Google uses structured data By categorizing topics, identifying important parts of web pages such as logos and pictureand the webpage is highlighted at the top of the page.
There are many kinds of structured data, but Google only likes one of them, so it’s important to use the right format.
What types of structured data does Google support?
Google supports three types of structured data:
- JSON-LD.
- microdata.
- RDFa.
Each of these standards is a different way of communicating structured data and is specified on the official Schema.org website.
Screenshot by author, May 2022In the image above, you can see that the Schema.org structured data example provides examples of three formats.
There are three tabs. Each tab corresponds to a different form of structured data: microdata, RDFa, and JSON-LD structured data.
What is microdata structured data?
Microdata is a way of adding metadata to HTML code and is part of the HTML specification, also known as the WHATWG (Hypertext Application Technology Working Group for the Web) HTML standard.
Microdata is an HTML specification for marking up web pages within HTML itself.
It is essentially metadata placed in HTML code that is
Published in markup, readable by machines such as Googlebot.Schema.org, the nonprofit that created the structured data specification, released a structured data interpreter called getting Started and used Microdata in all examples.
As such, microdata remains a valid means of communicating structured data and is currently supported by the Schema.org standards body and Google (unless explicitly not supported in specific cases).
Microdata nested within existing HTML like this:
<body itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/WebPage"> <div itemprop="breadcrumb"> <a href="https://www.searchenginejournal.com/structured-data-google-prefers/451847/category/books.html">Books</a> <a href="category/books-literature.html">Literature & Fiction</a> > <a href="category/books-classics">Classics</a> </div>
In the above code, microdata named “itemprop” is inserted to specify structured data properties, in this case, Bread crumbs Structured data attributes.
This is what the code looks like without the microdata structured data:
There are other ways to do the same thing by using the BreadcrumbList structured data type.
What is RDFa structured data?
RDFa is Resource Description Framework in Properties. It is an extension of HTML.
The reason it’s called an extension of HTML is that it extends HTML.
This is how Google describes RDFa:
“A microformat specifies both a syntax for including structured data into an HTML document and a set of microformat classes, each with its own specific vocabulary of allowed attributes.
RDFa, on the other hand, specifies only one grammar and allows you to use existing attribute vocabularies or create your own.
It even lets you freely combine multiple glossaries. If the existing vocabulary does not meet your needs, you can define your own criteria and vocabulary by creating new fields. “
RDFa provides another way of communicating structured data to Google that is less intrusive to the code than the microdata approach.
Like microdata, RDFa is currently specified by Schema.org as a valid form of data, and is currently supported by Google (unless explicitly not specified).
This is breadcrumb structured data looks like RDFa format:
What is JSON-LD?
JSON-LD is a scripting language that allows publishers to communicate important information to search engines.
JSON-LD is an acronym for JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data.
Because it’s a script, it’s relatively easier to use than Microdata and RDFa because JSON-LD is not embedded in HTML as metadata or as an extension to HTML itself.
JSON-LD can be placed anywhere on a web page, even in the Head section of a web page’s code where metadata is usually found.
JSON-LD can also be placed at the end of the code or in the content part of the code (site visitors can’t see it).
Another benefit of JSON-LD is that because it’s separate from HTML and lives in its own script, it can be easily edited and reviewed.
A breadcrumb list structured data markup might look like this:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "BreadcrumbList",
"itemListElement": [{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 1,
"name": "Widgets",
"item": "https://example.com/widgets"
},{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 2,
"name": "Blue Widgets",
"item": "https://example.com/widgets/blue-widgets"
},{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 3,
"name": "Reviews"
}]
}
</script>
Troubleshooting scripts completely separate from HTML is much easier than trying to encode structured data in HTML, which is how Microdata and RDFa are done.
According to the official introduction JSON-LD website:
“The data is messy and incoherent. JSON-LD organizes and connects it to create a better web.
It’s a way to create a standards-based network of machine-readable data across websites. “
JSON-LD scripts can be added to web pages in a way that can be templated within the site, making them easy to add, update, and delete.
The official Schema.org structured data specification can be found at Schema.org (surprise!).
What type of structured data does Google prefer?
While the Schema.org standards organization continues to support Microdata, it is the version that Google supports that matters.
In Hangouts during Google office hours March 2019one participant asked the following questions:
“Which type of Schema markup is better for Google? Should I use Jason or… microformats? Which format is preferable?”
John Mueller replied:
“We currently prefer JSON-LD markup. I think most new structured data comes first in JSON-LD. So that’s what we prefer.”
Google prefers JSON-LD structured data
Google’s John Mueller made it clear that Google prefers JSON-LD structured data.
One benefit of JSON-LD structured data is that it is non-intrusive.
It is non-intrusive because it separates structured data from HTML code.
This makes it easier to read, troubleshoot and update structured data as it is easier to implement and maintain.
Additionally, the JSON-LD scripting language follows a set of easy-to-learn rules and can be easily added or removed from a site.
How to implement JSON-LD structured data
Schema.org Official JSON-LD Structured Data Schema.org The website has lots of examples on how to code structured data. Just take an example and use it as a template.
Here is an example image without structured data:
Screenshot by author, May 2022Here is an example of the exact same content represented as JSON-LD Schema.org structured data:
Screenshot by author, May 2022Google prefers JSON-LD structured data
Google’s preferred structured data format is JSON-LD.
Because this is Google’s preference, it’s best to ensure that all structured data used in web pages uses JSON-LD rather than JSON-LD structures.
Watch the Google Webmaster Office Hour Hangout at 22:33:
More resources:
Featured image: Helder Almeida/Shutterstock
