Structured data

What does structured data look like, and how is it added?

Structured data is usually added inside the page code in a format called JSON-LD. JSON-LD pairs items with values, like “name: Bomnal Flowers” and “phone: 02-…”, so it can be managed separately from the page design.

Google reads all three formats (JSON-LD, Microdata and RDFa) and recommends JSON-LD if your setup allows it. The items you can use are defined in a shared vocabulary called schema.org, so different search services read them with the same meaning.

For a cafe, you'd list items like the business type (CafeOrCoffeeShop), address, opening hours (openingHoursSpecification), phone number and menu page (hasMenu). The page customers see stays the same; you're simply writing the same information a second time in a format machines can read.

What structured data should I add for my business?

Start with LocalBusiness, which describes the business itself. schema.org has industry-specific subtypes such as Restaurant, BeautySalon and Dentist, so just pick the closest one.

You don't need to add every type. A business that doesn't sell products adding Product, or leaving an Event in place after it's over, actually distorts your information. The rule is to choose only the types that match what's really on the page.

If you also sell online, add Product and pricing information to each product page. If the price or stock there differs from the actual order screen, customers get confused and it goes against the guidelines, so it's safest to have it update automatically whenever you edit the product information.

Does structured data improve my search ranking?

Adding structured data won't directly boost your ranking. Its job is to help search engines understand your content accurately and to make your pages eligible for enhanced search results (rich results) that show extra details like star ratings and prices.

Even when you meet the requirements, rich results don't always appear. Google sometimes cuts back or removes rich result types: it removed HowTo results in 2023, and in 2025–2026 it stopped showing several rich results, including course info, special announcements and FAQ.

Google says there's no special structured data you need to add to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. Still, structured data is a basic tool that keeps search engines from mixing up your business information, so it pays to add it accurately.

For example, if a craft workshop marks up its class schedule as an Event, search engines can pick out the date, venue and price separately. How event information actually appears in Google Search, though, is up to Google at any given time.

How do I check that structured data was added correctly?

Use two tools. Google's Rich Results Test checks your page against the rich results Google can show, and the schema.org validator checks whether the format itself is correct.

Passing with no errors doesn't mean rich results will appear right away. The test only confirms your page is “eligible to be shown”; whether it actually appears is up to Google, depending on the search term and context.

1. 01Enter the page address in Google's Rich Results Test (search.google.com/test/rich-results).
2. 02Check that types such as business information or products appear among the detected items.
3. 03Always fix errors. Warnings mean recommended fields are missing, so fill them in if you can.
4. 04For types that aren't covered by Google rich results, check for format errors with the schema.org validator (validator.schema.org).
5. 05Compare the opening hours and phone number on the page with the values in the test results, by eye.
6. 06A few weeks later, check again in Search Console that the structured data Google actually read has no errors.

What are the most common structured data mistakes?

The most common mistake is updating your business information but leaving the structured data with the old details. If you fixed the text on the page but the opening hours in the code stayed the same, search engines and AI get confused about which one to trust.

Google warns that violating its structured data guidelines can lead to a manual action that takes away your eligibility for rich results. It says this action doesn't affect regular search rankings, and if you treat structured data as “an accurate summary of what's on the page” rather than a ranking trick, there's nothing to worry about.

• Repeating the same business information on every page while not marking up what's different on each page (menus, products, posts)
• Adding reviews or star ratings that real customers didn't leave
• Leaving past events or the prices of sold-out products in place
• Two plugins adding the same information differently, creating duplicates
• Writing your address or phone number differently from how map services show it

What should I ask my web agency about structured data?

Ask for a list that answers “Which types did you add to which pages?” If it's organized page by page, such as business information on the front page, menu and product pages, and the FAQ page, you won't miss anything when you update information later.

Also ask whether editing your business information in the admin panel updates the structured data, too. When the page and the code are generated from the same data, you avoid the mistake of only one side changing.

It's also a good idea to ask them to walk you through the Rich Results Test before launch. You can see for yourself that there are no errors, and see at a glance what information is being passed to machines.

Structured data isn't a one-and-done job. Just remember: any day your business information changes, such as new opening hours, a move or a new phone number, is also the day to update your structured data.