Structured data: which schema types are worth adding
What structured data does, which types can still earn rich results in Google, which changed in 2023, and how to test your markup.
· 2 min read
Structured data is code on a page that describes its content in a standard vocabulary, usually schema.org written as JSON-LD. It helps search engines understand what a page is about, and it is what makes a page eligible for rich results such as review stars, product prices or event dates.
What it does and does not do
- It can make a page eligible for rich results in Google, which can make a listing more visible and more useful.
- It does not guarantee a rich result: Google decides whether to show one for each search.
- It is not a shortcut to higher rankings on its own, and it must describe content that is actually visible on the page. Markup that misrepresents the page is against Google's guidelines and can lead to a manual action.
Types that are usually worth it
Which types fit depends on the site. Commonly useful ones in Google's documentation include:
- Organization on the home page: your name, logo and official profiles.
- BreadcrumbList: shows the page's position in the site in search results.
- Article: for news, blog and guide pages, with headline, dates, author and image.
- Product, with offers and reviews where they genuinely exist: price, availability and ratings in results.
- LocalBusiness: address, opening hours and contact details for local businesses.
- Event, Recipe, JobPosting and VideoObject, where the page really is one of these.
Types that changed in 2023
- FAQ rich results are now shown only for well-known, authoritative government and health websites. FAQ markup elsewhere is harmless but no longer produces the rich result.
- HowTo rich results were removed from Google Search.
If you added these to earn extra space in results, it is worth knowing that most sites no longer get it.
How to add it
- JSON-LD in a
<script type="application/ld+json">block is the format Google recommends, and the easiest to maintain because it is separate from the HTML. - Most CMSs and SEO plugins add common types automatically. Check what they output before adding your own, to avoid duplicate or conflicting markup.
- Keep values in sync with the page: if the price changes, the markup must change too.
How to test it
- Run the page through the Rich Results Test to see whether it is eligible for Google's rich results, with errors and warnings.
- Use the Schema Markup Validator to check any schema.org markup, including types Google does not use for rich results.
- After publishing, check the rich result reports in Google Search Console for errors across the whole site.
More on the technical foundations in A technical SEO checklist for new sites.