What is Structured Data?
Structured data is standardized markup (usually JSON-LD using schema.org vocabulary) that describes a page's content to search engines. Structured data enables rich results such as star ratings, FAQs, and breadcrumbs.
Why Structured Data matters
Structured data does not make a page rank higher by itself; it makes the page eligible for richer results and, increasingly, easier for AI systems to read without guessing. Product, Article, Breadcrumb, Organization, LocalBusiness and Event markup each unlock a specific display or a clearer understanding of what an entity on the page is; FAQ and HowTo markup are still valid, but Google no longer shows them as rich results (HowTo since 2023, FAQ since May 2026). JSON-LD in a <script> block is the format Google recommends because it is separate from the visible HTML and easy to generate.
Two rules keep it safe: the markup must describe content that is actually visible on the page, and reviews or ratings must be genuine. Google issues manual actions for self-serving or fabricated review markup, and a rich result is only worth having if it survives a review.
Example
A minimal FAQ block for a pricing page:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage",
"mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Is there a free plan?",
"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes: 3 free checks a month, no card."}}]}
</script>The same question and answer appear in the visible FAQ on the page.
Common mistakes
- •Marking up content that is not on the page, or ratings and reviews that were never collected.
- •Invalid JSON (a stray comma) that silently disables the whole block.
- •Adding every schema type available instead of the two or three that match the page.
How Webmatik checks it
Webmatik's Rich search results (structured data) check detects JSON-LD and microdata on each audited page, confirms that it parses, and lists the types found; the GEO category separately looks for FAQ structure that AI engines can quote.
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