Structured data, also called schema markup, is extra code on your website that tells search engines exactly what a page contains. Not just that there is some text, but that this is a business with this address, these opening hours and these services. Or a product with this price.
Google can use that information for eye-catching search results, such as star ratings, prices or breadcrumbs. AI search engines can also understand your pages better because of it. In this article you will learn what structured data is, which types are useful for small and medium-sized businesses, and how to add and test it.
What exactly is structured data?
A person instantly sees that 0255 123 456 is a phone number. A search engine has to guess. Structured data takes the guessing away. You describe the information in a fixed language that all major search engines understand: schema.org.
Schema.org is a shared vocabulary created by Google, Microsoft and Yahoo, among others. It contains types such as Organization, LocalBusiness, Product, Article and Event, each with its own properties. You do not show these types on your page. You add them to the code.
JSON-LD, microdata or RDFa: which format should you use?
There are three ways to write structured data. Google recommends JSON-LD, and it is also the easiest:
- JSON-LD: a separate block of code in your page, apart from the visible text. Easy to manage and change.
- Microdata: extra attributes in your existing HTML. It works, but it is harder to maintain.
- RDFa: similar to microdata, and less common in practice.
If you use a modern CMS or a custom-built website, JSON-LD can often be filled in automatically with the data already in your system. Then you do not have to keep it up to date by hand on every page.
Which schema markup is useful for your business?
You do not need to use everything. Pick the types that match what is really on your site:
- Organization or LocalBusiness: your business name, logo, address, phone number, opening hours and service area. The basics for almost every SME.
- BreadcrumbList: the path to your page, such as Home, Services, Appliance repair. Google can show this instead of a long URL.
- Product and Offer: for online shops, with price, availability and, where relevant, reviews.
- Article or BlogPosting: for blog posts, with title, author and date.
- Event: for workshops, open days or events with a date.
- Service: to describe your services, although this does not lead to a special search result.
For local businesses, LocalBusiness matters most. Make sure the details match your Google Business Profile exactly. Read more in our article on local SEO.
What you get: rich results in Google
A rich result is a search result with extras, such as stars, a price, stock status or a date. It stands out more and can bring in more clicks. A few things to know:
- Structured data does not guarantee a rich result. Google decides whether to show one.
- It is not a direct ranking factor. It will not move you up, but it can make your result stand out more.
- Google regularly changes which rich results it shows. Since 2023, for example, FAQ results only appear for a small number of authoritative government and health sites.
- Review stars a business puts on its own site about itself are usually not shown by Google for LocalBusiness or Organization.
So think of structured data mainly as clarity for search engines. That helps in Google, and also if you want to be found in AI search engines.
How to add schema markup to your website
How you add it depends on your website:
- WordPress: many SEO plugins add basic details automatically. Do check that the data is correct and complete.
- Custom website: your developer puts JSON-LD in the templates and fills it with data from your CMS.
- Online shop platforms: product data is often added automatically, but not always in full.
- By hand: you can place a JSON-LD block in the head of your page. Only do this if you know what you are doing.
An important rule: the structured data must match what visitors see on the page. Do not put prices, reviews or opening hours in the code that are not on the page. Google sees that as misleading and can remove your rich results.
Testing your structured data
After adding it, always test whether it works. There are free tools for this:
- Google's Rich Results Test: shows whether a page is eligible for rich results and which errors there are.
- The Schema Markup Validator from schema.org: checks whether your code is correct, including types Google has no rich result for.
- Google Search Console: reports errors and warnings for rich results across your whole site under enhancements.
After every larger change to your website, check that the data is still correct. A new template or plugin can make structured data disappear without warning. Include it in your technical SEO checklist.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Data in the code that is not on the page, such as made-up reviews.
- Different addresses or phone numbers on your site, in your code and in your business profile.
- Duplicate structured data, for example from a theme and a plugin at the same time.
- Outdated opening hours or prices in the code.
- Structured data on the homepage only, while products and articles need it too.
Help with your SEO basics
The SEO basics are included in the websites we build. That includes structured data that fits your business, such as company details and breadcrumbs. A custom website starts from €1,799 excl. VAT (€2,177 incl. VAT) per project, with design, development, SEO basics, Google Analytics, CMS integration and a walkthrough. Want to keep working on your visibility? That is possible within online marketing, from €599 excl. VAT (€725 incl. VAT) per month, cancel monthly.
Want to know whether your website uses structured data properly? Book a free quickscan. In 30 minutes, online or on site, we take a look with you. Afterwards you get short written advice with a price estimate, with no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between structured data and schema markup?
In practice people mean the same thing. Structured data is the general term for structured information in your code. Schema markup is structured data that uses the schema.org vocabulary, which is what search engines expect.
Does schema markup help you rank higher in Google?
Not directly. It is not a ranking factor. It does help Google understand your page and can lead to eye-catching search results, which often bring more clicks.
How do you test whether structured data works?
Use Google's Rich Results Test and the Schema Markup Validator from schema.org. Google Search Console also shows errors and warnings for your whole website.
What structured data does a local business need?
Start with LocalBusiness or a fitting subtype, with name, address, phone number, opening hours and logo. Add BreadcrumbList for your navigation. Make sure all details match your Google Business Profile.
