Structured Data
Structured data uses standardised formats (JSON-LD, Microdata) to describe page content to search engines, enabling rich results like FAQ snippets, star ratings, and breadcrumbs in SERPs.
Details
JSON-LD
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.
Open Graph
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.
Microdata
Microdata is an older HTML-inline format for structured data using itemscope and itemprop attributes. It is still supported by Google but JSON-LD is preferred for new implementations.
Rich results
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.
Twitter Cards
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 click-through rates from social traffic.
Metrics
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| JSON-LD objects | Number of valid JSON-LD structured data blocks found. |
| Open Graph present | Whether og:title, og:description, og:image are all present. |
| Missing OG tags | List of recommended Open Graph tags that are missing. |
| Twitter Cards | Whether Twitter Card meta tags are present. |
| Microdata objects | Number of Microdata itemscope elements found. |
| RDFa objects | Number of RDFa elements found on the page. |