What Is Structured Data? How Schema Markup Gets You Rich Results

Structured data is code you add to your website that tells Google exactly what your content is about — your business name, services, FAQs, reviews, and more — in a language search engines can read. When implemented correctly, it creates "rich results" in Google: FAQ dropdowns, star ratings, business hours, and other enhanced listings that make your search result bigger, more informative, and more clickable than your competitors'.

The Problem Structured Data Solves

Google is smart, but it's not omniscient. When it crawls a web page, it sees text, images, and code. It can guess that a page is about plumbing services in Scranton based on the words it finds. But guessing isn't the same as knowing.

Structured data removes the guessing. Instead of hoping Google figures out that "Mon-Fri 8am-5pm" is your business hours, you explicitly tell it: "These are our opening hours. This is our phone number. This is our address. These are our services. Here are our frequently asked questions."

Google rewards this clarity with rich results — enhanced search listings that stand out visually and provide more information directly in the search results page.

What Rich Results Look Like

You've seen rich results even if you didn't know what they were called. They include:

• FAQ dropdowns: Expandable question-and-answer sections directly in your search listing. These can double or triple the size of your result on the page.
• Star ratings: Gold stars with review counts shown under your listing. Immediately builds trust.
• Business information: Hours, address, phone number displayed in a knowledge panel or enhanced listing.
• Breadcrumbs: Navigation path shown instead of a raw URL — looks cleaner and more professional.
• How-to steps: Step-by-step instructions displayed directly in search results.
• Event listings: Dates, times, and locations for upcoming events.

Rich results take up more space on the search results page. More space = more visibility = more clicks. Pages with rich results see click-through rate increases of 20-30% on average.

Schema Types Every Local Business Needs

1. LocalBusiness Schema

This is the foundational schema for any business with a physical location or service area. It tells Google your business name, address, phone number, hours, and other essential details.

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "LocalBusiness",
  "name": "Joe's Plumbing",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "123 Main St",
    "addressLocality": "Scranton",
    "addressRegion": "PA",
    "postalCode": "18503"
  },
  "telephone": "(570) 555-0123",
  "openingHours": "Mo-Fr 08:00-17:00",
  "url": "https://www.joesplumbing.com",
  "priceRange": "$$"
}
</script>

Use the most specific business type available. Instead of LocalBusiness, use Plumber, Restaurant, Electrician, or whichever Schema.org type matches your business. Google recognizes over 100 specific business types.

2. Service Schema

Service schema describes individual services you offer. This helps Google match your business with specific service-related searches.

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Service",
  "serviceType": "Drain Cleaning",
  "provider": {
    "@type": "LocalBusiness",
    "name": "Joe's Plumbing"
  },
  "areaServed": {
    "@type": "City",
    "name": "Scranton"
  },
  "description": "Professional drain cleaning for residential and commercial properties."
}
</script>

3. FAQPage Schema

This is one of the highest-value schemas for local businesses because it directly creates rich results. When Google shows your FAQ schema, each question becomes an expandable dropdown in your search listing — dramatically increasing your listing's size and click-through rate.

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "How much does drain cleaning cost?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Drain cleaning typically costs $100-$300 depending on severity and location."
      }
    }
  ]
}
</script>

The key rule: every question in your FAQPage schema must also be visible on the page itself. Google will penalize or ignore schema that describes content not present on the page. This is why we include visible FAQ sections with <details>/<summary> elements on every page that uses FAQPage schema.

4. Article Schema

For blog posts and articles, Article schema tells Google the headline, author, publish date, and description. This helps your content appear correctly in Google News and Discover, and ensures proper attribution.

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Article",
  "headline": "How Much Does Drain Cleaning Cost in Scranton?",
  "author": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Joe Smith"
  },
  "datePublished": "2026-03-24",
  "publisher": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "Joe's Plumbing"
  }
}
</script>

5. AggregateRating Schema

If your business has reviews, AggregateRating schema can display star ratings directly in search results. This is the gold star display you see under some search listings — and it dramatically improves click-through rates.

Important note: Google has strict policies about self-served reviews. The safest approach is to let Google pull rating data from your Google Business Profile rather than marking up self-hosted reviews.

How to Implement Structured Data

There are three implementation methods:

JSON-LD (recommended): A JavaScript block placed in the <head> of your page. This is Google's preferred format. It's clean, easy to maintain, and doesn't interleave with your HTML. All examples in this article use JSON-LD.

Microdata: HTML attributes added directly to your existing markup. More complex to implement and maintain. Not recommended unless you have specific reasons.

RDFa: Similar to Microdata but uses different attributes. Rarely used for new implementations in 2026.

For most businesses, JSON-LD is the clear winner. It's the format Google recommends, it's the easiest to implement and debug, and it keeps your structured data separate from your HTML so changes don't risk breaking your page layout.

Testing Your Structured Data

After implementing schema markup, test it with these free tools:

Google Rich Results Test (search.google.com/test/rich-results): Paste your URL and Google will show you exactly which rich results your page is eligible for. It also flags errors and warnings in your schema.

Schema Markup Validator (validator.schema.org): More comprehensive validation against the full Schema.org specification. Good for catching issues the Rich Results Test might miss.

Google Search Console: After deployment, monitor the "Enhancements" section in Search Console. It shows you how Google is interpreting your structured data across your entire site, including any errors that need fixing.

Common Structured Data Mistakes

• Schema that doesn't match visible content. Every piece of structured data must correspond to content visible on the page. Don't mark up FAQ questions that aren't actually displayed. Google will ignore the schema or penalize the page.
• Using the wrong business type. LocalBusiness is a generic fallback. Use the most specific type available: Plumber, RealEstateAgent, Restaurant, AutoRepair, etc.
• Invalid JSON. A missing comma or bracket breaks the entire schema block. Always validate with the Rich Results Test before deploying.
• Outdated information. If your hours change, your phone number changes, or your services change, update the schema too. Inconsistencies between your schema and your visible content (or your GBP) hurt trust signals.
• Over-marking. Don't add schema for things that aren't relevant. A blog post doesn't need Product schema. A service page doesn't need Event schema. Irrelevant markup is noise that dilutes your important signals.

Structured Data and Local SEO

Structured data ties directly into your broader local SEO strategy. It helps Google understand your service area, your services, and your business details — all of which influence your Map Pack ranking and organic visibility.

When combined with a fast website (scoring 90+ on Core Web Vitals), a well-optimized Google Business Profile, and quality content, structured data completes the picture. You're giving Google every possible reason to rank you above competitors who are doing none of this.

In markets like Scranton and NEPA, almost no local businesses use structured data. Implementing it is an immediate competitive advantage that most of your competitors won't match for years — if ever.

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