The rule that decides everything
Markup describes the page a reader is looking at. If a reader cannot see it, the markup should not claim it.
What is worth marking up
- The organisation behind the site.
- The software product, with its own name and URL.
- Breadcrumbs, which describe the path a reader took.
- An article, on a page that really is an article.
- A FAQ, only where the questions are visible on the page.
A filled pair
Meridian Landscaping, home page, October 2026.
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Meridian Landscaping",
"url": "https://meridian-landscaping.example",
"telephone": "+44 20 7946 0000"
}
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Service",
"name": "Drainage installation",
"serviceType": "Driveway drainage",
"provider": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Meridian Landscaping" },
"areaServed": "Within 40 miles"
}
The areaServed value is the same sentence the page shows.
If the page said “nationwide”, the markup would have to say that instead. The
page would have to be true as well.
What to leave out
- No review markup without reviews a reader can read.
- No aggregate rating you cannot show, from any source.
- No FAQ markup on a page with no visible questions.
- No price in markup that the page does not display.
- No address or opening hours you would not print.
Acceptance: the markup is right when
- every value appears on the rendered page
- one entity per thing, not three organisation blocks
- required properties for the chosen types are present
- a validator accepts the syntax
- the page still reads correctly with the markup removed
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Three organisation blocks | The layout and a page both emit one | Emit once, from the layout |
| A price the page does not show | A template default | Set it from the page, or remove it |
| FAQ markup with no questions | A component copied from another page | Remove the block |
| The validator fails on a date | A format it does not accept | Use the documented format, or drop the field |
| Rich results stopped appearing | A policy change, or invalid markup | Read the policy page, then check the page |
Limits
A rich result is not a ranking factor. Removing invalid markup does not lower a ranking, and adding it does not raise one.
Validators check syntax and policy separately, and neither replaces reading the rendered page.