Not difficult, but easily wrong: and wrong is worse than absent.
You set up structured data by adding the appropriate schema per page type in JSON-LD format: organisation and WebSite site-wide, Service on service pages, FAQPage for visible questions, Article for articles. The hard rule: the marking must match what is visible on the page.
STEP BY STEP
This is how you approach it
- Determine what it is per pageA service, an article, a frequently asked question, a vacancy. The type determines the schedule; there is no general scheme that fits everywhere.
- Add organisation and WebSite sitewideWho you are, how you can be reached, what your site is. This is the basis that other schemes can refer to.
- Add the page-specific schemaService with a real price on service pages, FAQPage for visible questions, Article with author and date for articles, BreadcrumbList on deeper pages.
- Use JSON-LDThat is the format that Google recommends and it can be maintained separately from your HTML. Marking woven into your layout is more fragile.
- Check with a testing toolThe Rich Results Test shows errors and warnings. One mistake can invalidate the entire block, so check before going live.
- Check again for each changeIf a price changes on the page and not in the markup, it is no longer correct. For us, the build fails when that happens.
PITFALLS
The rule you shouldn't break
The marking must match what the visitor sees. Flagging reviews that aren't there, or prices that aren't listed anywhere, is a quick route to a manual action.
Your own assessments about yourself are also not eligible. These have to come from an independent source, otherwise everyone will mark themselves five stars.
- Matches the visible page — the most important rule.
- No stars of its own — independent source required.
- Do not highlight hidden content — what you highlight must be visible.
- Test before going live — one mistake can invalidate everything.
- Please update if changes occur — outdated marking is wrong.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
More about marking
Do I need a plugin?
Not necessary. JSON-LD is a block of code in your page. A plugin can generate it, but always check that what comes out matches your page: automatically generated markup is often generic.
Will this get me stars in Google?
Only if you have qualifying reviews from an independent source. Structured data enables rich results; Google decides whether it is shown.
Is it standard for you?
Yes, per page type, and the audit script validates that the JSON is valid on each build. That's exactly the kind of mistake you wouldn't notice for months otherwise.
CONTINUE READING
Of course, continue reading about this subject.
Machine readable okay?
We put structured data on every page and validate it with every build.