Structured Data (Schema) vs No Structured Data
Structured data tells machines exactly what your content means. Without it, they guess. The difference is being a known entity versus an unknown string of text.
Structured Data (Schema)
- ✓Enables rich results and Knowledge Panels
- ✓Feeds AI entity understanding
- ✓Improves extraction into answers and snippets
No Structured Data
- ✓Nothing to implement or maintain
- ✓No risk of schema errors
- ✓Works for purely visual content
Verdict
There is no real case for skipping schema. It is the cheapest, highest-leverage signal you can add.