schema.org structured data
31 established claims - 6 refused by the grounding gate
Verdict
Google uses schema.org structured data to understand page content and show rich results, accepts JSON-LD, Microdata, and RDFa equally if valid and properly implemented, says not to mark up information that is not visible to the user, and states that no special schema.org markup is required for generative AI features; Google Search Central documentation, not schema.org, is definitive for Google Search behavior. Documented examples report higher click-through rates for structured data or rich results, including a 25% higher CTR from Rotten Tomatoes, an 82% higher CTR for rich results from Nestlé, and 1.5x more time on page from Rakuten, while one seoClarity test saw a CTR increase without rendering a rich result. The feature set has changed: How-to documentation was removed on September 14, 2023; FAQ rich results were limited on that date to well-known authoritative government and health websites and stopped appearing in Google Search results starting May 7, 2026, with documentation removed on June 15, 2026; on June 12, 2025 Google said it was phasing out support for book actions, course info, estimated salary, ClaimReview, learning video, special announcement, and vehicle listing.
Written from the 31 established claims below, then checked against them. How that works.
Documented position13
What the operator of the system says in its own documentation.
Google Search Central's guide to optimizing for generative AI features states that…
- structured data isn't required for generative AI search.
- there's no special schema.org markup a site needs to add.
1 quote from 1 source
Structured data isn't required for generative AI search, and there's no special schema.org markup you need to add.
Google Search Central's guide to optimizing for generative AI features states that it is a good idea to continue using structured data as part of an overall SEO strategy.
1 quote from 1 source
However, it's a good idea to continue using it as part of your overall SEO strategy, as it helps with being eligible for rich results on Google Search.
Google Search Central's page on structured data markup that Google Search supports states that…
- Google uses structured data to understand the content on the page.
- Google uses structured data to show that content in a richer appearance in search results.
- the richer appearance of the content on the page in search results is called a rich result.
1 quote from 1 source
Google uses structured data to understand the content on the page and show that content in a richer appearance in search results, which is called a rich result.
Google Search Central's "AI features and your website" documentation states that there is no special schema.org structured data that a site needs to add to appear in AI features.
1 quote from 1 source
You don't need to create new machine readable files, AI text files, or markup to appear in these features. There's also no special schema.org structured data that you need to add.
Google Search Central's introduction to structured data markup states that site owners should rely on the Google Search Central documentation as definitive for Google Search behavior rather than the schema.org documentation.
1 quote from 1 source
Most Search structured data uses schema.org vocabulary, but you should rely on the Google Search Central documentation as definitive for Google Search behavior, rather than the schema.org documentation.
Google Search Central's introduction to structured data markup states that there are more attributes and objects on schema.org that aren't required by Google Search.
1 quote from 1 source
There are more attributes and objects on schema.org that aren't required by Google Search; they may be useful for other search engines, services, tools, and platforms.
Google Search Central's introduction to structured data markup states that JSON-LD, Microdata and RDFa are all equally fine for Google as long as the markup is valid and properly implemented per the feature's documentation.
1 quote from 1 source
In general, we recommend using a format that's easiest for you to implement and maintain (in most cases, that's JSON-LD); all 3 formats are equally fine for Google, as long as the markup is valid and properly implemented per the feature's documentation.
Google Search Central's introduction to structured data markup states that site owners should not add structured data about information that is not visible to the user, even if the information is accurate.
1 quote from 1 source
Don't create blank or empty pages just to hold structured data, and don't add structured data about information that is not visible to the user, even if the information is accurate.
Google Search Central's introduction to structured data markup states that it is more important to supply fewer but complete and accurate recommended properties than to provide every possible recommended property with less complete, badly-formed or inaccurate data.
1 quote from 1 source
it is more important to supply fewer but complete and accurate recommended properties rather than trying to provide every possible recommended property with less complete, badly-formed, or inaccurate data.
Google Search Central's introduction to structured data markup states that the best way to decide whether structured data is worth the effort is to run a before and after test on a few pages of the site.
1 quote from 1 source
You probably want to compare performance of your pages with structured data with those pages that don't have structured data, in order to decide if it's worth your effort. The best way to do that is to run a before and after test on a few pages on your site.
Measured finding2
Something someone actually measured, with the method attached.
seoClarity's FAQ schema test reports that schema.org structured data increased the click-through rate for the term 'best SEO platform' from 1.02% to 2.22% over the two weeks of the test.
1 quote from 1 source
Additionally, we saw an increase in CTR for the term "best SEO platform" from 1.02% to 2.22% in the two weeks where we conducted the test.
schema.org structured data was not able to render a Google rich result for the term tested by seoClarity's FAQ schema test
1 quote from 1 source
We were not able to render an Google rich result for this term, however.
Practical effect5
What is observed to happen in practice, as distinct from what is documented.
Google Search Central's introduction to structured data markup states that Rotten Tomatoes…
- added structured data to 100,000 unique pages.
- measured a 25% higher click-through rate for pages enhanced with structured data compared to pages without it.
1 quote from 1 source
Rotten Tomatoes added structured data to 100,000 unique pages and measured a 25% higher click-through rate for pages enhanced with structured data, compared to pages without structured data.
Google Search Central's introduction to schema.org structured data states that…
- Nestle measured a click-through rate difference for pages showing as rich results.
- the click-through rate for rich result pages is 82% higher than for non-rich result pages.
1 quote from 1 source
Nestlé has measured pages that show as rich results in search have an 82% higher click through rate than non-rich result pages.
Google Search Central's introduction to structured data markup states that Rakuten has found that users spend 1.5x more time on pages that implemented structured data than on non-structured data pages.
