Schema That Actually Moves the Needle for AEO (With Side-by-Side JSON-LD)

If your goal is to earn citations in AI Overviews, Perplexity, and Copilot, structured data is a force multiplier. It makes your content machine-readable so answer engines can identify entities, extract answers, and attribute them confidently. This guide shows the best schema for AI Overviews use cases with side-by-side JSON-LD you can paste into production.

New to AEO concepts? Start with How AI Overviews Work, compare AI Search Optimization vs. Traditional SEO, and keep the AEO Glossary handy. For cluster planning, see Designing Topic Clusters for AEO and build briefs with the AEO Content Brief Template.

Which Schema for Which Job?

Copy-Ready JSON-LD Snippets (Side-by-Side)

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "AEO prepares content to be cited inside AI-generated answers with answer-first passages and clear structure."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "Does schema help with AI Overviews?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Schema clarifies entities and relationships so engines can extract and attribute answers with higher confidence."
      }
    }
  ]
}
</script>

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "HowTo",
  "name": "Implement FAQ schema for AEO",
  "totalTime": "PT20M",
  "tool": ["CMS access", "JSON-LD validator"],
  "step": [
    { "@type": "HowToStep", "name": "Identify FAQs", "text": "Collect 6–10 real questions from PAA/forums." },
    { "@type": "HowToStep", "name": "Write short answers", "text": "Keep each answer 2–3 sentences, cite sources." },
    { "@type": "HowToStep", "name": "Add JSON-LD", "text": "Match visible Q&A exactly; validate markup." }
  ]
}
</script>

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "TechArticle",
  "headline": "AI Search Optimization vs Traditional SEO",
  "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Agenxus Team" },
  "datePublished": "2025-09-01",
  "dateModified": "2025-09-07",
  "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://example.com/blog/ai-search-optimization-vs-traditional-seo" }
}
</script>

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Product",
  "name": "AI Search Optimization Service",
  "brand": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Agenxus" },
  "description": "AEO/GEO audits, schema implementation, and answer-first publishing.",
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": "0.00",
    "priceCurrency": "USD",
    "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock",
    "url": "https://agenxus.com/services/ai-search-optimization"
  }
}
</script>

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Review",
  "itemReviewed": {
    "@type": "Product",
    "name": "Vendor X"
  },
  "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Analyst Name" },
  "reviewRating": {
    "@type": "Rating",
    "ratingValue": "4",
    "bestRating": "5"
  },
  "reviewBody": "Clear onboarding, strong documentation, and consistent support."
}
</script>

Implementation Guardrails for AEO

• Match visible content. JSON-LD must reflect the page exactly. Do not mark up hidden or off-page text.
• Use answer-first paragraphs. Put 2–3 sentence summaries before details so engines can cite short passages.
• Add E-E-A-T signals. Author bios, credentials, review stamps, dates, and reputable outbound citations increase trust.
• Keep links crawlable. Use normal <a href> for internal link maps (pillar ↔ siblings).
• Validate continuously. Re-test Rich Results and JSON-LD after every template or copy edit.

Validation & Helpful Docs

• Google Rich Results Test — test structured data
• Google Search Central: FAQPage · HowTo · Article · Product · Review/Rating
• General structured data policies — eligibility & guidelines

Publishing Checklist (AEO Schema)

□ Answer-first summary added (≤ 80 words)
□ JSON-LD chosen for page purpose (FAQPage / HowTo / TechArticle / Product / Review)
□ Markup matches visible content exactly
□ Author bios, dates, reviewer stamps (YMYL) present
□ Internal links: up to pillar, sideways to 2–3 siblings
□ Rich Results Test passes; JSON-LD validator passes
□ Screenshots taken of any AI citations; refresh cadence set