What is structured data?
Structured data is a standard vocabulary for describing a page's content to machines — stating that this is a business, this is its phone number, this is a service, this is a question and its answer. A person can infer those things from layout; a machine has to be told. Structured data lets search engines and AI systems use your information rather than guess at it.
The short definition
Structured data is a standard vocabulary for describing a page's content to machines.
A person reading your site can tell that "832-338-2926" is a phone number and that a heading followed by a paragraph is a question and its answer. A machine has to infer it — unless you say so explicitly, which is what structured data does.
The common vocabulary is schema.org, usually written as JSON-LD in the page.
What it is used for
Rich results. Review stars, FAQ expansions, event details and similar enhancements in search results, where the search engine chooses to show them.
Understanding. Even without a visible enhancement, clearly stated facts help a search engine be confident about what your business is, where it operates and what it offers.
AI answers. Systems that generate answers draw on sources they can parse reliably. Explicitly stated facts are easier to use — and to attribute — than facts implied by page layout.
The types that matter for a local business
- LocalBusiness or a more specific type — name, address, phone, hours, area served
- Service — what you actually do, connected to the business that provides it
- FAQPage — questions and answers already visible on the page
- Article — for genuine editorial content, with author and date
- BreadcrumbList — where a page sits in the site
- Person — the named individual behind the business, which matters for credibility
The rules that actually matter
Only mark up what is on the page. Structured data describing content a visitor cannot see is against search engine guidelines and can lead to penalties.
Keep it accurate and current. Wrong hours in markup are worse than no hours, because they may be displayed.
Do not expect guaranteed rich results. Markup makes a page eligible; search engines choose whether to show enhancements.
What it will not do
It will not make a bad page rank. Structured data describes content; it does not improve it. A thin page with excellent markup is still a thin page.
What it does is remove ambiguity, which matters increasingly as more systems read sites without a human ever seeing them.
Checking yours
Google's Rich Results Test and Search Console's enhancement reports both show what is detected on your pages and what errors exist. If nothing is detected, that is a straightforward gap to close.
Frequently asked questions
What structured data does a local business need?
LocalBusiness or a more specific type with name, address, phone, hours and area served; Service for what you do; FAQPage for questions already on the page; Article for editorial content; and Person for the named individual behind the business.
Does structured data guarantee rich results?
No. Markup makes a page eligible for enhancements like review stars or FAQ expansions, but search engines choose whether to display them.
Can I mark up content that is not visible?
No. Describing content a visitor cannot see is against search engine guidelines and can result in penalties. Only mark up what is on the page.
Will structured data improve my rankings?
Not directly. It describes content rather than improving it — a thin page with perfect markup is still a thin page. What it does is remove ambiguity for systems reading your site.