On 24 September 2026 we asked Google AI Mode for “tent verhuur soest” (tent rental Soest). As the first local all-round rental company, the AI named Postmapartyverhuur.nl, a party rental business whose site has no structured data at all. Schema is therefore not a requirement for appearing in an AI answer. This is the summary of that observation.
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Join the waitlistThe myth: no schema, no AI visibility
In 2026 you read everywhere that your site must be full of schema.org markup, otherwise ChatGPT and Gemini will not “get” you. Some agencies sell schema as the key to AI visibility. In Soest we saw something different.
What we saw in Google AI Mode
The AI answer had a heading “Local all-round rental companies in Soest”, with three businesses. At the top was Postmapartyverhuur.nl, with a link to its site and a short description of the range. On the right Google showed the same company in the business list next to the map.
The site, checked on 28 September 2026
| Element | Found |
|---|---|
| Schema.org / JSON-LD | None |
| Alt texts on images | None |
| Copyright year | 2018 |
| Main text | About 550 words |
| Title and meta description | Present |
| Mobile viewport and https | Present |
| Address and phone number on the site | Present |
| Backlinks | Not measured |
Who is Postmapartyverhuur.nl? A small business from 2018
According to its own page on the company vision, Postmapartyverhuur.nl (slogan “van Tent tot Evenement”) is a young business, founded in early 2018. Next to party rental it wants to grow into complete events, with catering, security and set-up and take-down. The site has a simple menu with sales, services, contact, company vision, photo album and furniture, and a star widget with 119 votes. In our check we found no structured data for those stars, nor for the rest of the site.
Second search: “beste tent verhuur bedrijf uit soest”
For a second question in Google AI Mode (“best tent rental company from Soest”), the answer first named Van Doorn Verhuur B.V. from Soest, for bigger events and weddings. Then came Postmapartyverhuur.nl, as an excellent local alternative for neighbourhood parties and smaller celebrations. So even without schema the AI has a clear picture of what the business stands for: smaller, local parties. That description matches what the company shows on its own site and in its menu.
What this says about schema and AI
The AI did not choose on the basis of structured data, because there was none. What there was: a clear name with town and service, an address and phone number on the site, and a listing in Google’s own business list. That fits what Google itself says: AI answers use the same index and ranking systems as regular search results, and an llms.txt file is not needed.
It is therefore not true that language models only read your schema, or that without schema you are invisible to AI.
So is schema nonsense?
No. Schema helps search engines read your business details unambiguously and can produce rich results. It helps, but it is not a requirement. A complete Google Business Profile, consistent NAP details and local mentions weigh more. How much a single directory listing weighs, you can see in the citation test with 200 purchased listings.
What a local business owner sorts out first
- A fully completed Google Business Profile with the right category and opening hours.
- Name, address and phone number on your site, exactly the same as your profile.
- A page per service, with the town in it, in plain language.
- Reviews that mention your service and town, and replies to them. See the review test at franchise chains for how few businesses do this well.
- Only then schema, as reinforcement of what is already correct.
How much schema and other on-page factors weigh according to the large surveys is shown per year on the page on ranking factors for AI visibility at Locale Rankings (Dutch).
How we checked the site
We checked the homepage source for JSON-LD, microdata and alt texts, and read the visible text, the title, the meta description, the viewport setting and the contact details. Backlinks and domain age were not measured.
Which schema types do make sense
For a local business, LocalBusiness (or a more specific type), Organization and BreadcrumbList are the basis. FAQPage makes sense if the questions are also visible on the page. Only put details in your schema that are also on the page and in your Business Profile, and no star rating about your own business. Google does not show stars for reviews a business publishes about itself.
What this observation does not prove
One query at one moment. It proves that schema is not needed to be named. It does not prove that schema never helps, nor why the AI chose Postmapartyverhuur.nl in particular.
Also from the lab: ranking test with new domains and AI content.
Related lab tests
- how Reddit shaped an AI reputation in 4 minutes, a Reddit post with comments from three accounts and the timeline in Gemini.
- YouTube transcripts as a source for Google AI, two Shorts, an invented hobby and the self-correction afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need schema to appear in AI answers?
No. In this observation Google AI Mode first named a rental company whose site has no structured data at all. Schema is therefore not a requirement.
So is schema pointless?
No. Schema helps search engines read your business details unambiguously and can produce rich results. It helps, but it is not a requirement.
Do you need an llms.txt file for AI visibility?
According to Google, no. Frankwatching wrote on 1 June 2026 that Google does not consider an llms.txt file necessary, and that optimising for AI search is simply SEO.
What did this rental company have?
A clear name with town and service, an address and phone number on the site, a mobile layout, https, a title and a meta description, and a listing in Google's business list.
Which tent rental company from Soest appears in Google AI without schema?
Postmapartyverhuur.nl, a party rental business from Soest founded in early 2018. Its site has no structured data and a 2018 copyright, and it was still named first as local all-round rental company in Google AI Mode.
Which schema type suits a local business?
LocalBusiness or a more specific type that fits your sector, supplemented with Organization and BreadcrumbList. Only add details that are also visible on your site.
Sources
- Own observation LocalSEOLab.nl, Google AI Mode, 24 September 2026, 16:06 to 16:07; screenshots in the members’ archive.
- Technical check of Postmapartyverhuur.nl, 28 September 2026.
- Joris Stoltenkamp, “Google legt eindelijk uit hoe GEO écht werkt”, Frankwatching, 1 June 2026 (Dutch).
