Schema markup is a standardized vocabulary (defined at schema.org) that you embed in your HTML to explicitly tell search engines what your content means. Instead of Google guessing that "4.8" next to some text is a rating, schema markup declares: "this is an aggregate rating of 4.8 from 2,340 reviews for this product." This structured understanding enables rich results — those enhanced search listings with star ratings, FAQ accordions, pricing, and event details that dominate SERPs.
For landing pages, the ROI of schema markup is straightforward: rich results get significantly higher click-through rates than plain blue links. An FAQ rich result can double your SERP real estate. Product schema with pricing and availability gives searchers key information before they click, which means the visitors who do click are more qualified.
Which schema types matter for landing pages
Organization schema with logo, name, and social profiles. FAQPage if you have an FAQ section (most landing pages should). Product or SoftwareApplication with pricing for SaaS pages. Review/AggregateRating if you have legitimate reviews. Don't add schema for content that doesn't exist on the page — Google penalizes misleading structured data.
Implementation: use JSON-LD format (Google's preferred method) in a <script type="application/ld+json"> block. Validate with Google's Rich Results Test before deploying. Common mistake: adding schema markup but never checking if it actually triggers rich results — some schema types are eligible but rarely displayed. Test, validate, monitor.