Complete Structured Data Guide 2026

Have you seen star ratings, FAQs, or recipe cards in search results? That's Rich Results.

As of 2026, pages with rich results have an average 58% higher CTR. Make your content stand out with structured data.

What is Structured Data?

Structured data is a standardized format that helps search engines understand page content.

Key Concepts

Term	Description
Schema.org	Vocabulary co-developed by Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo
JSON-LD	JavaScript-based data format (Google recommended)
Rich Results	Enhanced search results based on structured data
Rich Snippet	Older term for rich results

Why JSON-LD?

Format	Pros	Cons
JSON-LD	Separate from HTML, easy maintenance	JavaScript dependency
Microdata	Embedded directly in HTML	Complex code
RDFa	Flexible	Learning curve

Google Official Recommendation: JSON-LD

Types of Rich Results

Major Types Supported by Google

Type	Display Format	Use Case
Article	News card	Blogs, News
FAQ	Expandable Q&A	FAQ pages
How-to	Step-by-step guide	Tutorials
Product	Price, stock, rating	Product pages
Review	Star rating display	Review content
Recipe	Cook time, calories	Recipes
Event	Date, location	Events
LocalBusiness	Hours, location	Local businesses
BreadcrumbList	Path display	All pages

JSON-LD Basic Structure

Template

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "SchemaType",
  "property1": "value1",
  "property2": "value2"
}
</script>

Required Elements

Element	Description
`@context`	Always "https://schema.org"
`@type`	Schema type (Article, FAQ, etc.)
Required properties	Varies by type

Practical Implementation Examples

1. Article (Blog/News)

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Article",
  "headline": "Complete Structured Data Guide 2026",
  "description": "How to get rich results with JSON-LD",
  "image": "https://example.com/article-image.jpg",
  "author": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Sam Rank",
    "url": "https://example.com/author/sam-rank"
  },
  "publisher": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "Toolypet",
    "logo": {
      "@type": "ImageObject",
      "url": "https://toolypet.com/logo.png"
    }
  },
  "datePublished": "2026-02-22",
  "dateModified": "2026-02-22"
}

2. FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What is structured data?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Structured data is a standardized format that helps search engines understand page content."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "Where should I put JSON-LD?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "It can be placed anywhere in the HTML <head> or <body>, but placing it in the <head> is recommended."
      }
    }
  ]
}

3. How-to (Step-by-Step Guide)

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "HowTo",
  "name": "How to Add JSON-LD Structured Data",
  "description": "How to add JSON-LD to your webpage",
  "totalTime": "PT10M",
  "step": [
    {
      "@type": "HowToStep",
      "name": "Choose Schema Type",
      "text": "Select the Schema.org type that matches your page content."
    },
    {
      "@type": "HowToStep",
      "name": "Write JSON-LD Code",
      "text": "Write JSON-LD code according to your chosen schema."
    },
    {
      "@type": "HowToStep",
      "name": "Insert into HTML",
      "text": "Wrap the code with <script type='application/ld+json'> tag and insert into HTML."
    },
    {
      "@type": "HowToStep",
      "name": "Test",
      "text": "Validate using Google Rich Results Test."
    }
  ]
}

4. Product

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Product",
  "name": "SEO Guidebook 2026",
  "description": "Practical guide with the latest SEO strategies",
  "image": "https://example.com/product.jpg",
  "brand": {
    "@type": "Brand",
    "name": "Toolypet"
  },
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": "29.99",
    "priceCurrency": "USD",
    "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock",
    "url": "https://example.com/product"
  },
  "aggregateRating": {
    "@type": "AggregateRating",
    "ratingValue": "4.8",
    "reviewCount": "124"
  }
}

5. BreadcrumbList

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
  "itemListElement": [
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 1,
      "name": "Home",
      "item": "https://example.com"
    },
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 2,
      "name": "SEO",
      "item": "https://example.com/seo"
    },
    {
      "@type": "ListItem",
      "position": 3,
      "name": "Structured Data Guide",
      "item": "https://example.com/seo/structured-data"
    }
  ]
}

6. LocalBusiness

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "LocalBusiness",
  "name": "Morning Glory Cafe",
  "image": "https://example.com/cafe.jpg",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "123 Main Street",
    "addressLocality": "San Francisco",
    "addressRegion": "CA",
    "postalCode": "94102",
    "addressCountry": "US"
  },
  "telephone": "+1-415-555-1234",
  "openingHoursSpecification": [
    {
      "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
      "dayOfWeek": ["Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday"],
      "opens": "09:00",
      "closes": "22:00"
    }
  ],
  "priceRange": "$$"
}

