Search engines are good at reading text but struggle with context. Structured data provides explicit signals about what your content means and how elements relate to each other.

How Structured Data Works

You add code to your pages using formats like JSON-LD, Microdata, or RDFa. This code labels content elements using standardized vocabulary. A product page might include structured data marking the product name, price, availability, and reviews. Search engines read this markup and can display rich results based on it.

JSON-LD Format

JSON-LD is Google's preferred structured data format. It sits in a script tag separate from your HTML content, making it easier to implement and maintain. You define the context as Schema.org, specify the type of content, and list relevant properties with their values.

Rich Results

Structured data enables rich results: enhanced search listings with additional visual elements. Product rich results show prices and ratings. FAQ rich results expand questions directly in search. Recipe rich results display cooking time and calories. Rich results increase click-through rates by making listings more informative and visually distinct.

Beyond Rich Results

Even when structured data does not trigger visible rich results, it helps search engines understand your content. This improved understanding can benefit rankings indirectly. Structured data also feeds into Google's Knowledge Graph and supports voice search and AI-generated answers.