Schema Markup
A vocabulary of tags defined by Schema.org that you can add to HTML to describe the type and properties of your content. Schema markup provides the specific types and properties used within structured data implementations.
Schema markup is the vocabulary layer that gives meaning to your structured data. Schema.org defines hundreds of types (Product, Article, Organization, Event) each with specific properties (name, price, author, date). You apply these types and properties to your content using JSON-LD scripts embedded in your page's HTML head section.
For content and product teams, choosing the right schema types maximizes your chances of earning rich results. Start with the types Google explicitly supports for rich results: Product, Article, FAQ, HowTo, Recipe, Event, LocalBusiness, and Review. Nest related schemas to create rich entity relationships (an Article by an Author who belongs to an Organization). Use the most specific type available rather than generic types. For programmatic SEO, generate schema markup dynamically from your CMS data. Keep schema data consistent with visible page content, as discrepancies between schema claims and actual content can trigger manual actions. Test thoroughly and monitor for validation errors in Search Console.
Related Terms
Core Web Vitals
A set of three Google-defined metrics that measure real-world user experience for loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability. Core Web Vitals are a confirmed ranking factor in Google Search.
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
A Core Web Vital that measures the time from page load start until the largest visible content element (image, video, or text block) is rendered on screen. Good LCP is 2.5 seconds or less.
Interaction to Next Paint (INP)
A Core Web Vital that measures the latency of all user interactions (clicks, taps, keyboard input) throughout the page lifecycle, reporting the worst interaction. Good INP is 200 milliseconds or less.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
A Core Web Vital that measures the total amount of unexpected layout shifts that occur during a page's entire lifespan. Good CLS is 0.1 or less, where layout shifts are calculated from the impact and distance of moving elements.
Time to First Byte (TTFB)
The duration from the user's request to the first byte of the server response reaching the browser. TTFB measures server-side processing speed and network latency, directly impacting all subsequent loading metrics.
Crawl Budget
The number of pages a search engine bot will crawl on your site within a given timeframe, determined by crawl rate limit and crawl demand. Crawl budget optimization ensures important pages are discovered and indexed efficiently.