Framework-Specific Implementation

Next.js

// app/layout.tsx or pages/_document.tsx
import Script from 'next/script';

export default function Layout({ children }) {
  const jsonLd = {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "WebSite",
    "name": "Toolypet",
    "url": "https://toolypet.com"
  };

  return (
    <html>
      <head>
        <Script
          id="json-ld"
          type="application/ld+json"
          dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: JSON.stringify(jsonLd) }}
        />
      </head>
      <body>{children}</body>
    </html>
  );
}

React (Helmet)

import { Helmet } from 'react-helmet';

function ArticlePage({ article }) {
  const jsonLd = {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "Article",
    "headline": article.title,
    "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": article.author }
  };

  return (
    <>
      <Helmet>
        <script type="application/ld+json">
          {JSON.stringify(jsonLd)}
        </script>
      </Helmet>
      <article>{/* Content */}</article>
    </>
  );
}

WordPress

// functions.php
function add_json_ld_schema() {
  if (is_single()) {
    $schema = array(
      "@context" => "https://schema.org",
      "@type" => "Article",
      "headline" => get_the_title(),
      "datePublished" => get_the_date('c')
    );
    echo '<script type="application/ld+json">' . json_encode($schema) . '</script>';
  }
}
add_action('wp_head', 'add_json_ld_schema');

Validation and Testing

Google Official Tools

Tool	URL	Purpose
Rich Results Test	search.google.com/test/rich-results	Test rich results eligibility
Schema Markup Validator	validator.schema.org	Validate schema syntax
Search Console	search.google.com/search-console	Check actual indexing status

Testing Checklist

No JSON syntax errors
All required properties included
Matches actual page content
Valid image URLs
Rich Results Test passed

Common Mistakes and Solutions

1. JSON Syntax Errors

// ❌ Wrong: trailing comma
{
  "name": "Test",
  "url": "https://example.com",  // Here!
}

// ✅ Correct
{
  "name": "Test",
  "url": "https://example.com"
}

2. Missing Required Properties

// ❌ Missing author in Article
{
  "@type": "Article",
  "headline": "Title only"
}

// ✅ Including required properties
{
  "@type": "Article",
  "headline": "Complete Article",
  "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Author" },
  "datePublished": "2026-02-22"
}

3. Content Mismatch

// ❌ Different from page content
{
  "@type": "Product",
  "price": "10000"  // Actual page shows 15000
}

// Google guideline violation = risk of manual action

4. Excessive Markup

❌ Marking up all text as structured data
❌ Applying schema to hidden content
❌ Including information not visible to users

✅ Only mark up actually visible content
✅ Structure only key information

SEO Impact

Expected Benefits

Metric	Improvement
CTR (Click-through rate)	+20-58%
Impressions	Rich results eligibility
Trust	Star ratings, reviews displayed
Voice Search	Answer candidate

Cautions

Structured data ≠ guaranteed ranking improvement
Rich results display is at Google's discretion
Manual action for guideline violations

Best Practices Checklist

Implementation

Choose appropriate schema for page type
Include all required properties
Use JSON-LD format
Place in <head>

Content

Matches actual page content
Only includes user-visible information
Keep information up to date

Testing

Rich Results Test passed
Schema Markup Validator passed
No errors in Search Console

FAQ

Q1: Does structured data directly affect rankings?

A: It's not a direct ranking factor. However, it has indirect effects like increased CTR and voice search answers.

Q2: Can I put multiple schemas on one page?

A: Yes! It's common to use Article + FAQ + BreadcrumbList together. Add each as a separate <script> tag.

Q3: Why aren't rich results showing?

A: Possible reasons:

Missing required properties
Page not indexed
Google's discretion (not guaranteed)
Competing pages more suitable

Q4: Microdata vs JSON-LD - which should I choose?

A: JSON-LD is recommended. It's officially recommended by Google and easier to maintain as it's separate from HTML.

Q5: Can structured data be applied to dynamic content?

A: Yes! Google can read JSON-LD generated by JavaScript. However, server-side rendering is more stable.

Conclusion

Structured Data Essentials:

Use JSON-LD: Google recommended format
Choose appropriate schema: Match content type
Include required properties: Check type-specific requirements
Match content: Only visible information
Test thoroughly: Pass Rich Results Test

Related Tools

Tool	Purpose
Structured Data Generator	Auto-generate JSON-LD
Meta Tag Generator	Generate meta tags
SERP Preview	Preview search results