JSON-LD
Also called: JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data, ld+json
JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) is a JSON-based format for embedding structured data in a web page. It is Google's recommended way to add Schema.org markup so search engines can understand the page's content and generate rich results.
JSON-LD stands for JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data. You write your structured data as a JSON object and drop it into a <script type="application/ld+json"> tag in the page’s <head> or <body>. Because the markup sits in its own block and is not woven through the visible HTML, it stays readable and is easier to maintain at scale. That is exactly why Google names it the recommended format for structured data and calls it “less prone to user errors.”
The @context key points to a vocabulary, almost always https://schema.org, and maps your shorthand terms to full identifiers so machines read them the same way everywhere. @type declares what the thing is (Article, Product, FAQPage, LocalBusiness), and the remaining keys carry the properties.
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "SEOBRO",
"url": "https://seobro.com"
}
</script>Google reads this to understand what a page is about and to decide whether it qualifies for rich results such as review stars, breadcrumbs, or product pricing. Microdata and RDFa still work, and Google treats all three as equally valid, but JSON-LD wins on friction because it does not touch your template’s presentation layer and can even be injected with JavaScript.
Standard, not a Google invention
JSON-LD is a W3C Recommendation (JSON-LD 1.1, published 16 July 2020), so it is a stable open standard for serializing Linked Data, not a search-engine quirk that could vanish.
How it affects your traffic
Structured data is one of the highest-leverage technical wins available, and JSON-LD is how you ship it cleanly. Get the markup wrong, mismatch it against visible content, or leave it off entirely, and you forfeit rich results (star ratings, breadcrumbs, product prices) that lift click-through even when your ranking position does not move. AI answer engines also lean on structured data to identify entities, so sloppy JSON-LD leaves you less legible to both Google and tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity. Our Technical SEO service audits, fixes, and validates your JSON-LD so the right rich results actually show.
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