Structured Data

JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) is Google's preferred format for structured data. It is placed inside a <script type='application/ld+json'> tag and does not require modifying existing HTML.

Common Schema.org types: Article, Product, FAQPage, BreadcrumbList, Organization, LocalBusiness, Person, HowTo.

Open Graph (OG) meta tags control how a page appears when shared on social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn, Slack). Key tags: og:title, og:description, og:image, og:url. Missing OG tags result in poorly formatted social shares.

The audit checks whether the essential OG tags are present and reports which specific tags are missing.

Microdata is an older HTML-inline format for structured data using itemscope and itemprop attributes. RDFa (Resource Description Framework in Attributes) is another inline format. Both are still supported by Google but JSON-LD is preferred for new implementations.

The audit counts the number of Microdata and RDFa elements found on the page.

When Google can parse structured data correctly, it may show 'rich results' — enhanced SERP features such as FAQ accordions, product ratings, recipe cards, and event listings. These improve visibility and CTR without improving ranking position.

In 2026, Google has expanded rich result types and increasingly uses structured data for AI Overviews and Knowledge Panels.

Twitter Card meta tags (twitter:card, twitter:title, twitter:description, twitter:image) control how links appear when shared on Twitter/X. The most common type is 'summary_large_image' which shows a large preview image.

While not a direct SEO ranking factor, Twitter Cards improve social sharing appearance and drive social traffic. The audit reports which Twitter Card tags are present.