Microdata and Structured Data (Schema.org)

Answer

Structured data is a standardized format for providing information about a page and classifying content. It helps search engines understand your content and display rich results (rich snippets).

Structured Data Formats

JSON-LD (Recommended)

<script type="application/ld+json">
	{
		"@context": "https://schema.org",
		"@type": "Article",
		"headline": "Understanding Structured Data",
		"author": {
			"@type": "Person",
			"name": "John Doe",
			"url": "https://example.com/author/johndoe"
		},
		"publisher": {
			"@type": "Organization",
			"name": "Tech Blog",
			"logo": {
				"@type": "ImageObject",
				"url": "https://example.com/logo.png"
			}
		},
		"datePublished": "2024-01-15",
		"dateModified": "2024-01-20",
		"image": "https://example.com/article-image.jpg",
		"description": "Learn how to implement structured data in your HTML"
	}
</script>

Microdata Format

<article itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Article">
	<h1 itemprop="headline">Understanding Structured Data</h1>

	<div itemprop="author" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person">
		By <span itemprop="name">John Doe</span>
	</div>

	<time itemprop="datePublished" datetime="2024-01-15"> January 15, 2024 </time>

	<img itemprop="image" src="article-image.jpg" alt="Article Image" />

	<div itemprop="articleBody">
		<p>Article content here...</p>
	</div>
</article>

Common Schema Types

Product

<script type="application/ld+json">
	{
		"@context": "https://schema.org",
		"@type": "Product",
		"name": "Executive Leather Chair",
		"image": "https://example.com/chair.jpg",
		"description": "Premium office chair with lumbar support",
		"brand": {
			"@type": "Brand",
			"name": "OfficePro"
		},
		"offers": {
			"@type": "Offer",
			"price": "299.99",
			"priceCurrency": "USD",
			"availability": "https://schema.org/InStock",
			"seller": {
				"@type": "Organization",
				"name": "Furniture Store"
			}
		},
		"aggregateRating": {
			"@type": "AggregateRating",
			"ratingValue": "4.5",
			"reviewCount": "89"
		}
	}
</script>

Local Business

<script type="application/ld+json">
	{
		"@context": "https://schema.org",
		"@type": "Restaurant",
		"name": "The Great Bistro",
		"image": "https://example.com/bistro.jpg",
		"address": {
			"@type": "PostalAddress",
			"streetAddress": "123 Main Street",
			"addressLocality": "New York",
			"addressRegion": "NY",
			"postalCode": "10001"
		},
		"telephone": "+1-555-123-4567",
		"openingHoursSpecification": [
			{
				"@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
				"dayOfWeek": ["Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday"],
				"opens": "11:00",
				"closes": "22:00"
			}
		],
		"servesCuisine": "Italian",
		"priceRange": "$$"
	}
</script>

FAQ Page

<script type="application/ld+json">
	{
		"@context": "https://schema.org",
		"@type": "FAQPage",
		"mainEntity": [
			{
				"@type": "Question",
				"name": "What is structured data?",
				"acceptedAnswer": {
					"@type": "Answer",
					"text": "Structured data is a standardized format for providing information about a page..."
				}
			},
			{
				"@type": "Question",
				"name": "Why is it important for SEO?",
				"acceptedAnswer": {
					"@type": "Answer",
					"text": "It helps search engines understand content and enables rich results..."
				}
			}
		]
	}
</script>

Breadcrumbs

<script type="application/ld+json">
	{
		"@context": "https://schema.org",
		"@type": "BreadcrumbList",
		"itemListElement": [
			{
				"@type": "ListItem",
				"position": 1,
				"name": "Home",
				"item": "https://example.com"
			},
			{
				"@type": "ListItem",
				"position": 2,
				"name": "Products",
				"item": "https://example.com/products"
			},
			{
				"@type": "ListItem",
				"position": 3,
				"name": "Office Chairs",
				"item": "https://example.com/products/chairs"
			}
		]
	}
</script>

Rich Results

Schema Type	Rich Result
Article	News carousel, Top stories
Product	Price, rating, availability
Recipe	Image, rating, cook time
Event	Date, location, tickets
FAQ	Expandable Q&A in search
How-to	Step-by-step instructions
Review	Star ratings

Testing Tools

1. Google Rich Results Test: https://search.google.com/test/rich-results
2. Schema Markup Validator: https://validator.schema.org/
3. Google Search Console: Monitor rich results performance

Best Practices

<!-- ✅ Do: Use JSON-LD format -->
<script type="application/ld+json">
	{
		"@context": "https://schema.org",
		"@type": "WebSite",
		"name": "My Site"
	}
</script>

<!-- ✅ Do: Include required properties -->

<!-- ❌ Don't: Add markup for content not visible on page -->

<!-- ❌ Don't: Use mark up to deceive or mislead -->

Key Points

• JSON-LD is the recommended format
• Structured data enables rich search results
• Test with Google's Rich Results Test
• Only mark up visible content
• Schema.org is the vocabulary standard
• Improves CTR from search results