Schema.org & structured data: how to get AI to cite your content
Structured data (schema.org) is an invisible layer that tells search engines and AI what your content is: an article, an FAQ, a company, a service. That lets them understand you more easily, show you as a rich result and cite you in AI answers. The key types for SMEs: Organization, WebSite, BreadcrumbList, FAQPage, Article/BlogPosting and Service. You add them as JSON-LD in the page — often automatically via your CMS.
What structured data does
People read your page; machines guess the meaning. Structured data removes the guessing: you explicitly label this as an article, with this author, date and title — or this as an FAQ with these questions. The less an AI has to guess, the sooner it trusts and adopts you.
The schemas that matter for SMEs
- Organization — who you are, with logo, contact and areas of expertise (knowsAbout). Feeds the knowledge graph.
- WebSite — your site as a whole.
- BreadcrumbList — your page structure, adds context.
- FAQPage — question-answer pairs; strong for AEO.
- Article / BlogPosting — for blogs: title, author, date, image. The basis for citations.
- Service — for service pages: what you offer and for which area.
How to apply it
You add schema as JSON-LD in the page's <head> or body. A good CMS generates this automatically per page type, so you don't maintain it by hand. Building your own? Keep it consistent with what's visible on the page — schema that doesn't match the content backfires.
We set this up by default in our SEO & AEO and website projects.
Validating
Test your markup with Google's Rich Results Test and the Schema.org validator. Watch for errors and warnings, and check that the shown data is correct. One wrong date or missing field can block a rich result.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a developer for schema?
Not necessarily. Many CMSes and SEO plugins generate basic schema automatically. For custom or advanced types (Service, nested schema) a developer helps.
Am I guaranteed rich results?
No — schema enables rich results, but the search engine decides whether to show them. Correct, consistent markup greatly improves the odds.
Does schema work for AI answers too?
Indirectly and increasingly: it makes your content unambiguous, so AI models pick up your meaning faster and more reliably.
Which format do I use: JSON-LD or microdata?
JSON-LD is the recommended standard: it's separate from your HTML, easier to manage and preferred by Google.
Ready to start?
Read our approach to SEO & AEO, or book a short intro call — we'll take a no-obligation look and give you an honest estimate of scope, cost and timeline.