Which Schema.org schemas have the most impact on AI citations?

FAQPage has the highest citation impact because AI models can directly extract Q&A pairs. Article schema with full E-E-A-T properties (author credentials, dates) ranks second. Person schema for authors and Organization schema for publishers provide supporting authority signals. HowTo schema works well for procedural content.

How many JSON-LD schemas should I use per page?

Use as many relevant schemas as apply, but avoid redundancy. A typical optimized page might include: Article (primary content), Person (author), Organization (publisher), FAQPage (FAQ section), and BreadcrumbList (navigation). Each should be valid and accurate. Google recommends against marking up content not visible to users.

Should I use JSON-LD or Microdata for AI optimization?

JSON-LD is strongly preferred. It's easier to implement (separate script block), easier to maintain, and explicitly recommended by Google. JSON-LD doesn't mix with HTML, reducing errors. All modern AI systems can parse JSON-LD effectively. Microdata works but offers no advantages and is harder to maintain.

What's the difference between datePublished and dateModified in Schema.org?

datePublished is when content was first published and should never change. dateModified is when content was last substantially updated and should only change with real content improvements. Both matter for AI citations: datePublished establishes content history, dateModified signals freshness. Google warns against updating dateModified without substantive changes.

How do I validate my JSON-LD schema for AI?

Use Google's Rich Results Test (https://search.google.com/test/rich-results) for validation and eligibility. Schema.org's validator checks structure. Beyond validation, ensure your Schema.org data matches visible page content - AI models may cross-reference. Test that all URLs in sameAs and url fields actually work.

Does JSON-LD schema directly improve AI citations?

Schema.org provides structured signals that AI models can parse more reliably than unstructured text. FAQPage gives AI models ready-to-extract Q&A pairs. Article schema provides clear author and date signals. The impact is indirect but measurable - structured data helps AI understand and trust your content. However, schema alone won't compensate for poor content quality.

JSON-LD

Schema.org

structured data

AI citations

FAQPage schema

Article schema

GEO technical

structured data for AI

2026

The Complete JSON-LD Schema Guide for AI Citations 2026: 7 Schemas That Matter

Nicolas Ilhe•January 11, 2026•11 min read•

How-to Guides

Which Schema.org schemas actually impact AI citations? FAQPage, Article, Person, Organization, HowTo, and more. Complete code examples ready to implement.