Technical SEO
Structured Data Basics: What It Is and How to Test It
Structured data helps Google understand a page. It can make pages eligible for rich results, but never guarantees them.
Google describes structured data as a standardized format for providing information about a page and classifying its content. It helps Google understand the page and gather information about things like people, organizations and products.
Google supports JSON-LD, Microdata and RDFa, and recommends JSON-LD.
Short answer: Structured data is code, usually JSON-LD, that describes a page’s content in a standard vocabulary (schema.org) so Google can understand it and, where eligible, show rich results. Follow Google’s rules: mark up only visible, accurate content, include required properties, use the most specific type, and don’t block the page. Test with the Rich Results Test and URL Inspection, then monitor Search Console’s rich result reports. Valid markup doesn’t guarantee a rich result.
Key Takeaways
- JSON-LD is Google’s recommended format.
- Only mark up content users can see.
- Required properties are needed for rich result eligibility.
- Valid markup doesn’t guarantee rich results.
- A structured data manual action removes rich result eligibility but doesn’t affect ranking.
Common types for business sites
| Type | Use on |
|---|---|
| Organization | Home or About page: name, logo, contact details |
| LocalBusiness | Location pages for local businesses |
| Product / Offer | Product pages (product schema) |
| BreadcrumbList | Pages with breadcrumb navigation |
| Article / BlogPosting | Blog posts and guides |
| FAQPage | Pages with genuine FAQs (rich result display is limited) |
Google’s quality rules
- Don’t mark up content that isn’t visible on the page.
- Don’t mark up misleading content such as fake reviews.
- Keep information up to date.
- Put markup on the page it describes.
- Use the most specific applicable type.
- Make image URLs crawlable and indexable.
How to test
- Rich Results Test: checks eligibility for Google rich results.
- URL Inspection: shows structured data Google detected on the indexed or live page.
- Search Console rich result reports: monitor valid and invalid items (rich result reports).
Why rich results may not appear
- Google chooses features based on the search, location and device.
- Markup doesn’t represent the main content, or is misleading.
- Errors the testing tool didn’t catch.
- Content hidden from users.
- Guideline or policy violations.
Frequently asked questions
Does structured data improve rankings?
It helps Google understand pages and can make them eligible for rich results; Google doesn’t describe it as a ranking boost.
Which format should I use?
Google recommends JSON-LD.
Do I need structured data for AI search?
Google says no special markup is needed for AI features. See structured data and AI search.
Want a second pair of eyes on your technical SEO?
We review crawling, indexing, rendering and speed issues by hand and give you a prioritized list of fixes, starting with a free manual audit.
Sources
- Google Search Central: Introduction to structured data
- Google Search Central: General structured data guidelines
Last reviewed October 14, 2026.
Table of Contents
Need Technical SEO Help?
We find what stops Google from crawling and indexing your important pages, and fix the cause.
Related Guides
Free SEO Audit
A manual on-page and technical SEO review of your website, with prioritized fixes.