Schema markup is absolutely technical SEO. It's structured data vocabulary (usually JSON-LD format) that you add to your page's code to explicitly tell search engines what your content represents—whether that's a product, recipe, article, local business, FAQ, or one of hundreds of other types. This falls squarely under technical SEO because it requires modifying your site's HTML or template files, understanding semantic markup standards from Schema.org, and implementing code that doesn't change what users see but changes how search engines interpret your page. You need technical access to your CMS or codebase to deploy it properly. The impact is measurable. Pages with valid schema can appear as rich snippets (star ratings, pricing, availability), answer boxes, recipe cards, or event listings in search results. Google's John Mueller has confirmed schema doesn't directly boost rankings, but the enhanced visibility in SERPs drives higher click-through rates—often 20–40% lifts for well-implemented product or FAQ schema. Common schema types we implement at Ottawa SEO: - Organization and LocalBusiness for brand identity and map pack eligibility - Article and BlogPosting for news and content sites - Product and Offer for ecommerce - FAQ and HowTo for featured snippet targeting - Event and Course for educational or event-based businesses The technical challenge isn't just adding the code—it's maintaining accuracy. Schema must match visible content or Google may ignore it or issue manual actions. You need validation through Google's Rich Results Test and ongoing monitoring in Search Console for errors. Outdated prices, wrong availability, or mismatched descriptions cause problems. We treat schema as infrastructure, not decoration. Every new page template gets schema consideration during development, not as an afterthought. For a 50-page local service site, implementation takes 4–8 hours including testing. For a 5,000-product ecommerce site, you need automated generation through your product feed, which requires developer work but scales efficiently. The ROI comes from SERP real estate, not ranking position changes.