What Is Structured Data?
Structured data is code that you add to your web pages to help search engines understand your content better. It uses a standardised format called Schema.org to describe things like products, articles, recipes, events, businesses, and FAQs in a way that search engines can parse programmatically.
When Google understands your content through structured data, it can display rich results — enhanced search listings with star ratings, prices, FAQ dropdowns, recipe cards, event dates, and more. These rich results stand out visually and typically get higher click-through rates.
Types of Rich Results
| Schema Type | Rich Result | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Article | Top stories, article carousels | Blog posts, news articles |
| Product | Price, availability, star ratings | E-commerce product pages |
| FAQ | Expandable Q&A dropdowns | FAQ pages, informational content |
| HowTo | Step-by-step instructions | Tutorial and guide pages |
| Recipe | Image, cooking time, ratings | Recipe pages |
| LocalBusiness | Map, hours, phone number | Local business websites |
| Organization | Knowledge panel, social links | Company websites |
| BreadcrumbList | Breadcrumb trail in results | Any page with breadcrumbs |
JSON-LD: The Recommended Format
Google recommends using JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) for structured data. It is added as a <script> tag in the HTML head and does not affect the visible content of the page.
Here is a simple example for an Article:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "How to Improve Your SEO",
"author": {"@type": "Person", "name": "Jane Smith"},
"datePublished": "2026-03-15",
"description": "A complete guide to improving SEO."
}
</script>
How to Add Structured Data
- Identify which schema type fits your page (Article, Product, FAQ, etc.)
- Write the JSON-LD code using Schema.org documentation
- Add the script tag to your page's HTML head
- Test with Google's Rich Results Test tool
- Verify with the RankNibbler structured data checker
Most CMS platforms have plugins that generate structured data automatically — Yoast SEO and Rank Math for WordPress, for example.
Last updated: March 2026