Many search engines rely on structured data to enhance user experiences – and this trend will likely intensify in 2025.
For this reason, structured data is no longer a “nice-to-have” but an essential part of any SEO strategy.
Here’s what you need to know about structured data, including why it matters, important trends, key schema types, advanced techniques and more.
What is structured data?
Structured data is a standardized format for organizing and labeling page content that helps search engines understand it more effectively.
Google uses structured data to create enhanced listings, rich results and various features in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Being included in these features can boost your website’s visibility and organic reach, especially in entity-based searches.
Vocabulary
The most commonly used vocabulary for structured data is Schema.org, an open-source framework that provides an extensive library of types and properties.
Schema.org includes hundreds of predefined types, such as Product, Event or Person and properties like name, price and description.
Format
The preferred format for implementing structured data is JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data), which is endorsed by Google and other search engines.
JSON-LD encapsulates structured data within a <script> tag, keeping it separate from the core HTML.
This approach makes it more flexible, easier to implement and less intrusive. JSON-LD is particularly useful for dynamic content on larger websites.
Validation
Correct implementation of structured data is essential to be eligible for rich results.
To verify that structured data is properly implemented and can be processed by search engines, use tools like:
These tools check for errors or omissions in the schema, ensuring the markup is valid and effective.
Dig deeper: What is technical SEO?
Why structured data matters more than ever
Structured data enables search engines to interpret website content more deeply, enhancing how pages are indexed and presented in search results.
It allows brands to reach audiences in less competitive areas of search, such as voice and image search, allowing sites to drive traffic and engagement outside of traditional SEO.
Zero-click search and brand authority
More and more SERP features, like knowledge panels and featured snippets, depend on structured data to provide answers directly in search results. This means users can get information without clicking through the publisher’s site.
This rise of so-called zero-click searches, has made structured data even more indispensable in SEO.
While these features offer limited opportunity to drive visits, they can boost organic impressions, enhance brand recognition and maintain user interaction with the brand.
Being regularly shown in the rich results reinforce top-of-mind awareness (TOMA) – and in the E-E-A-T world, a trusted and authoritative brand is crucial for success in SEO.
Key schema types to use in 2025
While new schema types emerge regularly and should be tested where relevant, several “evergreen” types have proven their effectiveness over time.
Ecommerce
Product schema (often used together with Offer and Review schema) is essential for ecommerce, providing details about products, such as price, availability and reviews.
This schema powers rich snippets like product carousels and review stars in SERPs, significantly improving click-through rates.
Merchant listings (a combination of Product and Offer schema) can be a great way for new ecommerce sites to gain early visibility and traffic through Google Shopping.
AggregateOffer schema is ideal for marketplace websites, as it enables multiple vendors’ offers to be represented for the same product, allowing users to compare prices and options.
Informational
FAQ schema allows websites to present common questions and answers directly in the search results.
It is highly effective for improving user engagement by providing concise answers for conversational queries and can appear in rich results and voice search.
Q&A schema is designed for pages where users can submit questions and multiple answers are provided and is often found in forums or community-based platforms.
It powers a Q&A carousel that features both questions and answers directly in the SERP, increasing visibility and CTR for long-tail queries and conversational searches.
Article and WebPage schema can boost visibility in Google News, Discover and top stories carousels and get exposure in voice search.