What is structured data (schema markup)?

In practice

The common vocabulary is schema.org, usually written as JSON-LD in the page head. The value comes from accuracy and connectedness: an organisation node that every other node refers to, consistent identifiers, and markup that matches what is actually on the page. Marking up things that are not visible is a policy violation and is treated as spam.

Where it fits in a build

Worth doing on any page with a clear type — services, articles, definitions, FAQs, products, events, locations. It is also increasingly how generative systems decide what an entity is.

Common mistakes

• Marking up content that does not appear on the page.
• Several conflicting organisation definitions from different plugins on the same site.
• Never validating it, so an error introduced in a template goes unnoticed for months.

Related terms

• Answer engine optimisation (AEO)
• Generative engine optimisation (GEO)
• llms.txt

Working on something that involves this?

ASTACKRA designs and builds AI systems, automation and custom software for businesses that need technology shaped around their own workflow. If this term turned up in a proposal and you want a straight answer about whether it applies to your situation, ask us — no obligation, and we will tell you if the answer is no.