In a groundbreaking SEO experiment, structured data—known as schema markup—emerges as a potential secret weapon for landing spots in Google’s AI overview results. Researchers Molly Nogami and Ben Tannenbaum tested three identical webpages and discovered that only the one with top-notch schema appeared in an AI overview, while snagging the highest organic rank. This hints that quality schema, not just slapping it on, could supercharge visibility in the AI-driven search era, helping businesses stand out amid rising AI competition.
AI visibility now drives traffic and revenue for brands, sparking heated debates in SEO circles. Does schema markup, designed to make sites machine-friendly, tip the scales for AI overview citations? Past studies hinted at links—like better content freshness detection in models such as Microsoft’s Bing.
AI Overview: Three Pages, One Clear Winner
The duo crafted three near-identical single-page sites on a controlled topic, matching keywords for search volume and difficulty. They varied only the schema approach, then indexed them via Google Search Console to track rankings and AI overview pops.
Key schema strategies tested:
- Well-Implemented Schema: Rich, error-free markup with detailed JSON-LD for entities, FAQs, and reviews—optimised for Google’s guidelines.
- Poorly Implemented Schema: Basic, flawed tags riddled with syntax errors and incomplete data, mimicking common newbie slip-ups.
- No Schema: Plain HTML content, zero structured data.
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Results stunned: The well-implemented schema page dominated, popping into the AI overview and claiming top organic spot. The poor and absent versions?
This points to schema’s quality as a visibility booster in AI overviews, though experts call it promising yet inconclusive. Variables like crawl timing stayed tight, but broader tests loom.
What’s next? Scale up across niches to confirm if schema cements AI overview edges. For now, savvy SEOs: Audit your markup—sloppy won’t cut it in the AI game.
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