Schema Markup
SEOAlso: Structured Data · Schema.org Markup · JSON-LD
Quick definition
Schema markup is code added to a web page that tells search engines exactly what the content means, not just what it says. It uses a shared vocabulary from Schema.org to label things like reviews, products, events, FAQs and recipes. Pages with valid schema markup are eligible for rich results in Google search.
How it varies across Australia
Most Australian business websites have either no schema markup or markup limited to the homepage. The gap between what's implemented and what's eligible is wide across retail, services and local business categories. Pages that earn rich results tend to hold their click-through rates even when rankings slip slightly.
See digital maturity patterns across Australian industries →The most common schema types
Marks up question-and-answer content so Google can display it as expandable results.
Labels product name, price, availability and reviews for ecommerce pages.
Tells Google a page contains review scores, enabling star ratings in search results.
Marks up address, hours, phone and location data for local search results.
Tells Google your site hierarchy so breadcrumb paths appear in search results.
What it actually means
Search engines read text. They guess at meaning. Schema markup replaces the guessing with explicit labels.
When you add schema markup to a product page, you're not writing for the visitor. You're writing for the search engine crawler. You're saying: this number is a price, this text is a review, this date is when the event starts. Without the markup, Google infers. With it, Google knows.
The practical reward is rich results: star ratings in search snippets, FAQ dropdowns that expand without the user clicking through, price ranges next to the page title, event dates inline. These features don't just look good. They change click-through rates because they give the searcher more information before they decide to visit.
The most widely used format is JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data), a block of structured code that sits in the page head and stays separate from the visible HTML. Google recommends it. It's easier to implement without touching the page layout, and easier to debug.
Schema markup is eligible for rich results. It doesn't guarantee them. Google decides whether to show them based on the quality and relevance of the page, not just the presence of the code.
Schema markup doesn't change what your page says. It changes what Google understands about what your page says.
How it shows up
Schema markup shows up in Google search results as enhanced presentation: star ratings under a page title, expandable FAQ items in the snippet, price ranges, availability labels, breadcrumb paths instead of raw URLs.
In Search Console, pages with active rich results appear in the 'Search appearance' filter. Impressions and clicks for those appearances are reportable separately from standard results. This is how you measure whether the markup is working: compare click-through rate for pages with active rich results against those without, controlling for ranking position.
The Australian context
Google's rich results eligibility rules apply globally, but local business schema has particular value in the Australian market where proximity signals are heavily weighted for service-area searches. Australian businesses operating across multiple states benefit from consistent LocalBusiness schema per location rather than a single aggregate entry.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) guidelines on pricing disclosure also mean that product schema showing prices should match what's actually on the page. Mismatched schema is a compliance risk, not just an SEO one.
Where people get this wrong
Related terms
Common questions
Does schema markup directly improve rankings?
Not directly. Schema markup is not a ranking factor in the traditional sense. It improves how your page appears in search results, which lifts click-through rate, which Google does use as a signal. The path is indirect but real.
What's the difference between schema markup and meta tags?
Meta tags like title and description tell Google and users what a page is about in plain text. Schema markup tells Google the specific type and meaning of content elements on the page using a shared vocabulary. Both matter. They serve different purposes.
Which schema type should I implement first?
Start with what matches your highest-traffic pages. FAQPage for content with questions and answers, Product for ecommerce, LocalBusiness for any business with a physical presence. Breadcrumb markup is low-effort and benefits every site.
How do I know if my schema markup is working?
Two places to check. The Google Rich Results Test confirms validity. Search Console's 'Search appearance' section shows impressions and clicks from pages where rich results are actively showing. Give it four to six weeks after implementation before drawing conclusions.
Keep exploring
About New Rebellion
New Rebellion is a marketing intelligence consultancy. We build tools, score Australian businesses on how their marketing actually performs, and publish Debrief every day. This dictionary is part of how we work in the open.
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