Technical SEOPublished26.05.2026

Structured data

Structured data is markup on web pages that helps search engines understand content and display rich results: stars, breadcrumbs, FAQ, and other enhanced search features.

In brief

Structured data is semantic markup (Schema.org JSON-LD, Microdata, RDFa) embedded in a page's HTML to convey machine-readable information about the content to search engines.

What is structured data

Structured data is additional semantic markup added to a page by the webmaster. It doesn't change the visual appearance for users, but allows search engines to precisely understand what the page is about and which entities it describes (organization, product, recipe, article, etc.).

Based on structured data, Google generates rich results: product cards with star ratings, FAQ answers directly in the SERP, recipes with cooking time, events with dates and ticket prices.

Structured data doesn't guarantee rich results — Google independently decides whether to display an enhanced snippet. But without markup, rich results are impossible.

Markup formats

JSON-LD
Google's recommended format. Markup is added in a <script type="application/ld+json"> tag and doesn't mix with page HTML. Easy to update.
Microdata
Markup is embedded directly in HTML attributes (itemscope, itemprop). Used less frequently, harder to maintain when updating templates.
RDFa
Alternative to Microdata for embedding in HTML. More complex to implement, used in specific cases.

Rich result types

  • FAQ — questions and answers directly in the snippet
  • Product — price, rating, availability
  • Article / BlogPosting — date, author, image
  • HowTo — step-by-step instructions with images
  • Recipe — cooking time, calories, ingredients
  • Event — date, location, ticket prices
  • BreadcrumbList — breadcrumbs in the URL shown in the SERP
  • Organization / LocalBusiness — logo, contacts, social media

How to implement structured data

  1. Identify the page content type and choose an appropriate schema on schema.org
  2. Create a JSON-LD object with required and recommended properties
  3. Place the <script type="application/ld+json"> block in the page <head> or <body>
  4. Validate the markup in Google's Rich Results Test tool
  5. Submit the page for reindexing via Google Search Console

Testing and debugging

Key tools: Rich Results Test (checks eligibility for rich results), Schema Markup Validator (schema.org, general JSON-LD validation), Google Search Console → 'Enhancements' section (production error monitoring).

FAQ

Common questions

Directly — no. Google officially states that markup is not a direct ranking factor. Indirectly — yes: rich results increase CTR, which can positively influence positions.
Not required — Google supports all three formats. But JSON-LD is officially recommended: it doesn't mix with HTML, and is easier to add and update without risking layout breakage.
The page won't get rich results. Critical errors (wrong type, missing required fields) block display. Warnings reduce the chance of display but don't block it.
No — this violates Google's policies. Markup must accurately describe content visible to users. Hidden or non-existent data in markup can lead to manual actions.
Direct contacts

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