Schema Markup and LLM Rankings: Why You’re Missing Out on ChatGPT

It’s common knowledge that AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini have entirely changed the search game, and tomorrow’s fastest-growing businesses are those that can adapt quickly. 

A big part of that adaptation involves learning how to get your business recommended by these AI-powered LLM platforms. Some companies will completely overhaul their content strategy without realizing the influence structured data can have on LLM rankings. If you’ve been struggling to get recommended by ChatGPT, use these tips to get ahead.

What is Schema Markup?

Structured data, or schema markup, is the standardized language search engines use to understand and process your website’s content. 

You can compare this to unstructured data like plain text. This could be anything from a cake recipe in a blog to a random string of words. Structured data relies on schema in formats like JSON or Microdata to identify elements on your web page, like names, events, and dates.

If you run a website focused on cooking, you would likely use structured data to mark up ingredients, cooking times, and ratings. This would make it easier for Google to understand what your page is about.

Does Schema Markup Affect LLM Rankings?

It does, indirectly. There’s been a bit of ambiguity around the influence of structured data on rankings. Google’s Danny Sullivan described structured data as an ‘optional way’ to enhance page listings and ‘has no impact on ranking’ in 2020.

LLMs have evolved at a breakneck pace since then, including Google’s own Gemini. The company’s more recent case studies offer deeper insights into the influence of schema markup on search engine rankings and traffic.

Google Search Central’s page on structured data includes some fascinating case studies covering the impact of schema markup. For instance:

• Food Network’s website saw a 35% increase in visits after implementing structured data.
  
• Nestlé reports that pages that appear as rich results (due to structured data) have an 82% higher click-through rate than non-rich result pages.

While there is no official ‘LLM ranking’ for search engines, the data does indicate that implementing schema markup has indirect benefits. 

How To Boost Your LLM Presence

Schema markup’s indirect effect on LLM rankings makes it worth implementing. LLM SEO agencies are excellent at implementing schema markup properly, as they’ll take the time to understand the right keywords to target for your niche and optimize your content accordingly. They can also implement speakable structured data to make your content more visible for voice searches.

Let’s explore ways to build your LLM presence without relying solely on schema for AI rankings.

• Create Genuine Value: Structured data may influence LLM rankings, but the overall quality of your content has a far more significant impact. AI-powered search tools prioritize unique, high-quality content over competitors, even if the page doesn’t implement structured data.
  
• Go Niche: AI queries, especially those made through ChatGPT’s voice search feature, tend to be more specific and niche. In addition to using schema markup for LLM rankings, you’ll want to focus on creating more specific content that can concisely answer those niche queries. Optimize for long-tail keyword strings that resemble conversational searches.
  
• Build Entity Authority: Entity authority has never been more critical. Search tools are now evaluating the overall authority of a website when highlighting results. You can build this authority by ensuring all related topics on your pages are linked meaningfully and cohesively. High-value backlinks can also help signal your website’s authority to Google.
  
• Personalize Content: Draw on your own experiences as a business owner to create content no one else can. A common but effective way to do this is to publish or include case studies in your long-form content with original data from your business.

Build Your Business’s LLM Presence Today

Whether you’re implementing schema markup for LLM rankings or trying to score a valuable backlink, growing is easier with an experienced digital marketing agency. With data-driven AI SEO strategies, Coalition Technologies has helped hundreds of businesses build their LLM presence. Find out what we can do for your business with a free consultation today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is schema markup significant for LLM rankings? 

Schema markup, or structured data, indirectly influences LLM rankings. Schema markup helps search engines understand what your content is about, and it can help signal the relevance of your page to a user’s queries. Other factors like website authority also play a significant role here.

Why doesn’t ChatGPT recommend my website?

ChatGPT’s recommendations depend on its training data and internal logic. Even implementing schema markup technically doesn’t guarantee your website will be recommended in ChatGPT responses. The relevance of your content to the user’s prompt, uniqueness, and authority all contribute to your website’s chances of being recommended.

Should I work with a digital marketing agency to implement schema markup?

Working with a top digital marketing agency to implement schema markup for LLM rankings is worth it. While implementing structured data doesn’t automatically guarantee results, it can increase your chances substantially. Top-rated digital marketing agencies like Coalition Technologies work with some of the best SEO experts in the world, and they’ll be able to implement structured data properly to help you boost your search rankings.