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STRUCTURED DATA & SEARCH FEATURES

Structured data: what it means and how it works

Machine-readable labels (usually Schema.org JSON-LD) that describe a page’s content.

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All glossary terms
  • Intermediate level
  • 3 primary sources
  • Reviewed 29 October 2026
At a glanceSEO glossary
  • TopicStructured data & search featuresAlso in On-page SEO & content, E-commerce SEO
  • LevelIntermediateAssumes the basics of how search works
  • Also calledschema markup
  • Sources3 primary sourcesGoogle Search Central, Schema.org
  • Reviewed29 October 2026Re-checked every 6 months
On this page
  1. Quick definition
  2. Why it matters
  3. How it works
  4. How to check it
  5. Common mistakes
  6. Related concepts
  7. Check it on your site
  8. Sources and review

Quick definition

Structured data is code in a standard vocabulary, usually Schema.org written as JSON-LD, that labels what a page contains: a product and its price, an article and its author, an organisation and its logo. Search engines use it to understand pages and to make them eligible for rich results.

Why it matters

Text is ambiguous; structured data is explicit. Marking up a product’s price, currency and availability, or a business’s address and opening hours, removes guesswork. It is the basis of many rich results and merchant features, and it gives other systems, including AI search, a clean description of key facts.

How it works

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Product",
  "name": "Redmi Note 14 (8GB/256GB)",
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": "27999",
    "priceCurrency": "KES",
    "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock"
  }
}
</script>
Product markup: the values must match what the page shows.
  • Google recommends JSON-LD; microdata and RDFa are also supported.
  • Markup must describe content visible on the page. Marking up things visitors cannot see violates Google’s guidelines.
  • Schema.org defines hundreds of types; Google supports a specific subset for search features, each with required and recommended properties.

How to check it

  1. Validate syntax and Schema.org types with a JSON-LD validator.
  2. Test eligibility for Google features with the Rich Results Test, and monitor the enhancement reports in Search Console.
  3. Compare marked-up values (price, availability, rating) with the visible page; mismatches are common after theme or plugin changes.

Common mistakes and misconceptions

  • Myth Structured data improves rankings directly.

    In fact Google uses it to understand content and to enable rich results. It is not a general ranking boost.

  • Myth Valid markup guarantees a rich result.

    In fact Eligibility is not a guarantee; Google decides when to show rich results.

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Sources and review

Written and maintained by Ndovu SEO Labs. First published 29 October 2026. Facts last checked against the sources above on 29 October 2026. How we write and review the glossary.