Last updated 24 September 2026.

Schema markup is a block of code on your web pages that tells search engines exactly what the page is about: your dealership’s name and address, or a car’s make, model, mileage and price. Google reads it to understand your pages and, for some types, to show extra detail such as star ratings in the results. Plenty of dealer websites still don’t use it, so adding it is one of the easier technical SEO wins.

What is schema markup?

Schema markup, also called structured data, is code written in a standard vocabulary from schema.org that search engines understand. It sits in the page, usually as a JSON-LD script, and is invisible to visitors. Search engines read it and can use it to show more informative results.

Why schema markup helps car dealer websites

Schema markup makes it easier for Google to understand your dealership and your stock, which can help how your pages appear in search.

  • Clearer results: where Google supports a rich result, such as star ratings on a product, your listing can stand out from the plain blue links around it.
  • More clicks: a result with more useful detail tends to attract more clicks.
  • Local search: LocalBusiness markup confirms your name, address, phone number and opening hours.
  • Better first impressions: buyers see useful information before they even reach your site.

Google decides when to show rich results, and markup on its own doesn’t guarantee one.

Schema types for car dealer websites

The four types most dealers use are LocalBusiness, Car (vehicle), Review and FAQ. The examples below come from a real dealer website.

LocalBusiness schema

LocalBusiness schema tells Google your business name, address, phone number and opening hours, which supports your visibility in local search. You can use the more specific AutoDealer type, which is a kind of LocalBusiness.

<script type="application/ld+json">
	{
		"@context": "https://schema.org",
		"@type": "LocalBusiness",
		"name": "Stockton Kia",
		"image": "https://www.stocktonkia.co.uk/images/logo.png",
		"telephone": "01642 632299",
		"address": {
			"@type": "PostalAddress",
			"streetAddress": "Concorde Way",
			"addressLocality": "Stockton-on-Tees",
			"addressCountry": "GB",
			"postalCode": "TS18 3BP"
		},
		"url": "https://www.stocktonkia.co.uk"
	}
</script>

Car (vehicle) schema

Vehicle schema goes on each car’s page. It describes that car in detail: make, model, price, mileage, condition, registration date and more. Schema.org’s Car type is a kind of Product, so it can carry an offer with the price and availability.

Google removed its separate vehicle listing rich result documentation in September 2025, so don’t expect a special car panel in the results. The markup still gives Google the car’s details in a form it can read reliably.

<script type="application/ld+json">
	{
		"@context": "https://schema.org",
		"@type": ["Car", "Vehicle"],
		"name": "Used Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDi 13.8kWh GT-Line S SUV 5dr Petrol Plug-in Hybrid Auto AWD Euro 6 (s/s) (261 bhp) 2023 5dr Automatic (NV73JYC) | Stockton Kia",
		"description": "Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDi GT-Line S plug-in hybrid with 261 bhp, automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive, in grey. Wireless charging, the latest infotainment system and driver assistance systems.",
		"dateVehicleFirstRegistered": "2023-10-31T00:00:00.000Z",
		"numberOfPreviousOwners": 0,
		"vehicleIdentificationNumber": "U5YPX81HSRL130596",
		"bodyType": "SUV",
		"emissionsCO2": 25,
		"fuelType": "Petrol Plug-in Hybrid",
		"numberOfDoors": 5,
		"color": "Grey",
		"manufacturer": "Kia",
		"model": "Sportage",
		"vehicleTransmission": "Automatic",
		"itemCondition": "https://schema.org/UsedCondition",
		"image": "https://impx.hwntcdn.com/i/raw:1/plain/https://composer.hwntcdn.com/12/used/kia-sportage-16-t-gdi-138kwh-gt-line-s-suv-5dr-petrol-plug-in-hybrid-auto-awd-euro-6-s-s-261-bhp-49963-tawrfd2t.jpg",
		"vehicleEngine": {
			"@type": "EngineSpecification",
			"fuelType": "Petrol Plug-in Hybrid"
		},
		"vehicleConfiguration": "1.6 T-GDi 13.8kWh GT-Line S SUV 5dr Petrol Plug-in Hybrid Auto AWD Euro 6 (s/s) (261 bhp)",
		"vehicleModelDate": "2023",
		"brand": {
			"@type": "Brand",
			"name": "Kia"
		},
		"mileageFromOdometer": {
			"@type": "QuantitativeValue",
			"value": 8134,
			"unitCode": "SMI"
		},
		"positiveNotes": {
			"@type": "ItemList",
			"itemListElement": [
				{
					"@type": "ListItem",
					"position": 1,
					"name": "TOP SPEC/AUTO/AWD/PHEV"
				}
			]
		},
		"offers": {
			"@type": "Offer",
			"itemCondition": "https://schema.org/UsedCondition",
			"availability": "https://schema.org/InStock",
			"price": 38999,
			"priceCurrency": "GBP",
			"seller": {
				"@type": "AutoDealer",
				"name": "Stockton Kia",
				"telephone": "01642 632299",
				"address": {
					"@type": "PostalAddress",
					"streetAddress": "Concorde Way",
					"addressLocality": "Stockton-on-Tees",
					"postalCode": "TS18 3BP",
					"addressCountry": "GB"
				}
			},
			"hasMerchantReturnPolicy": {
				"@type": "MerchantReturnPolicy",
				"applicableCountry": "GB",
				"returnPolicyCategory": "https://schema.org/MerchantReturnNotPermitted"
			}
		}
	}
</script>

