Schema markup: structured data and JSON-LD basics
Schema markup is a way of labelling the content on a page so search engines understand not just the words but what they mean — that this is a product, that is a price, this is an author. It is structured data, and it can unlock richer, more useful search results.
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What structured data does
Ordinary HTML tells an engine how content should look; structured data tells it what the content is. Marking up a page with a shared vocabulary — from schema.org — lets an engine recognise a recipe, a review, an event, or an organisation for what it is.
This understanding can produce rich results: star ratings, prices, event dates, and other enhancements shown directly in the results. It does not guarantee them, but it makes a page eligible and helps the engine represent it accurately.
Why JSON-LD is preferred
Structured data can be added in a few formats, but JSON-LD has become the recommended one. It sits in a script block in the page rather than being woven through the visible HTML, which keeps the markup separate from the content and far easier to maintain.
Because it is decoupled, JSON-LD can be added, updated, or generated without touching the layout, and it is less prone to breaking when the design changes. For most sites it is the cleanest way to describe a page to an engine.
Common types and honest use
The useful types map to real content: Article and BlogPosting for writing, Product and Offer for commerce, Organization and LocalBusiness for identity, FAQPage for question-and-answer sections, BreadcrumbList for navigation. You mark up what genuinely exists on the page.
The rule is that markup must match visible content. Describing a rating or price that a visitor cannot actually see is a violation that can lead to penalties or lost rich results. Structured data is a faithful description, not an embellishment.
Where Kirti fits
Kirti is being built to check a brand’s structured data during its technical audit — flagging missing, broken, or mismatched markup — and to propose accurate JSON-LD that matches what is on the page, for the team to approve before it ships.
The agent is in active development and not yet generally available; the schema.org vocabulary and rich-result rules apply whatever tooling you use to add markup.