Schema markup is code you add to your website that tells AI systems exactly what your content means.
Without schema, AI has to guess.
With schema, you explicitly tell it: • 'This is a local business' • 'This is our address' • 'These are our hours' • 'This is a FAQ section' Think of it as providing AI with a clearly labeled data sheet about your business.
Schema is typically added as JSON-LD—JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data.
Don't worry if that sounds technical.
Many website platforms have plugins that handle this for you.
LocalBusiness schema is your digital business card.
Required properties: • @type: 'LocalBusiness' or a specific type like 'Restaurant' or 'Dentist' • name: Your official business name • address: Street, city, state, postal code • telephone: Primary phone number Recommended properties: • openingHours • geo: Latitude and longitude • areaServed • priceRange • image • description • sameAs: Links to social profiles IMPLEMENTATION OPTIONS: • WordPress plugins: Yoast, Rank Math, Schema Pro • Website builder tools: Wix and Squarespace have built-in options • Manual JSON-LD code • Google Tag Manager FAQPage schema is powerful for AI visibility.
It marks up question-and-answer content that AI loves to cite.
Create effective FAQs by thinking about what customers actually ask: • 'What are your hours?' • 'Do you offer emergency drain cleaning?' • 'How much does plumber cost?' • 'Do you serve Metro Detroit?' Best practices: • Answer questions concisely—2-3 sentences ideal for voice • Use natural language • Include location and service specifics • Only use FAQ schema for actual Q&A content Always test before deploying: TOOLS: • Google Rich Results Test: search.google.com/test/rich-results • Schema.org Validator: validator.schema.org Common errors to avoid
• Missing required properties • Invalid JSON syntax • URLs that don't exist • Schema that doesn't match visible page content You now understand schema basics!
In Module 5, we'll cover creating content that AI can easily cite.