Review schema

Review schema lets Google show star ratings and review snippets in the results, which makes a listing more credible at a glance. There’s a catch: Google won’t show stars for reviews a business publishes about itself on its own website using LocalBusiness or Organization markup. Use review markup for genuine third-party reviews of a product, such as a car review.

<script type="application/ld+json">
	{
		"@context": "https://schema.org",
		"@type": "Review",
		"itemReviewed": {
			"@type": "Product",
			"name": "2019 Toyota Camry"
		},
		"author": {
			"@type": "Person",
			"name": "John Doe"
		},
		"reviewRating": {
			"@type": "Rating",
			"ratingValue": "4",
			"bestRating": "5"
		},
		"reviewBody": "The 2019 Toyota Camry is an excellent car with great fuel efficiency and comfort."
	}
</script>

FAQ schema

FAQ schema marks up the questions and answers on a page. Google used to show these as drop-down answers under your result, but it restricted them to government and health sites in 2023 and stopped showing them altogether in May 2026. The markup is still valid schema.org, and a page that answers buyers’ questions plainly is still worth having.

<script type="application/ld+json">
	{
		"@context": "https://schema.org",
		"@type": "FAQPage",
		"mainEntity": [
			{
				"@type": "Question",
				"name": "What are your business hours?",
				"acceptedAnswer": {
					"@type": "Answer",
					"text": "We are open Monday to Friday, from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM."
				}
			},
			{
				"@type": "Question",
				"name": "Do you offer financing options?",
				"acceptedAnswer": {
					"@type": "Answer",
					"text": "Yes, we offer a variety of financing options to suit your needs. Please visit our financing page for more details."
				}
			}
		]
	}
</script>

How to add schema markup to your website

You add schema markup by writing a JSON-LD block for each page and placing it in the page’s HTML, then testing it with Google’s tools.

  1. Pick your pages. Start with the pages that benefit most: your homepage and contact page (LocalBusiness) and every vehicle page (Car).
  2. Write the markup. Use a JSON-LD generator, or Google’s older Structured Data Markup Helper, which still works but hasn’t kept up with newer types.
  3. Add it to your HTML. Put the script in the page. On a dealer website, vehicle markup should be generated from your stock data so it updates when a price changes or a car sells.
  4. Test it. Run the page through Google’s Rich Results Test, and the Schema Markup Validator for types Google doesn’t show as rich results.
  5. Monitor it. Check the enhancements reports in Google Search Console for errors, and watch whether your clicks change.

Schema markup is one part of a well-built dealer website. Our guide to car dealer website design covers the rest, and the local SEO guide for car dealers explains where LocalBusiness markup fits alongside your Google Business Profile.

Schema markup on Haswent websites

Haswent car dealer websites add schema markup to every vehicle page automatically, giving your stock the best chance of showing well in Google. Because the website runs from our dealer management system, the details you enter when you add a car go straight into its page and its structured data. See SEO on Haswent websites for everything else that’s built in.

If you’d like an audit of your website’s SEO, contact us. For the wider picture, read our dealer SEO guide.

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