be added to all pages with reviews. Here’s what is typically included in review schema:
Person Schema is used to mark up information about a person and includes details such as:
Person schema should be added to individual ‘About Me’ or ‘Team Member’ pages, or author pages for blog posts.
Video Schema is used to describe video content on a website to allow search engines to understand it better and make it eligible to appear in rich results, such as video snippets. Implementing it can help improve video visibility and help videos rank higher in search results. Here’s the information that’s typically included in video schema:
Video schema should be added to pages with important or informative video content, such as tutorials, how-to videos or interviews.
FAQ Schema helps search engines understand frequently asked questions and display them as rich snippets (since 2023, these are only displayed by Google from authoritative government and health websites). This schema should be added on dedicated FAQ pages and all other pages with FAQs, such as service pages, product pages, category pages and blogs.
Here’s an example of what some simple FAQ schema might look like:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "FAQPage",
"mainEntity": [
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "What is SEO?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, a strategy used to improve a website's visibility on search engines."
}
},
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "How can I improve my SEO?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "Improving SEO involves optimizing website content, using relevant keywords, improving page speed, and building quality backlinks."
}
}
]
}
</script>At Wildcat Digital, our team of technical SEO experts can create and implement a range of structured data to increase the likelihood that your pages appear as rich results and help you get ahead of your competitors. We will use schema, alongside other aspects of technical SEO and an effective content strategy, to help improve your keyword rankings, traffic and ultimately conversions.
Get in touch with a member of our friendly team to learn more or visit our Technical SEO page for more information.
SEO Executive
Founder
Our founder, Will Hitchmough, worked at a number of high profile Sheffield Digital Agencies before founding Wildcat Digital in 2018. He brings an extensive knowledge of all things related to SEO, PPC and Paid Social, as well as an expert knowledge of digital strategy.
Digital Marketing can be a minefield for many businesses, with many agencies ready to take your money without knowing how to deliver results. I founded Wildcat Digital to deliver digital success to businesses with smaller budgets in a transparent way.
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Rich joined us in May 2024 to head up our growth team. With years of experience helping other agencies to grow, Rich joins us at an exciting time as Wildcat is working on a five-year plan to become one of the biggest agencies in the UK.
Outside of work, Rich is a father to three children, which keeps him very busy! He’s also recently started running again to keep fit and loves a bit of DIY.
Head of Digital
Sarah joined Wildcat in January 2025, bringing over seven years of SEO expertise to the team. With a background in Fashion Communication and Promotion, she has worked both in-house and at agencies, covering a range of digital marketing specialisms before focusing on SEO.
Passionate about all things search, Sarah thrives on helping brands grow their online presence.
Outside of work, she enjoys walking her dog, running, and shopping for vintage clothing.
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Amelia joined Wildcat Digital in January 2025, bringing extensive experience in HR, Health & Safety, Facilities Management and IT Support. Previously an Operations Manager at The University of Sheffield, she has a strong background in creating efficient and well-organized work environments.
Specialising in HR, Health & Safety, and Facilities Management, Amelia ensures the Wildcat Digital team has the resources and support needed to thrive. Whether managing office operations, maintaining compliance, or fostering a positive workplace culture, she keeps everything running smoothly.
Outside of work, Amelia loves trying new things, traveling, camping, and walking. She also enjoys socialising and exploring new places with friends and family. Her adventurous spirit and proactive approach make her a valued member of the team.
Client Success Coordinator
Siena joined us in 2023 with a background in sales and digital marketing. She leads on client relationships across the company, ensuring that our customers are happy throughout their journey with us, from their initial consultation through to onboarding and beyond.
Outside of work, Siena enjoys travelling and getting stuck into the local culture. She likes to make the most of her experiences and particularly enjoys watching sunrises and sunsets from beautiful locations around the world.
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Paul has a strong background in SEO, having previously founded and ran a successful eCommerce business, as well as running a personal blog that achieves an average of 17K users per month. Paul’s knowledge of SEO is extensive, with a strong emphasis on client handling and technical SEO.
Outside of work, Paul enjoys spending time with his family and staying active with weight lifting and combat sports.
Team Lead & Technical SEO Account Manager
With a degree in Computer Science and SEO experience dating back to 2017, Dariusz has a wide range of SEO skills and knowledge. His specialist knowledge of Technical SEO has firmly landed him the title of Wildcat’s Technical Wizard, and he has recently taken on the responsibility of Team Leader for the Panthers Team.
In his spare time, Dariusz loves hiking, experimenting and trying new coffees and loves learning new things. He is currently learning more about CRO and AI and how this could benefit our clients.
Team Lead & Senior SEO Account Manager
With a background in sales, Molly is a natural Account Manager, brilliantly handling any issues that come her way. Having joined us as a Digital Marketing Executive, and working part-time through her final year of University, Molly is a shining example of how hard work pays off. She is now an SEO Account Manager with a particular interest in Content and Client Management.
In her spare time, Molly loves to get out in nature, hiking and exploring the Peak District. She also loves cooking and likes to unwind with a bit of yoga.
