If you’re a blogger or content publisher, Article schema should be at the top of your SEO priority list. This structured data markup helps Google understand your articles better and can lead to enhanced search appearances.

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll show you everything you need to know about implementing Article schema effectively.

What is Article Schema?

Article schema is structured data that tells search engines your page contains a news article, blog post, or similar editorial content. It provides information like the headline, author, publication date, and featured image.

Google uses this information to:

  • Display rich results with larger images
  • Show articles in Google News
  • Enable the Top Stories carousel
  • Power Google Discover recommendations

Types of Article Schema

Schema.org defines several article types:

Article

The general type for any article content. Use this as a catch-all when more specific types don’t apply.

NewsArticle

For timely news content. This type is eligible for Top Stories and Google News.

BlogPosting

Specifically for blog posts. Ideal for personal blogs and company blogs.

TechArticle

For technical articles with specialized content.

ScholarlyArticle

For academic and research papers.

For most bloggers, BlogPosting or Article is the appropriate choice.

Required Properties

These properties are mandatory for Article schema:

  • headline - The article title (max 110 characters for best display)
  • image - One or more featured images
  • datePublished - Publication date in ISO 8601 format
  • author - The article’s author (Person or Organization)

These enhance your schema and may improve rich results:

  • dateModified - When the article was last updated
  • publisher - The organization publishing the content
  • description - A summary of the article
  • mainEntityOfPage - The canonical URL

Example Article Schema

Here’s a complete example of BlogPosting schema:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "BlogPosting",
  "headline": "Article Schema: The Complete Guide for Bloggers",
  "image": [
    "https://example.com/photos/1x1/photo.jpg",
    "https://example.com/photos/4x3/photo.jpg",
    "https://example.com/photos/16x9/photo.jpg"
  ],
  "datePublished": "2025-01-15T08:00:00+00:00",
  "dateModified": "2025-01-20T12:30:00+00:00",
  "author": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "John Doe",
    "url": "https://example.com/about/john-doe"
  },
  "publisher": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "Example Blog",
    "logo": {
      "@type": "ImageObject",
      "url": "https://example.com/logo.png"
    }
  },
  "description": "Learn everything about implementing Article schema for better SEO.",
  "mainEntityOfPage": {
    "@type": "WebPage",
    "@id": "https://example.com/article-schema-guide"
  }
}

Benefits of Article Schema

1. Enhanced Search Appearance

Articles with proper schema can display with larger images, author information, and publication dates in search results.

2. Google Discover Eligibility

Google Discover surfaces content to users based on their interests. Articles with proper schema are more likely to appear in Discover feeds.

For NewsArticle schema, your content may appear in the Top Stories carousel for relevant queries.

4. Google News Inclusion

Proper article markup is one factor Google considers for Google News indexing.

5. Better Content Understanding

Schema helps Google understand the relationship between your content, authors, and organization.

How to Implement Article Schema

Step 1: Prepare Your Content

Before adding schema, ensure your article has:

  • A clear, compelling headline
  • High-quality featured image(s)
  • Visible author information
  • Clear publication date

Step 2: Generate the Schema

Use our Article Schema Generator to create valid JSON-LD markup. Fill in your article details and copy the generated code.

Step 3: Add to Your Page

Insert the schema in your page’s HTML:

<head>
  <script type="application/ld+json">
    // Your generated schema here
  </script>
</head>

Step 4: Validate

Test your implementation using Google Rich Results Test.

Image Requirements

Images are crucial for Article schema. Follow these guidelines:

Size Requirements

  • Minimum width: 1200 pixels
  • Recommended: 1200x675 (16:9) or 1200x900 (4:3)

Multiple Images

Provide images in different aspect ratios for best display across devices:

  • 1:1 (square)
  • 4:3 (standard)
  • 16:9 (widescreen)

Technical Requirements

  • Use supported formats: JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP
  • Ensure images are crawlable
  • Don’t use placeholder images

Author Markup Best Practices

Google places increasing emphasis on author information. Here’s how to optimize:

For Individual Authors

"author": {
  "@type": "Person",
  "name": "Jane Smith",
  "url": "https://example.com/authors/jane-smith",
  "image": "https://example.com/images/jane-smith.jpg",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://twitter.com/janesmith",
    "https://linkedin.com/in/janesmith"
  ]
}

For Multiple Authors

"author": [
  {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Jane Smith"
  },
  {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "John Doe"
  }
]

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Mismatched Dates

Ensure your datePublished and dateModified match what’s visible on the page. Don’t manipulate dates for SEO purposes.

2. Generic Author Names

Using “Admin” or “Staff” as author names reduces trust signals. Use real author names when possible.

3. Missing Images

Articles without proper image markup rarely get enhanced search appearances.

4. Wrong Article Type

Using NewsArticle for evergreen blog content can be misleading. Match the type to your content.

5. Truncated Headlines

Headlines over 110 characters get truncated. Keep them concise.

WordPress Implementation

If you use WordPress, you have several options:

Plugins

  • Yoast SEO (Premium)
  • Rank Math
  • Schema Pro
  • All In One Schema Rich Snippets

Theme Integration

Many modern themes include Article schema. Check your theme’s documentation.

Manual Implementation

Add schema to your theme’s single.php or use a custom function.

Measuring Impact

After implementation, monitor these metrics:

In Google Search Console

  • Search Appearance > Discover - Track Discover clicks
  • Enhancements > Articles - Check for errors
  • Performance > Search Results - Monitor CTR changes

Key Metrics to Watch

  • Impressions for article pages
  • Click-through rate
  • Average position
  • Rich result appearances

Combining with Other Schema Types

Article schema works well with other types:

Article + FAQ

Add FAQ schema when your article includes Q&A sections.

Article + HowTo

For tutorial content, combine with HowTo schema.

Article + BreadcrumbList

Help Google understand your site structure.

Article + VideoObject

If your article includes embedded videos.

Generate Your Article Schema Now

Ready to implement Article schema? Use our free Article Schema Generator to create valid markup in seconds.

Simply enter your article details:

  • Headline
  • Author name
  • Publication date
  • Featured image URL
  • Description

The generator creates properly formatted JSON-LD that you can copy and paste into your page.

Conclusion

Article schema is essential for any serious blogger or publisher. It helps Google understand your content, enables rich results, and can improve your visibility across Google’s various surfaces.

The implementation is straightforward, especially with tools like our schema generator. Start with your most important articles, validate your markup, and expand from there.

Remember: schema markup is just one piece of the SEO puzzle. Great content, fast loading times, and a good user experience are equally important.

Need help implementing Article schema across your blog? I can help you set up automated schema generation and optimize your content for search. Get in touch for assistance.