This translation has not been editorially reviewed yet. The German version is authoritative. Deutsche Fassung →
Checking structured data: using JSON-LD correctly
Structured data describes a page's content in a machine-readable way — as JSON-LD in the source code. It's the basis for enhanced search results, and for whether an AI system can reliably attribute your information. The check verifies whether it's present and readable.
- The benefit comes from fit, not quantity: an organisation, a breadcrumb navigation, and — where there are questions and answers — FAQ markup covers most websites.
- The most important rule is also the most commonly broken one: only what's visibly present on the page may be marked up. FAQ markup with no visible questions, reviews with no reviews, prices with no prices — all of that counts as spam, and sooner or later costs the enhanced display.
- That's why, on these pages, we only mark up what you can actually read here: the article, the questions below it, and the path in the navigation.
FAQ
Which schema types are worth using for a typical company website?
Organization for the company, BreadcrumbList for navigation, FAQPage where questions are actually being answered, and Article for editorial content. Rarely more is needed.
Does JSON-LD directly improve ranking?
Not directly. It enables enhanced display and makes information clearly attributable. Both affect click-through rate and citability, not the position in the result itself.
May I mark up reviews that don't exist on the page?
No. Markup with no visible counterpart violates the structured data guidelines, and can cost the enhanced display for the entire domain.