Structured data: what it is and what it is for

A machine reads text, but does not automatically know that '€ 89' is a price, that '9:00 – 17:30' are opening hours, or that a paragraph is the answer to the heading above it. Structured data says so explicitly, in a fixed format all major parties understand.

The result is not that you rank higher — it is not a ranking factor in itself. The result is that your listing looks different and is understood better: stars, prices, frequently asked questions, opening hours, breadcrumbs.

For language models the same principle applies: an explicitly marked question with an answer is easier to take over than a paragraph where that is implicit.

The organisation or local business: name, address, phone number, opening hours, service area. This is the foundation and it should match exactly what your business profile and directories say.

The page itself and the breadcrumb, so it is clear where a page sits in the structure. Services with an offer catalogue underneath, for those who deliver several things.

Question-and-answer blocks on pages that genuinely answer questions, and products with price and availability for those who sell. Reviews may only be marked up if they are real and live on your own site.

What not to do: mark up what is not there. Structured data that does not match the visible page is ignored, or earns a manual action.

Google has a free test in which you paste an address and see which blocks are recognised and which errors it contains. Do that after every major change to the site, and certainly after a move.

Watch especially for contradictions: an address in the code that differs from the address on the page, opening hours not updated, or prices that exist only in the code.

And keep it up: structured data is not a one-off job. As soon as your services, locations or opening hours change, this changes with them — otherwise you are telling machines something that is no longer true.