Schema

‍What Is Schema and How Does It Work?

Schema: a structured data vocabulary that defines entities and relationships for search engines and AI systems.

Schema acts as the “language of machines.” It explains what a page is about, who created it, and how it relates to other entities. Instead of guessing, search engines and LLMs can confidently interpret content.

Key takeaway: Schema is the bridge between your content and how machines understand it.

Why Does Schema Matter for SEO and GEO?

• SEO benefits: eligibility for rich snippets, enhanced CTR, and reduced ambiguity.
  
  
• GEO benefits: increased likelihood of being parsed and cited by AI models.
  
  
• Authority: by encoding authors, organisations, entities and dates - schema reinforces E-E-A-T.
  
  

Schema does not just help you rank—it makes you eligible to be cited.

Which Encoding Format Should You Use With Schema?

There are three main approaches:

• JSON-LD (recommended): Google’s preferred format; clean, separate from page code.
  
  
• Microdata: inline annotations, harder to maintain.
  
  
• RDFa: older format, less widely adopted.
  
  

Key takeaway: JSON-LD is the standard for SEO and GEO optimisation.

How Does Schema Improve SEO Visibility?

Schema improves visibility by making entities explicit:

• Clarifies product details, reviews, pricing, and availability.
  
  
• Displays articles with authorship, dates, and publisher logos.
  
  
• Enables FAQs and How-To snippets directly in SERPs.
  
  

Example: An FAQ Page schema allows Google to display expandable Q&As, improving SERP real estate and CTR.

How Does Schema Influence GEO and AI Citation?

In GEO, schema supports your content being parsable, reliable, and citable by AI engines:

• Disambiguation: LLMs choose the correct context (e.g., Apple Inc. vs apple fruit).
  
  
• Provenance: structured authorship and organisation data validate trust.
  
  
• Extractability: FAQ and How-To schema provide portable chunks for AI to surface.
  
  

Microsoft and Google have confirmed that their AI models use schema as part of their AI search experiences.

Key takeaway: Schema gives AI confidence to use your content as a source.

Which Schema Types Should SaaS Teams Prioritise?

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How to Implement Schema (Step-by-Step)

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1. Identify core entities — Organisation, Authors, Products.
   
   
2. Choose schema types per page template.
   
   
3. Draft accurate data — bios, dates, canonical URLs, sameAs profiles.
   
   
4. Generate JSON-LD — validate with Rich Results Test.
   
   
5. Integrate into CMS templates (Webflow, WordPress, Shopify).
   
   
6. Audit regularly — update authors, dates, deprecated pages.
   
   

Key takeaway: Schema should be treated like code: versioned, validated, and maintained.

FAQ

Q: What is Schema markup in SEO?
A: Structured data that defines entities and relationships so search engines can display rich results and AI can parse content accurately.

Q: How does Schema support GEO and AI search?
A: By making entities explicit, schema ensures content is machine-readable, trustworthy, and citable by AI engines.

Q: Which Schema types should I implement first?
A: Organization, WebSite, Article/BlogPosting, Person (Author), and FAQPage. Extend to Product and HowTo where relevant.

Q: Does Schema guarantee rich results or AI citations?
A: No—schema enables eligibility. Content quality, structure, topical authority, and internal linking all matter.

Conclusion: Structure as Strategy

In both SEO and GEO, schema is no longer optional. It is the architecture of meaning that allows search engines and AI models to parse, trust, and cite your expertise. Brands that implement schema consistently and at scale will secure lasting visibility and authority in AI-driven search.

SUBJCT automates schema, entity tagging, and internal linking—helping publishers and brands turn content into AI-ready knowledge graphs.