Structured data is machine-readable markup in your page that makes the meaning of your content explicit: this is an article, this is the author, this is a product with this price and availability, this is a question with this answer. The standard is schema.org; the recommended format is JSON-LD, a separate script block in your HTML.
This page explains what structured data delivers, which types matter, how to implement and test it, and where it goes wrong.
Why it is useful
- Understanding. Search engines have to guess less about what your page is and how entities relate.
- Rich results. Stars, FAQs, prices, breadcrumbs, recipes or events in search results. See SERP.
- AI answers. Clearly marked facts are easier for AI search to reuse. See GEO.
- Consistency. One place where you state your organisation's name, location and contact details.
What it doesn't do: buy rankings. Structured data is not a direct ranking factor. It affects presentation and understanding, and therefore clicks.
The types that matter for most sites
| Type | Use for |
|---|---|
| Organization | Your company: name, logo, social profiles, contact details |
| WebSite | Your site as a whole, optionally with a search action |
| BreadcrumbList | Your page hierarchy in search results |
| Article / BlogPosting | Articles, with author and publication date |
| FAQPage | Question-and-answer blocks that genuinely appear on the page |
| Product + Offer | Products with price, currency and availability |
| LocalBusiness | Locations, opening hours, address — see local SEO |
| Service | Services you offer |
| Review / AggregateRating | Ratings, within the platform's rules |
How to implement it
Place a JSON-LD block in the head or body of the page:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Structured data explained",
"datePublished": "2026-01-15",
"author": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Brandable" }
}
Practical rules:
- Mark up what the page is, not your whole site on every URL.
- Keep it consistent with visible content, your meta title and your canonical.
- Use absolute URLs for images and references.
- Connect entities with
@id, so Organization, WebSite and Article reference each other. - Keep fields current. Expired prices or dates are worse than no markup.
Testing and monitoring
- Rich Results Test from Google: what could be displayed from this?
- Schema Markup Validator from schema.org: is the markup valid?
- Search Console Enhancements reports: site-level errors and warnings over time.
Note the difference: valid markup is not the same as being eligible for a rich result. Google decides when to show one.
Where it goes wrong
- Marking up what isn't visible. FAQ markup without an FAQ on the page violates the guidelines.
- Duplicate or conflicting markup from several plugins at once.
- Stale data: prices, stock or event dates that no longer hold.
- Marking up everything. More types don't produce more results; relevance does.
- Expecting it to fix rankings. Without good content and indexing, markup changes little.
Frequently asked questions about structured data
Do I need a plugin?
Not necessarily, but on WordPress or Shopify it is often the fastest route. Do check for duplicate markup.
Does structured data help AI search?
It helps with understanding and reusing facts. More important is that your answers are clear and quotable on the page itself.
How fast do you see effect?
Rich results can appear within days or weeks, provided Google recrawls the page and finds your markup eligible.
Can structured data hurt you?
Yes, if it misleads. Markup that doesn't match the page can cost you rich results.
Further reading
See indexing, SERP and E-E-A-T, or spar via /en/book-call.
Questions, or just want to spar?
We're happy to think along — call, email or drop by in the heart of Eindhoven.