Structured data describes the entities and facts on a page using a shared vocabulary. It can identify the business behind a site, the author and date of an article or the product a buyer is viewing. Google recommends JSON-LD. Start with information the visitor can verify on the page. Google’s introduction to structured data
Match markup to the page
| Page | Schema type | Visible details to check |
|---|---|---|
| Homepage or about page | Organization | Business name, website, logo and public contact details |
| Detail page with clear parent sections | BreadcrumbList | Section labels and canonical URLs |
| Editorial article or news story | Article or NewsArticle | Headline, author, publication date and substantive update date |
| Product details | Product | Product name, images and verifiable public attributes |
| Service details | Service | Service name, scope and provider |
Look up the page and property requirements before adding a type. For Google, rich result eligibility depends on the specific feature and its rules. Google’s supported structured data gallery lists the features currently documented.
An Article JSON-LD example
Suppose the visible heading is “Structured Data and JSON-LD for Business Websites” and the page displays the author, publication date and update date below. This snippet shows how to express those facts. Add other applicable fields, such as an image or author URL, based on the feature and page.
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Structured Data and JSON-LD for Business Websites",
"author": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Zheming Digital Communication Research Institute" },
"datePublished": "2026-08-06",
"dateModified": "2026-11-07"
}
</script>
For bilingual websites, use the local heading and canonical URL on each language version. Use a stable identifier for the organization when both versions describe the same company. Keep the original publication date and update dateModified when the article changes substantially.
Validate syntax, eligibility and actual appearance
- Check general markup with the Schema.org validator. Use the Rich Results Test for features supported by Google.
- Compare the markup with what visitors can see. Names, prices, ratings, credentials and examples need a verifiable basis.
- After release, use URL Inspection and the applicable enhancement reports in Search Console. For Baidu, check the submission and appearance features available to the site in the Baidu Search Resource Platform guidelines.
- Evaluate actual search impressions and clicks. A successful test checks technical eligibility conditions. Google chooses how to present the result for each search. Google’s structured data guidelines
What changed for FAQs and sitelinks search boxes
Google stopped showing the FAQ rich result on May 7, 2026. It previously removed the sitelinks search box. FAQs and site search can still help people use your site. Use the current gallery to check which search features support markup. Google Search documentation updates · Sitelinks search box announcement
Google’s guidance for AI search features builds on regular SEO practices and useful visible content. When evaluating citations on any AI platform, use observed answers from a repeatable sample. Google’s AI search optimization guide
For help checking markup and indexing on a bilingual site, see the scope of our Baidu and Google SEO service.