Structured Data for SEO and AEO
How to use JSON-LD structured data to improve search visibility and answer engine optimization.
What is Structured Data?
Structured data is machine-readable markup (usually JSON-LD) that describes your page: article, FAQ, organization, breadcrumbs, etc. Search engines and AI systems use it to understand and display your content better (rich results, knowledge panels, citations).
Schema.org and JSON-LD
Schema.org is the vocabulary (Article, FAQPage, Organization, etc.). JSON-LD is a format you can put in a <script type="application/ld+json"> tag. Google and other crawlers recommend JSON-LD; it’s also easy for AI systems to parse. Validate with Google’s Rich Results Test or schema validators.
Types That Help SEO and AEO
Article – headline, author, date. FAQPage – questions and answers (great for snippets and AEO). BreadcrumbList – navigation. Organization – brand and logo. HowTo – steps. Use only schema that matches your content; don’t fabricate or stuff.
Best Practices
Keep JSON-LD accurate and in sync with the visible page. Use one block per logical entity where possible. Test after changes. For AEO, clear Q&A and definitions in FAQ schema help AI cite you correctly.