Schema and JSON-LD in plain language

A web page is text and pictures. A machine reading it has no idea whether 4.8 is a rating, a price or a house number. Schema solves that: it is a standard markup language you tuck into your code that states outright what each item means.

JSON-LD is the most common way to write it. It is a small block of structured text that sits in the head of the page and is never seen by readers.

What it gets you

• Richer results on Google: stars, prices, opening hours and common questions right in the search result.
• Correct facts in AI answers, because the machine does not have to guess.
• Better odds of showing up on the map and in local search.
• A clearer picture of what the page is about, which helps rankings indirectly.

The types that matter in Iceland

A real example

On the site you are reading right now there is Article schema on every article, FAQPage on the questions below and Service on every service page. For Kim Yong Wings we set up Restaurant schema with the full menu, the rating of 4.8 from 141 reviews, and an order action pointing at the ordering page.

Three rules

1. Whatever is in the schema has to be visible on the page. Marking up a rating that appears nowhere is a violation and it can cost you visibility.
2. Start with the one type that fits you best instead of marking up everything.
3. Always test. Google offers a free testing tool for rich results.

Who should do this

If you are on a content management system there are plugins that handle it automatically, with varying quality. If the site is custom built this should be part of the build. On every site we hand over it is included, because it costs us an hour and it pays the client back for years.

Frequently asked questions