Schema Best Practices: How to Choose the Right Schema Type

Choosing the right schema type is the foundation of effective structured data and SEO. With hundreds of types available on Schema.org, understanding what each does and when to use them is key to unlocking rich results and helping search engines understand your content.

What Are Schema Types?

Schema types (or "types") are standardized categories that describe the nature of your content. Each type has specific properties that search engines use to interpret your page.

Most Common Schema Types and When to Use Them

• WebSite: For your homepage or the root of your domain. Helps Google understand your site as an entity.

• Organization: For your company, business, or brand. Use on your About page or homepage.

• Person: For individual profiles, author pages, or team bios.

• BlogPosting: For individual blog articles. Enables enhanced listings like headline, author, and image in search.

• Article: For news, magazine, or general articles (use BlogPosting for blogs).

• Product: For product pages. Unlocks features like price, availability, and reviews in search.

• FAQPage: For pages with a list of frequently asked questions and answers. Can add collapsible FAQs to your search result.

• HowTo: For step-by-step instructional content. Allows for rich, interactive search features.

• Event: For event listings, webinars, or meetups. Shows dates, locations, and tickets in search.

• Review: For reviews of products, services, or businesses. Enables star ratings in search.

• LocalBusiness: For businesses with a physical location. Helps with local SEO and map listings.

How to Choose the Right Schema Type

1. Identify your content’s primary purpose: Is it a blog, product, FAQ, or something else?

2. Be as specific as possible: Use the most granular type available (e.g., BlogPosting instead of just Article).

3. Check Schema.org: Review the full list of types and their properties for the best fit.

4. Avoid misclassification: Don’t use a type just for SEO benefits if it doesn’t match your content.

Real-World Examples

• A company homepage: WebSite + Organization

• A team member profile: Person

• A blog post: BlogPosting

• A product page: Product

• A help center article: FAQPage or HowTo

Staying Up to Date

Schema.org regularly updates types and properties. Subscribe to their updates or follow leading SEO blogs to stay current.

Selecting the right schema type ensures your structured data is effective, accurate, and SEO-friendly. Always match your markup to your real content and review Schema.org for updates.

Need help picking the best schema for your site? Let’s connect and get your structured data right!