Schema markup for small business still matters in a few spots. Organization or LocalBusiness markup on the home or contact page, Product markup on product pages, and Breadcrumb markup still serve a purpose. Google stopped FAQ rich results on 7 May 2026, and ended How-to results in September 2023.
Google removed FAQ rich results for good
In August 2023, the Google Search Central Blog said it had limited FAQ rich results to well known websites. It specified that these must be authoritative government and health websites. The same post said unused markup "does not cause problems for Search" and businesses did not need to remove it. How-to rich results ended on mobile first. They then disappeared from desktop on 13 September 2023.
Google took that further in 2026. Google Search Central confirmed the FAQ rich result stopped appearing in Google Search entirely on 7 May 2026. The FAQ documentation was removed on 15 June 2026. Our guide to why FAQ schema no longer earns rich results covers that change.
The schema types Google still supports
FAQ was not the only type Google trimmed. A Google Search Central Blog post from June 2025 listed several retired types. These included Book Actions, Course Info, Claim Review, Estimated Salary, Learning Video, Special Announcement and Vehicle Listing. The practice problem type and Dataset for Search followed in November 2025, and the sitelinks search box was removed in November 2024. Google said none of these changes affect ranking.
The current supported list from Google Search Central includes several common types. These include Organization, Local business, Product, Review snippet, Breadcrumb, Event, Video, Article, Job posting, Recipe and Profile page, among other types. FAQ and How-to no longer appear on that list. A small business website gets no added rich result benefit from using either type today.
Organization and LocalBusiness markup still help
Organization markup on the home page helps Google understand and tell a business apart from similar ones, according to Google Search Central. It can also play a role in the logo shown in search results and in the knowledge panel. No properties are required to use Organization markup.
LocalBusiness markup asks for more detail. Google Search Central lists name and address as the required properties. It recommends using the most specific subtype available, such as Plumber or DaySpa. A business can list more than one type as an array. Recommended properties include hours, geo coordinates, phone number, website address and price range. LocalBusiness is a subtype of Organization, so Google recommends following Organization's fields too.
Our guide to what a dental website needs for local search covers what a dental website needs for local search.
Review markup will not earn star ratings on its own
A business page using LocalBusiness or Organization markup cannot show star review rich results under certain conditions. This applies if the business controls the reviews about itself, according to Google Search Central. That rule covers a Google or Facebook review widget embedded on the business's own website.
Google also updated its review snippet guideline in July 2026. The update bans fake reviews. It also bans reviews collected through undisclosed incentives, including money, discounts, vouchers or free products, whether those reviews appear on the page or inside the markup itself.
Breadcrumb markup and the general rules for every type
Breadcrumb rich results have shown on desktop only since January 2025. This is because breadcrumbs truncate on smaller, mobile screens, according to Google Search Central.
A few rules apply across every schema type on a small business website. Google Search Central says valid structured data never guarantees a rich result. A structured data manual action removes rich result eligibility without touching a website's ranking. Markup should never describe content a reader cannot see on the page itself. Google Search Central recommends using JSON-LD format in most cases.
For AI Overviews and AI Mode, Google Search Central says there is no special schema.org markup to add. Structured data should still match the visible text on the page.
Frequently asked questions
Does FAQ schema still work in 2026?
No. The FAQ rich result stopped appearing in Google Search on 7 May 2026, according to Google Search Central. Google also removed the FAQ documentation on 15 June 2026.
Should I remove my old FAQ schema?
Not necessarily. Google Search Central said in 2023 that unused structured data "does not cause problems for Search" and there is no need to remove it.
Can I get review stars for my own business in Google?
No, not from reviews a business controls about itself. That includes a Google or Facebook review widget placed on the business's own website, according to Google Search Central.
What schema does a local business need?
A LocalBusiness listing needs at minimum a name and address, according to Google Search Central. Google recommends using the most specific subtype available, such as Plumber or DaySpa. Recommended properties include hours, geo coordinates, phone number and website address.
Does schema markup help with AI Overviews?
Google Search Central says there is no special schema.org markup needed to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. Structured data should still match the text visible on the page.
Schema markup for small business websites in 2026 comes down to a short list: Organization or LocalBusiness, Product, and Breadcrumb, while FAQ and How-to no longer bring any rich result. Keeping each type matched to the visible page is what Google's own guidance supports.
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