Schema markup (structured data)
Schema markup (structured data) is standardised code you add to web pages so search engines understand the content better. It is based on the Schema.org vocabulary created jointly by Google, Bing, and Yahoo. It is most often implemented in JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data), which is inserted into the HTML head of the page. Thanks to structured data, Google can show enhanced results — so-called rich snippets.
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How Schema markup works
Schema markup describes page content in a machine-readable format. For example, on a recipe you tell Google that „30 minutes“ is the preparation time, „4.8“ is the rating, and „Beef goulash“ is the recipe name. Google can then show this information directly in the search results as a visually distinct rich snippet with stars, prep time, and a photo. Rich snippets significantly increase click-through rate — studies show CTR uplifts of 20–40%.
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The most used Schema types
For business websites the most important types are LocalBusiness (company info, address, opening hours), FAQPage (frequently asked questions — shown directly in Google), Product (products with price and availability), Review (customer reviews), and BreadcrumbList (breadcrumb navigation). For blogs the Article type is key, for events the Event type. At Appitect, we implement Schema markup on all projects — it's a standard part of our SEO optimisation.
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Implementation in Next.js
In the Next.js App Router, we implement Schema markup using a JSON-LD script directly in page components. The advantage is that we generate the structured data dynamically from the same data we show to users — so it's always consistent. Google recommends the JSON-LD format over the alternatives (Microdata, RDFa) because it is easier to implement and maintain. We verify correctness with Google's Rich Results Test.
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Impact on SEO and conversions
Schema markup does not directly improve search rankings, but indirectly YES — through higher click-through rates. When your search result contains star ratings, a price, or FAQs, it visually stands out among other results and users click on it more often. More clicks signal greater relevance to Google and gradually strengthen the position. On top of that, FAQ Schema lets you take up more space on the results page, pushing competitors out of view.
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Practical example
For a client in legal services, we implemented FAQPage Schema on the 15 most important pages. Each page had 4–6 frequently asked questions with answers. Google began showing them as expandable FAQs directly in the search results. The result? Click-through rate grew from 3.2% to 7.8% within 6 weeks, without any change in average position. That meant 140% more organic visits without any change to the content.
Want your website to stand out in the search results? We implement structured data that earns you rich snippets and significantly increases click-through rate.
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