Google’s removal of FAQ snippets and recent Ahrefs data have reignited debate over the true value of structured data. Once hailed as the key to richer results and AI citations, schema markup now faces tough questions about its evolving role in search visibility.
From Visibility Booster To Quiet Signal
Over the past few years, Google has gradually reduced the number of visible features powered by structured data. Formats such as HowTo, Course Info, and Practice Problem markup were first restricted, then removed entirely. The latest to vanish — FAQ rich results — ended one of the last easily obtainable visual boosts on SERPs.
According to Google, many of these features were “no longer impactful to users.” Yet their removal coincides with growing adoption by SEO tools and plugins, hinting that wide-scale use may have diluted their usefulness as ranking or display signals.
New Data Challenges Schema’s “AI Shortcut” Reputation
Ahrefs analyzed nearly 1,900 websites that added JSON-LD markup and compared them to a control group. The study measured citation changes in Google AI Overviews, AI Mode, and ChatGPT. The takeaway: no measurable lift.
Pages that already appeared prominently in AI answers showed minimal difference — roughly +2% in ChatGPT and -4% in Google AI Overviews — a spread too small to suggest causation. In short, schema markup didn’t move the needle.
Other researchers support the finding. Tests by searchVIU indicate large language models and AI systems mostly rely on visible page text rather than embedded JSON-LD when extracting sources. This implies structured data may influence parsing and categorization behind the scenes, but not visible citations.
Experts React: “The Cycle Repeats”
SEO practitioners saw the news as a recurring story. Lily Ray noted the FAQ-schema craze mirrored earlier tactics: once SEO communities automate a markup en masse, Google minimizes it. Joost de Valk compared the current “GEO/AIO schema hype” to the early metadata era of SEO — helpful at first, then easily abused.
Some, like Marie Haynes, theorize Google may have encouraged FAQ adoption to train its models before turning it off. Others dismiss that idea but agree that Google continues to value structured data mainly as a machine‑readability layer rather than a visibility trigger.
Limits Of The Current Evidence
The Ahrefs dataset has gaps. It focused on domains already cited by AI systems, pooled all schema types together, and tracked results for only a month. That means we still don’t know whether smaller or newer sites might benefit from schema as an initial discovery cue.
Moreover, the study didn’t account for JavaScript‑injected markup or platform differences like Bing Copilot or Perplexity, which may process structured data differently.
What This Means For SEO Strategy
The findings don’t render schema obsolete — they redefine its value. Google, Bing, and OpenAI still rely on structured data to understand entities, prices, events, and reviews. But marketers should stop expecting schema alone to win citations or rankings.
Effective use now means combining markup with human‑readable structure: clean headings, concise answers, and contextual clarity. Think of JSON‑LD as the plumbing connecting your content to databases and AI models, not as a loudhailer to boost traffic.
Takeaway: Context Over Code
The deprecation of FAQ results and Ahrefs’ research signal a transition: structured data remains essential for accurate parsing, yet offers diminishing direct rewards. Future SEO wins will come less from tagging content and more from designing contextually rich experiences that search and AI can interpret naturally.
Schema isn’t dead — but it has matured into infrastructure. Those who treat it as a foundation, not a quick fix, will enjoy the most enduring benefits in the era of AI‑powered search.
