47 schema errors and nobody owns them: the markup that validated in 2021 and rotted quietly ever since.
The developer copy-pasted an example from Schema.org three years ago. It passed the test once, everyone moved on, a theme update broke it, and today the Rich Results Test reads like a crash report. Meanwhile the machines that decide your visibility are reading this file as your official testimony.
The quiet failure mode
Schema does not break loudly. No error email, no traffic cliff — just rich results quietly not appearing, AI assistants quietly preferring better-documented competitors, and a validation report nobody has opened since the site launched. It rots for the same reason it broke: nobody owns it. The developer thinks it is marketing’s job. Marketing thinks it is technical. It is both, which in most companies means neither.
The repair sequence
- Inventory: run key page types through validation. List what markup exists, what errors it throws, and — more important — whether what it claims is still true (people who left, addresses that changed, reviews that never existed).
- Delete false testimony first. Markup claiming things that are not real (fabricated ratings, departed staff) is a trust liability beyond the errors.
- Rebuild only what matters: for most businesses that is Organization/LocalBusiness, the service or product types relevant to the niche, FAQPage where genuine questions are answered, and Person for credentialed practitioners. More types is not more win.
- Validate, then assign an owner: one person, a quarterly calendar reminder, and a rule that schema is checked after every theme or plugin update — the thing that killed it last time.
Questions people ask
Is broken schema worse than no schema?
Often yes. Invalid or contradictory markup undermines machine trust in everything else on the site, and markup claiming false things - fake ratings, departed staff - is worse still. Delete false testimony before rebuilding.
Which schema types actually matter?
For most businesses: Organization or LocalBusiness, the relevant service/product types, FAQPage for genuinely answered questions, and Person for credentialed practitioners. A few accurate types beat many sloppy ones.
Why did my schema break when it used to validate?
Theme and plugin updates rewrite page templates, and standards evolve. Schema needs an owner and a re-check after every significant site change - it does not stay fixed by itself.
Is broken schema worse than no schema?
Often yes. Invalid or contradictory markup undermines machine trust in everything else on the site, and markup claiming false things - fake ratings, departed staff - is worse still. Delete false testimony before rebuilding.
Which schema types actually matter?
For most businesses: Organization or LocalBusiness, the relevant service/product types, FAQPage for genuinely answered questions, and Person for credentialed practitioners. A few accurate types beat many sloppy ones.
Why did my schema break when it used to validate?
Theme and plugin updates rewrite page templates, and standards evolve. Schema needs an owner and a re-check after every significant site change - it does not stay fixed by itself.
Scenarios are composites built from real, common situations — not client stories. We publish no metrics we cannot prove.