Is Your Website Talking to Google, or Just Mumbling?
You’ve spent hours perfecting your service pages, your photography is top-tier, and you’ve finally nailed your local SEO strategy. But when you look at the search results, your competitors have those eye-catching gold stars, price ranges, and FAQ dropdowns, while your listing looks… well, a bit plain.
That difference is usually Schema Markup.
In 2026, schema (or structured data) is no longer a 'nice-to-have' technical flex; it is the fundamental vocabulary of the web. It’s how you tell Google that a string of numbers is a price, a set of words is a customer review, and a Brisbane address is your physical headquarters.
However, after auditing hundreds of Australian sites, we see the same errors popping up. If you’re making these mistakes, you aren’t just missing out on 'fancy' search results; you’re actively confusing the algorithms. Let’s look at how to fix the most common schema traps so you can start winning those rich snippets.
1. The 'Set and Forget' Automation Trap
Many Brisbane business owners rely on SEO plugins to handle their schema automatically. While plugins are a great starting point, they often generate generic code that lacks the specific context Google craves.
For example, a plugin might tag your service page as a generic 'WebPage' instead of a 'LocalBusiness' or 'ProfessionalService'. When you rely solely on AI-driven workflows without human oversight, you risk your data being technically correct but strategically useless.
The Fix: Check your top-performing pages with Google’s Rich Results Test. Ensure the schema type matches exactly what the page is about. If it’s a product, use 'Product' schema; if it’s a how-to guide, use 'HowTo'.
2. Using Schema for Content That Isn't There
This is a major red flag for Google. Some businesses try to 'game' the system by adding Review schema to a page that doesn’t actually display any reviews, or adding FAQ schema for questions that aren't visible to the user.
In the industry, we call this 'spammy structured data'. If a human can’t see the information on the page, the schema shouldn't be there. Google is getting incredibly good at spotting this mismatch. To stay ahead, you need to understand the context economy and ensure your data matches your user experience perfectly.
3. The 'Global Schema' Mistake
We often see businesses apply their 'LocalBusiness' schema to every single page of their website—including their blog posts and privacy policy. While it’s important to establish your Brisbane location, over-applying the same code everywhere dilutes its power.
Your homepage should have your LocalBusiness and Organization schema. Your individual service pages, however, should focus on 'Service' schema. If you are trying to optimise product pages, you need specific 'Offer' and 'AggregateRating' properties that are unique to that item.
4. Neglecting the 'SameAs' Property
One of the most underutilised fields in schema is the sameAs attribute. This is where you tell Google: "Hey, this website is the same entity as this Facebook page, this LinkedIn profile, and this Local Search listing."
For a local Brisbane business, this is the 'glue' that connects your digital footprint. Without it, Google has to guess if the 'Local Marketing Group' on Instagram is the same one on the Gold Coast or in Sydney. Don't leave it to chance—explicitly link your social profiles and trustworthy directory listings within your Organization schema.
5. Failing to Nest Your Data
Schema shouldn't just be a list of disconnected facts; it should be a hierarchy. A common mistake is having 'Product' schema and 'Review' schema as two separate blocks on the same page. Instead, the Review should be nested inside the Product.
Think of it like an Australian address: the suburb is inside the city, which is inside the state. When your code follows this logical nesting, search engines can more easily build those detailed rich snippets that drive higher click-through rates.
How to Audit Your Schema Today
You don't need to be a developer to see if your schema is working. Follow these three steps:
1. Use the Rich Results Test: Plug your URL into Google’s official tool to see what Google 'sees'. 2. Check Search Console: Look at the 'Enhancements' report in your Google Search Console. It will literally list the errors and warnings for your structured data. 3. Check the Competition: Look at who is currently winning the snippets for your target keywords and see what schema types they are using.
Ready to claim your spot at the top?
Schema markup is the bridge between your content and the search engine's understanding. While it can feel a bit technical, getting it right is one of the fastest ways to increase your visibility without having to write a single new word of content.
If you're worried your technical SEO is holding you back, or you're tired of seeing your competitors take up all the real estate in the search results, let's chat. At Local Marketing Group, we help Brisbane businesses turn their websites into high-performing assets that search engines love.
Contact Local Marketing Group today for an audit of your digital presence.