AEO / Glossary / Schema Markup

AEO Glossary

Schema Markup

Schema markup refers to the practice of adding structured data annotations to web pages using the Schema.org vocabulary. While JSON-LD is the most common implementation format, schema markup can also be implemented via Microdata (inline HTML attributes) or RDFa. The Schema.org vocabulary defines hundreds of entity types - from Organization and Product to Event, Recipe, and JobPosting.

Why it matters for AEO

Schema markup is the bridge between your web content and AI/search engine understanding. Without it, a page about your company's service might be indistinguishable to an AI from a news article about your competitor. With it, the AI knows exactly what type of entity the page describes, who created it, when it was published, and what it contains. This directly determines whether your brand gets cited in AI-generated answers.

How to implement

Start at schema.org/docs/gs.html to understand available types. Use Google's Structured Data Markup Helper (search for it) to generate initial JSON-LD by highlighting content on your page. Add the generated code to your page's <head>. Test with Google's Rich Results Test. Expand beyond Organization to include all relevant types: Service, Product, Person, FAQ, HowTo, Article.

Related Terms

JSON-LDStructured DataFAQPage SchemaOrganization Schema

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