PPC Team Leader
Libby joined Wildcat in 2021 as our first PPC hire. With a degree in Digital Media Production, a Master’s in Digital Media Management and previous experience in Social Media Management, Libby hit the ground running and has since climbed the ranks to Senior PPC Account Manager and has a particular interest in the eCommerce sector.
Outside of work, Libby likes gaming, and cooking and likes to keep active by lifting weights.
Senior SEO Account Manager
With a degree in Film and TV production, and a varied career history, Jamie made the move to marketing with a Masters degree in Digital Media Management. He has since worked in SEO at Agencies across Sheffield, before joining Wildcat and working his way up to SEO Account Manager. Jamie has a particular interest in backlinks and Digital PR and has recently gained a client a valuable backlink from Forbes!
In his spare time, Jamie is an avid foodie and loves trying new restaurants and cuisines. He also loves to travel and spent a year travelling to Australia after university.
SEO Account Manager
Jasmine joined Wildcat in 2022 with a strong background in SEO and Account Management. At the time, she was finishing up a Level 4 Apprenticeship in Digital Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and has since worked her way up to SEO Account Manager. Jasmine excels at content writing and promotion, and particularly enjoys finding creative ways to join the dots on multi-channel campaigns.
In her spare time, Jasmine volunteers at a charity, helping combat loneliness & social isolation experienced by older neighbours. Outside of Wildcat, she owns a catering company, Savery Grazing, creating delicious grazing tables & platters for a range of events. She also loves skiing and exploring the Peak District.
SEO Account Manager
Thea has a wealth of experience in SEO, having previously worked for other Digital Marketing Agencies in Sheffield. She has a particular interest and skills in Technical SEO, but is more than willing to get stuck in and give anything a go.
Outside of work, Thea spends most of her time with her children, but also loves reading, photography and gardening.
PPC Account Manager
Masilda joined the Wildcat team in October 2024 with over seven years of experience in digital marketing. She specialises in Google Ads, but is also certified in Google Analytics, YouTube Ads, Google Ads for Ecommerce and Apple Search Ads. She has extensive expertise in performance marketing, display advertising, online lead generation and market planning.
In her free time, Masilda likes staying active, cooking, trying new restaurants and exploring new places.
Senior PPC Executive
Prior to joining Wildcat, Braden founded and ran his own Social Media Management agency where he gained valuable skills in growing brands’ online presence, which has since proven invaluable in his role at Wildcat.
Outside of work, Braden is a big football fan, regularly travelling to Pride Park to support Derby County. He also enjoys watching and playing snooker, hiking in the Peak District, and attending air and car shows.
Senior SEO Executive
After spending ten years managing businesses, restaurants, cafes and event spaces across Sheffield, Jon decided to change careers and joined Wildcat as an SEO Executive in 2022. He especially enjoys the client management side of the job, helping them to understand digital marketing and ways in which they can build their business’s presence online.
Outside of work, Jon likes to keep fit with running, badminton and football, and also loves music.
Senior SEO Executive
Rachel joined us as a graduate, having recently graduated from Sheffield University with a degree in English Literature. Since joining, Rachel has proven herself to be a Content Queen, and particularly enjoys getting stuck into projects that allow her to explore her creative side.
Outside of work, Rachel enjoys a wide range of hobbies, including rugby, singing, reading, and spending time with her family and three labradors.
Senior SEO Executive
Andy joined Wildcat in 2023 after starting his digital marketing career in-house for a local Sheffield company. Since joining, he has developed a strong interest in Technical SEO and has strong skills in Account Management.
Outside of work, Andy loves music and plays in a couple of bands. He also enjoys rock climbing, cycling, photography and good food.
Senior SEO Executive
Kezia joined us in July 2024 after completing a CIM Certificate in Digital Marketing and gaining experience in Content SEO at another Sheffield agency.
In her spare time, Kezia loves to get outdoors, bouldering, hiking and travelling.
Senior PPC Executive
Alex joined Wildcat Digital in December 2024 as a Senior PPC Executive, bringing a strong background in Paid Media, Paid Social, and Programmatic advertising. With a degree in Business & Marketing and Google Ads certifications, she has the expertise to craft high-performing campaigns that drive results.
Before joining Wildcat Digital, Alex worked at two leading agencies in Leeds, honing her skills across various digital advertising platforms. Her analytical mindset and strategic approach help businesses maximize their online presence and advertising budgets.
Outside of work, Alex enjoys spending time with her dog, Lola, and going on walks with her dog walking group. She’s also a keen footballer and loves playing five-a-side whenever she gets the chance. Her enthusiasm and team spirit make him a great addition to the Wildcat Digital team.
SEO Executive
Amy joined Wildcat in 2024 with a background in journalism, having worked as a News Editor and Editor-in-Chief at The Sheffield Tab. She is naturally interested in Content SEO and research, so will no doubt prove to be a content power-house.
In her spare time, Amy loves watching crime shows, listening to music and hanging out with her dog, Eddie!
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