📚 Glossary

Structured Data

Structured data is standardised code added to web pages (typically as JSON-LD) that helps search engines understand page content and can enable rich results like FAQ dropdowns, star ratings, and breadcrumb trails in search results.

Definition

Structured data is machine-readable information added to a web page that explicitly describes its content to search engines in a standardised format. The most widely used vocabulary is Schema.org, maintained by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Yandex. The most common implementation format is JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data), added to a page's <head> section in a <script type="application/ld+json"> tag.

Why Structured Data Matters

Search engines can infer a lot about a page from its content, but structured data removes ambiguity. Explicitly declaring "this page is about a SoftwareApplication" or "this section contains FAQs" allows Google to:

  1. Better understand page content and context
  2. Surface rich results — enhanced SERP features that take up more visual space and attract higher click-through rates

Common Schema Types

Article — for blog posts, news, and editorial content. Enables datePublished, dateModified, author, and headline markup.

FAQPage — marks up question-and-answer content. Can produce expandable FAQ dropdowns directly in search results.

SoftwareApplication — marks up tools and apps with name, operatingSystem, applicationCategory, and offers (including price).

BreadcrumbList — marks up page breadcrumb navigation, enabling breadcrumb display in search result snippets.

Organization / WebSite — provides entity information about the site itself, including a SearchAction potential action.

JSON-LD Example

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [{
    "@type": "Question",
    "name": "What is an AI humanizer?",
    "acceptedAnswer": {
      "@type": "Answer",
      "text": "An AI humanizer rewrites AI-generated text to sound natural and human-like."
    }
  }]
}

Validation

Google's Rich Results Test and Schema Markup Validator check structured data for errors and show which rich result types are eligible.

SEO Writing · Open Graph · Meta Description

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