Acting on Competitor Schema Changes

Why a schema change is a clue, not a command

Structured data is code, usually JSON-LD in a script tag, that describes a page's content in a standard vocabulary from schema.org. Search engines use it to understand pages and, for a limited set of types, to show enhanced results such as prices, star ratings, event dates or recipe details. Other systems, including some AI assistants, may also read it, although nobody can promise that markup alone makes a page appear in their answers.

When a competitor changes their markup, three things could be going on. They may have added a type that produces a visible enhancement, in which case their listing might now stand out next to yours. They may have added markup that describes their business more completely but produces nothing visible. Or a plugin or theme update may have changed the markup without anyone intending it, which happens more often than people expect.

Only the first of these gives you a reason to act quickly, and even then only if the same enhancement is available to you on honest terms. The rest are worth noting and nothing more.

How to read a competitor's structured data

You can inspect any public page's markup without special access.

1. Google's Rich Results Test accepts any public address. Paste the competitor's page in and it shows which rich result types Google detects and whether they are valid. It uses Google's own renderer, so it also catches markup added by JavaScript.
2. The Schema Markup Validator at validator.schema.org shows every schema.org type and property on the page, including types Google does not use for rich results.
3. View source in your browser and search for application/ld+json to read the raw JSON-LD. Search for itemtype to find older microdata.

Note the types and the properties that are new. A Product type that now includes aggregateRating and offers is a very different change from an Organization type that gained a sameAs list of social profiles.

Which markup changes can affect what searchers see

Google's list of supported rich results changes over time, and several types have been retired or restricted. Before responding, check the current Search Gallery in Google Search Central. As of this guide's last update, the picture for common types looked like this:

Types that produce no visible result can still help search engines understand pages, so they are not useless. They simply do not justify dropping other work because a competitor added them.

The fix, step by step

Example: matching a product rating enhancement properly

Suppose a fictional garden supplies shop, Fernhill Garden Supplies, sees that a rival's product pages now show star ratings and prices in search. Fernhill collects genuine product reviews through its checkout and displays them on each product page, so the same enhancement is honestly available. Its product template outputs markup like this, with every value filled from the product record:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Product",
  "name": "Galvanised steel watering can, 9 litres",
  "image": "https://fernhill.example.co.uk/images/watering-can-9l.jpg",
  "description": "Hot-dip galvanised watering can with a detachable brass rose.",
  "sku": "FH-WC-9",
  "brand": {"@type": "Brand", "name": "Fernhill"},
  "aggregateRating": {
    "@type": "AggregateRating",
    "ratingValue": "4.6",
    "reviewCount": "38"
  },
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "url": "https://fernhill.example.co.uk/watering-can-9l",
    "price": "34.00",
    "priceCurrency": "GBP",
    "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock"
  }
}
</script>

The rating and review count match what customers see on the page. If the product had no reviews, the template would leave out aggregateRating altogether rather than inventing a value or showing zero.

Platform notes

• WordPress: most SEO plugins output Organization, WebSite, BreadcrumbList and Article markup automatically, and WooCommerce adds Product markup. Before adding a new type through a second plugin or custom code, view the page source to see what already exists, because duplicate or conflicting blocks are a common source of errors.
• Shopify: many themes include Product markup in the product template, but quality varies. Check whether reviews apps add their own rating markup, which can duplicate the theme's. Edit the theme's product section or snippet rather than pasting code into individual descriptions.
• Custom and static sites: generate JSON-LD on the server from the same data as the page content, and include it in the initial HTML rather than injecting it later with JavaScript where you can.

For detailed help building and debugging markup on each platform, see building schema on WordPress, building schema on Shopify and the Schema Builder Guide.

Edge cases

• The competitor's markup is invalid. If the Rich Results Test shows errors on their page, the change will not produce an enhancement until they fix it. Log it and recheck later.
• The rival's listing shows stars from a third-party review platform. Some review services supply their own markup. The same route may be open to you if you use a comparable service, provided the reviews are genuine and shown on your pages.
• Markup disappeared after their redesign. A redesign or platform change often drops structured data by accident. It may be temporary, so do not read strategy into it.
• AI answers. Clear, accurate markup can help machines understand your pages, but there is no published evidence that adding a type guarantees being cited by AI assistants. Treat any such benefit as a bonus.

If your own markup changes unexpectedly after an update, fixing changed schema types covers what to check.