What is Structured Data? The Complete Beginner's Guide
Last Updated: February 25, 2026 · 12 min read
When you read a web page, you instantly know whether it's a recipe, a product listing, or a news article — context, layout, and words tell you. But search engines like Google don't read pages the way humans do. Structured data is the bridge: it adds machine-readable labels to your web page's content so Google knows exactly what everything means — not just what it says.
📌 One-sentence definition
Structured data is standardised code added to a webpage that tells search engines what your content is — not just what it says — using a shared vocabulary called Schema.org.
1. The Problem Structured Data Solves
Consider this HTML snippet:
<p>Chocolate Chip Cookies</p> <p>45 minutes</p> <p>★★★★★ (4.9 / 312 reviews)</p> <p>$0.30 per cookie</p>
A human instantly reads this as a recipe. Google sees four text strings with no inherent meaning. With structured data:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Recipe",
"name": "Chocolate Chip Cookies",
"totalTime": "PT45M",
"aggregateRating": {
"@type": "AggregateRating",
"ratingValue": "4.9",
"reviewCount": "312"
},
"nutrition": {
"@type": "NutritionInformation",
"calories": "120 calories"
}
}Now Google knows this is a Recipe, with a specific total time, a verified rating, and nutritional data — and can surface it as a rich result with an image, stars, and cook time directly in search.
2. The Three Formats of Structured Data
| Format | Where it lives | Google preference | Use today? |
|---|---|---|---|
| JSON-LD | Separate <script> block in <head> or <body> | 🔥 Strongly preferred | ✅ Yes — always |
| Microdata | Inline HTML attributes (itemprop, itemscope) | Supported | ⚠️ Legacy only |
| RDFa | Inline HTML attributes | Supported | ⚠️ Legacy only |
Always use JSON-LD. Google explicitly recommends it. It lives in a separate script block — meaning you never touch the visible HTML of your page, making it easy to add, update, and debug.
3. What Can Structured Data Do?
4. Structured Data vs Schema Markup — Same Thing?
Almost. Here's the precise distinction:
5. Does Structured Data Improve Rankings?
The honest answer: not directly — but it compounds over time
Google has confirmed structured data is not a direct ranking factor. Adding JSON-LD to a page will not push it from position 5 to position 1. However:
- • Rich results get 18–35% higher CTR at the same rank position
- • Higher CTR = more traffic = more engagement signals
- • Strong entity schema (Organization, Person) helps Google understand your authority in a topic
- • AI Overviews favour pages with clear structured data for AI content extraction
6. Your First Structured Data: 5-Minute Example
Add this to any article page. Paste it inside your <head> or just before </body>:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Your Article Title Here",
"datePublished": "2026-02-25",
"dateModified": "2026-02-25",
"author": {
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Your Name"
},
"publisher": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Your Site Name",
"logo": {
"@type": "ImageObject",
"url": "https://yoursite.com/logo.png"
}
},
"image": "https://yoursite.com/article-image.jpg",
"description": "A short summary of your article."
}
</script>7. Frequently Asked Questions
What is structured data in SEO?▼
Structured data is standardised code added to a web page that describes the page's content to search engines in a machine-readable format. It uses the Schema.org vocabulary and is most commonly written in JSON-LD — a script block placed in the HTML head. Structured data enables rich results in Google Search and helps search engines understand your content's meaning, not just its words.
What is the difference between structured data and schema markup?▼
"Structured data" is the broad concept — any machine-readable data format added to a web page. "Schema markup" refers specifically to structured data that uses the Schema.org vocabulary created by Google, Bing, and Yahoo. In SEO contexts, the terms are used interchangeably. JSON-LD is the format (syntax) while Schema.org is the vocabulary (dictionary of types and properties).
Does structured data directly improve rankings?▼
Structured data is not a confirmed direct ranking factor. Adding JSON-LD will not push a page from position 5 to position 1 by itself. However, it enables rich results that improve CTR by 15–30% at the same rank position, strong entity schema builds topical authority over time, and AI Overviews increasingly favour well-structured pages.
How do I add structured data to my website?▼
The easiest method is to add a <script type="application/ld+json"> block in your page HTML containing the JSON-LD for your content type. For WordPress, plugins like Yoast SEO and RankMath handle common schema types automatically. For custom sites, add the script block to the <head> element of each page template.
Which structured data format should I use — JSON-LD, Microdata, or RDFa?▼
Always use JSON-LD. Google explicitly recommends it and it is the easiest to implement — it lives in a separate script block so you never need to modify your page's visible HTML. Microdata and RDFa are legacy formats, still supported but much harder to maintain and more error-prone.
Do I need to add structured data to every page?▼
You should add it to any page where structured data is applicable — every blog post (Article), every product page (Product), every local business location page (LocalBusiness), your homepage (Organization + WebSite), and any page with FAQ content (FAQPage). Pages that are thin, duplicate, or non-indexed don't need structured data.
How do I test if my structured data is working?▼
Use SchemaValidator.org for instant JSON-LD validation on any URL or raw JSON. Use Google's Rich Results Test to check rich result eligibility. Check Google Search Console → Enhancements to see which pages Google has detected and validated schema on, and which have errors.
Why does Google sometimes not show rich results even with valid structured data?▼
Valid schema makes you eligible for rich results — it doesn't guarantee them. Google decides whether to show the rich format based on query relevance, content quality, page authority, and competition. Low-authority or new pages may see eligibility confirmed in GSC but still not see rich results consistently in SERPs for months.
Validate Your Structured Data
Paste your JSON-LD or a URL and instantly see what Google will find — errors, warnings, and rich result eligibility.
Free Structured Data Validator →