Structured data explained for business owners
Structured data, often called schema markup, is a small block of code that describes a page in a vocabulary search engines understand. It doesn't change what visitors see. It helps Google be certain about facts it might otherwise have to guess.
What it looks like
Most sites add it as JSON-LD: a block in the page's code that says, in effect, "this is a local business called this, at this address, with this phone number and these hours", or "this is a product, this is its price, it's in stock". The vocabulary comes from schema.org, which the major search engines support.
What it can do
- Help Google connect your website, your business details and your other profiles
- Make pages eligible for richer search results, such as product prices, event dates or breadcrumbs
- Remove ambiguity, for example between two places with similar names
What it can't do
It doesn't push a page up the rankings by itself, and it never guarantees a rich result; Google decides when to show one. A page still has to be the best answer to the search. Think of structured data as clear labelling, not a shortcut.
Types most businesses need
- Organisation or local business: name, address, phone, logo, hours and profile links
- Breadcrumbs: how pages sit within the site
- Product: for online stores, with price and availability
- Industry types: hotel, restaurant, school, medical clinic and many more, where they fit
- Event, course or FAQ: only where the page genuinely contains them
The rule that matters
Markup must describe what's visibly on the page. Marking up reviews nobody can see, prices that aren't shown or a business type you aren't is against Google's guidelines and can cost you rich results. Google also doesn't show review stars for a business's reviews of itself.
How to check yours
- Paste a page address into Google's Rich Results Test to see what Google detects
- Use the Schema Markup Validator for a fuller check of the vocabulary
- Look at the enhancement reports in Search Console for errors across the site
I add and validate structured data as part of structured data and technical SEO work. If you want to see it in action, this website's own pages carry markup for my business, each service and each guide.