Structured data

What structured data is

Structured data is a layer of code that tells search engines and AI systems what your content means, not just what it says. It uses a shared vocabulary from schema.org to label the things on a page, a business, an article, a product, a question and answer, so a machine can interpret the page the way a person reading it would.

Why JSON-LD is the format to use

Google recommends JSON-LD, and the reasoning is practical. JSON-LD lives in a single script block, separate from your visible HTML, which makes it easier to generate, validate, and maintain than formats woven into the markup itself. Two properties do the heavy lifting: @context names the vocabulary, almost always schema.org, and @type names the entity, such as LocalBusiness or Article.

What it actually gets you

Done correctly, structured data makes your pages eligible for rich results, the star ratings, FAQ drop-downs, and breadcrumb trails that stand out on a results page. Google has published case data showing rich-result pages can earn substantially higher click-through than plain links. The important caveat is that schema is necessary but not sufficient. Google decides eligibility based on content quality and E-E-A-T signals, so correct markup buys you the chance at a rich result, never a guarantee.

Which types matter for a local business

You do not need every schema type, only the few that fit your site. For most local businesses the high-value set is short:

• LocalBusiness (or a specific subtype) for the core entity
• FAQPage for question-and-answer sections
• Article or BlogPosting for guides and posts
• BreadcrumbList for navigation context

We wire these into one connected graph rather than scattering separate snippets, so engines resolve a single coherent entity instead of guessing how the pieces relate.