AI Search & SEO: Study Shows Schema Markup Can Triple Google Clicks

May 9, 2025

A new study reveals that websites using schema markup see a 36.6% improvement in SEO visibility compared to those without it. The traffic boost comes at a critical time when AI-powered search increasingly determines which websites users discover online.

Schema markup, or structured data, represents the bridge between human-readable content and machine learning, a distinction that grows more important as schema markup for AI search continues to transform the way people search every day around the world.

What Is Schema Markup? 

Schema markup represents a specialized code format created by a collaboration between Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Yandex. It uses vocabulary from schema.org to add context to website content by defining exactly what each element means to search engines and AI systems.

Unlike basic HTML which tells browsers how to display information, schema markup tells search engines what that information actually means. For example, schema markup can identify a phone number specifically as a business contact, a date specifically as an event time, or text specifically as a product review. Schema markup makes data much, much more useful to search engines and AI tools. It enables search engines to better understand, categorize, and display content in rich, engaging formats that capture user attention more effectively.

Why Is Schema Markup Important for SEO? 

Schema markup is important for SEO because the playing field of search has transformed dramatically. Users now ask questions to AI assistants and expect direct, summarized answers, and schema markup plays a crucial role in ensuring content gets included in those responses. Recent research from Semrush analyzed 200,000 keywords and found that AI Overviews primarily appear for informational queries, with 80% of desktop and 76% of mobile AI Overviews targeting informational keywords.

As a result of this shift in search, the resulting business impact of schema markup is substantial. A recent study by Terakeet found that top-ranked pages for transactional queries included in AI Overviews received 3.2 times as many clicks as excluded pages. Even lower-ranked pages saw 1.1 to 1.2 times more clicks when included in AI Overviews. The study makes it clear: Exclusion from AI-generated results can directly impact a business’s bottom line.

Beyond visibility in AI results, schema markup drives significant engagement through rich snippets. Users click on rich snippet results 58% of the time compared to 41% for non-rich results . Schema markup creates what experts call a “content graph” that helps AI systems navigate and reference information accurately, which becomes increasingly important as more businesses adopt this technology. The use of JSON-LD (the preferred schema format) has grown from 34% in 2022 to 41% in 2024, reflecting businesses’ recognition of its importance in the digital world.

Must-Have Schema Types for 2025

Based on current trends, these schema types deliver the most value:

  • Organization/LocalBusiness: Essential for brand recognition and local search visibility
  • Product: Displays pricing, availability, and review stars
  • BreadcrumbList: Improves navigation structure for both users and search engines
  • Article/BlogPosting: Helps content get properly categorized and cited
  • Website: Establishes domain identity

The JSON-LD format has become the industry standard, appearing on 41% of mobile pages (up from 34% in 2022), and represents Google’s preferred implementation method according to Web Almanac.

Schema Markup In AI Search Offers a Competitive Edge

Schema markup forms a foundational element of modern SEO. It bridges the gap between content and the AI tools interpreting it, ensuring messages get communicated clearly, represented accurately, and selected in search results.

Websites without proper schema implementation risk becoming invisible in the AI-first web world.

Ready To Make Your Website AI-Friendly?

At Triple7Marketing, we’ve helped businesses adapt to this new search world by implementing methods that boost visibility in both traditional search results and AI Overviews. Call us at (516) 400-0478 or email us at info@triple7marketing.com to schedule a free consultation and learn more about how we can help you thrive in the age of AI-powered search.