1 quote from 1 source
Rakuten has found that users spend 1.5x more time on pages that implemented structured data than on non-structured data pages, and have a 3.6x higher interaction rate on AMP pages with search features vs non-feature AMP pages.
Changed on9
A dated change. This is where advice quietly stops being true.
- Google Search Central's documentation-updates changelog records that the documentation for the FAQ rich result feature of schema.org structured data was removed.
- The FAQ rich result feature of schema.org structured data is no longer shown in Google Search results.
1 quote from 1 source
Removing documentation for the FAQ rich result feature What: Removed documentation for the FAQ rich result feature. Why: The FAQ rich result feature is no longer shown in Google Search results, as announced in the changelog entry in May 2026.
The deprecation notice in the schema.org structured data FAQ rich result documentation was added because the FAQ rich result feature for schema.org structured data would no longer appear in Google Search starting May 7, 2026.
1 quote from 1 source
Deprecating the FAQ rich result feature What: Added a deprecation notice to the FAQ rich result documentation. Why: This feature will no longer appear in Google Search starting May 7, 2026.
Google Search Central's documentation-updates changelog records that Google would be phasing out support for a few structured data features in Search as part of its efforts to simplify the Google Search results page.
1 quote from 1 source
Why: As part of our ongoing efforts to simplify the Google Search results page, we will be phasing out support for a few structured data features in Search. Learn more in our blog post.
Google Search Central's documentation-updates changelog records that banners were added to the book actions, course info, estimated salary, ClaimReview, learning video, special announcement and vehicle listing structured data features to indicate upcoming changes.
1 quote from 1 source
Retiring a few structured data features What: Added banners to a few structured data features to indicate upcoming changes: book actions, course info, estimated salary, ClaimReview, learning video, special announcement, and vehicle listing.
- The How-to structured data documentation was removed.
- The cause of the removal of the How-to structured data documentation is that the How-to structured data rich result is no longer shown in search results on both desktop and mobile devices.
1 quote from 1 source
Removed the How-to structured data documentation, as this rich result is no longer shown in search results, on both desktop and mobile devices.
- Google Search Central's documentation-updates changelog records an update to the FAQ structured data documentation.
- The FAQ structured data documentation states that the FAQ feature is only shown for well-known, authoritative government and health websites.
1 quote from 1 source
Updated the FAQ structured data documentation to state that the feature is only shown for well-known, authoritative government and health websites.
Echoed without a primary source2
Widely repeated in the field, but traceable only to other repetitions. Listed because knowing something is merely echoed is worth as much as knowing it is documented.
Sixth City Marketing's page of schema markup statistics states that schema.org structured data produces rich results that users click 58% of the time, compared to 41% for non-rich results.
1 quote from 1 source
Users click on rich results 58% of the time compared to 41% for non-rich results
Sixth City Marketing's page of schema markup statistics states that pages with schema.org structured data received a 40% higher click-through rate than pages without schema.org structured data.
1 quote from 1 source
Pages with schema received a 40% higher click-through rate than pages without
Refused6
Claims the research produced that the grounding gate would not accept, with its reason. They are here because a site that only shows what passed gives you no way to judge whether the gate does anything.
Show what was refused
Google Search Central's documentation-updates changelog records that a deprecation notice was added to the schema.org structured data FAQ rich result documentation.
Refused: The quote only mentions the FAQ rich result documentation, not that it is schema.org structured data.
Unsupported: schema.org structured data
What it rested on
Deprecating the FAQ rich result feature What: Added a deprecation notice to the FAQ rich result documentation. Why: This feature will no longer appear in Google Search starting May 7, 2026.
Google Search Central's guide to optimizing for generative AI features states that using structured data helps with being eligible for rich results on Google Search.
Refused: The quote says 'using it' helps with rich results but does not identify 'it' as structured data.
Unsupported: structured data
What it rested on
However, it's a good idea to continue using it as part of your overall SEO strategy, as it helps with being eligible for rich results on Google Search.
Schema.org structured data for FAQ rich results has an average click-through-rate of 87%, according to Sixth City Marketing's page of schema markup statistics.
Refused: The cited quote only says FAQ rich results have an average CTR of 87%, not that Schema.org structured data does.
Unsupported: Schema.org structured data for
What it rested on
FAQ rich results have an average CTR (click-through-rate) of 87%
schema.org structured data (the FAQ schema) had sections added to the page's content before its implementation.
Refused: The quote mentions adding sections to content for SEO terms, but does not reference the FAQ schema or its implementation.
Unsupported: schema.org structured data (the FAQ schema) had sections added to the page's content before its implementation
What it rested on
For the phrases above that were listed as “not in text”, we looked again to Content Fusion to add sections to our content to ensure that all of the suggested terms and phrases were used within the content.
schema.org structured data (the FAQ schema) had sections added to the page's content so that all suggested terms and phrases were used within the content.
Refused: The quote does not mention schema.org or FAQ schema; it only states that sections were added to include suggested terms, so attributing this to the FAQ schema overreaches.
Unsupported: schema.org structured data (the FAQ schema)
What it rested on
For the phrases above that were listed as “not in text”, we looked again to Content Fusion to add sections to our content to ensure that all of the suggested terms and phrases were used within the content.
The Food Network experienced a 35% increase in visits after converting its pages to enable search features with schema.org structured data.
Refused: The quote says pages were converted to enable search features but does not specify schema.org structured data.
Unsupported: with schema.org structured data
What it rested on
The Food Network has converted 80% of their pages to enable search features, and has seen a 35% increase in visits.