Structured Data (Schema Markup)
TL;DR
Standardised code (usually JSON-LD) added to web pages that helps search engines understand content context, enabling rich results in search.
Structured data is machine-readable code — most commonly implemented as JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) in the <head> of a web page — that explicitly communicates the meaning and context of content to search engines using the Schema.org vocabulary.
By implementing structured data, you tell Google not just what your page says, but what it means: this is a Recipe, this is an Article by this Author, this is an FAQ, this is a Product priced at £49. In return, Google may display "rich results" — enhanced search listings with star ratings, FAQ dropdowns, event dates, or recipe details — that earn significantly higher click-through rates.
For publishers, the most valuable schema types include Article (for blog posts), FAQPage (for FAQ sections), HowTo, BreadcrumbList, Organization, Person, and Product. For local businesses, LocalBusiness and Review schema are critical. Structured data also feeds AEO — AI answer engines preferentially cite pages with clear, structured information.
Examples in Practice
Recipe schema that shows cooking time and star rating in search results. FAQ schema that expands question-answer pairs directly in the SERP.