Structured Data and Rich Results

Structured data is a small block of JSON-LD in your page that states facts in a form search engines read reliably: who runs the site, what the page is, and where it sits in the site. Google can use some types to show a rich result - a listing with extra detail such as a product price, recipe rating, event date or breadcrumb trail. The report checks five things about it.

What the Report Checks

Structured data (JSON-LD) - the page has at least one valid JSON-LD block. Microdata on its own scores partly; JSON-LD is the format Google recommends
Structured data parses - every JSON-LD block is valid JSON; a broken block is ignored
Who you are - Organization, LocalBusiness (or a type of it, such as Bakery or Dentist), Person or WebSite schema
What this page is - a type that describes the page and can be eligible for rich results, such as Article, Product, LocalBusiness, Recipe or Event
Breadcrumbs - BreadcrumbList markup showing where the page sits in the site, which Google can show in place of the bare address

Who You Are: Organization and WebSite

Organization schema on your homepage tells search engines your official name, logo and profiles elsewhere. WebSite schema gives the name you want shown for the site in search results. sameAs lists your official profiles - LinkedIn, your social accounts - so search engines can connect them to your website.

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Organization",
  "name": "Example Bakery",
  "url": "https://www.example.com/",
  "logo": "https://www.example.com/logo.png",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.linkedin.com/company/example-bakery",
    "https://www.instagram.com/examplebakery"
  ]
}
</script>

On an article, add Article or BlogPosting schema with headline, author, datePublished and dateModified. On a product page, use Product with the price and availability your page actually shows.

Let the Extensive Audit Write It

The extensive audit writes Organization and WebSite structured data for you, filled in with your brand name, summary and the official profile links it finds on your pages, ready to check and paste.

Check It Parses

A single missing comma makes a whole JSON-LD block invalid. Run a fresh check after you publish to confirm the "Structured data parses" check passes.

Match the Markup to the Page

The bakery above is fictional. Replace every example value with a fact published on your own site, and remove a property if you cannot verify it. Markup must describe what a visitor can see on the page: do not add ratings, reviews, prices, qualifications or a location just to fill a template. Google can ignore markup, or take action against a site, when it does not match the page.

Use dates that reflect real publication and meaningful edits. Changing the date without changing the content is not an update.

Validate and Recheck

1 Confirm the JSON parses. Headnoted checks the syntax, but valid JSON alone does not prove every property is right.
2 Test the page with Google’s Rich Results Test to see which rich results it is eligible for, and fix any errors it reports.
3 Use the Schema.org validator to check types and properties that Google does not use for rich results.
4 Compare the markup with the visible page and remove anything it does not support.
5 Publish, and use the Enhancements reports in Google Search Console to watch for problems across the site.

Google’s introduction to structured data and its search gallery list the supported types and their required properties. Valid markup makes a page eligible for a rich result; it does not guarantee one, and Google decides when to show them. Structured data is not a shortcut to a higher position.