Why it shows up in your week
Structured data gives machines an explicit map of what the page already states. It supports rich results and clearer AI understanding when it matches the visible content.
In plain language
Schema markup is the vocabulary. JSON-LD is the usual format in the page source. Together they describe organisation, article, FAQ, service, product, or breadcrumb facts.
Structured data is not a ranking cheat code. Mismatched or hidden claims can be ignored or create trust problems.
Where it bites
Structured data bites when teams paste FAQ schema that users cannot see, or when relaunch templates drop Organisation and Article markup that answer engines had been using.
What to check
- Does every structured claim appear in visible HTML?
- Which page types still lack Organisation, Article, FAQ, or Breadcrumb markup where useful?
- Has markup been validated after the last template change?
Common questions
What is structured data?
Structured data is machine-readable information on a page that describes entities, page type, relationships, and facts for search engines and answer systems.
Is structured data the same as schema markup?
Schema markup is the common vocabulary for structured data on the web. Structured data is the broader idea; Schema.org JSON-LD is the usual implementation.
What should you check first for structured data?
Confirm markup matches visible content, uses the right types, validates cleanly, and supports a real search or AI-answer use case.