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Structured Data: Essential for SEO and AEO in 2026
Key points of the article
- Structured data are code snippets (JSON-LD) that help Google and AI understand the content of your pages
- JSON-LD is the format recommended by Google: easy to implement and maintain
- In SEO, structured data allows you to get rich results (rich snippets) that increase click-through rate
- In AEO, they facilitate the extraction and citation of your content by generative AI (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini)
- The 5 priority schemas: Organization, Article, FAQPage, LocalBusiness, Product
- Structured data reinforces E-E-A-T signals (expertise, authority, trustworthiness)
- Beware of over-markup: too many schemas or inconsistent schemas can be counterproductive
- Structured data is an amplifier: they don't compensate for poor quality content
Which Structured Data to Implement for SEO and AEO?
Structured data is not a new topic. Yet in 2026, they have never been more strategic.
Why? Because the rules of the game have changed. Google displays more and more rich results. And especially, generative AI like ChatGPT, Perplexity or Gemini need to understand your content to cite it.
Structured data is the common language between your site and these algorithms. Without them, you remain vague. With them, you become readable.
In this article, we explain which ones to implement, why, and how to avoid classic mistakes.
What is structured data?
Structured data are pieces of code added to your pages. Invisible to your visitors, they speak directly to search engines and AI.
Concretely, they use the Schema.org vocabulary to describe the content of your pages: who you are, what you offer, what your article is about, etc.
Schema.org was created in 2011 by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Yandex. The goal: to establish a universal standard for structuring information on the web. Today, it's the reference used by all search engines.
JSON-LD, Microdata, RDFa: which format to choose?
There are three formats for implementing structured data:
1. JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data)
- Placed in the
<head>or<body>of the page - Doesn't interfere with HTML
- Easy to maintain and modify
- Recommended by Google
2. Microdata
- Integrates directly into HTML tags
- More complex to maintain
- Risk of errors if HTML changes
3. RDFa
- Similar to Microdata
- Used mainly for specific cases
Our recommendation: use JSON-LD. It's the simplest format to implement, the most flexible, and the one Google favors in its official documentation.
How Google reads structured data
When Googlebot crawls a page, it analyzes the visible content AND the source code. Structured data allows it to understand the context without having to interpret the text.
Let's take a concrete example. You have a page that mentions "SEO Audit - $1500". Without structured data, Google must guess that it's a service with a price. With the Product schema, it knows immediately:
- It's a service
- It's called "SEO Audit"
- It costs $1500
- It's available
This explicit understanding allows Google to display rich results: price, availability, reviews, FAQ... These elements increase visibility and click-through rate.
You can test your structured data with the Google Rich Results Test.
Why structured data matters for SEO
Structured data does not directly influence your ranking. Google has confirmed this several times.
But their indirect impact is real. They allow you to get rich snippets: stars, FAQ, prices, images... These elements catch the eye and increase click-through rate.
Some figures from Google case studies:
- Rotten Tomatoes: +25% CTR on pages with structured data
- Food Network: +35% visits after implementation
- Nestlé: +82% CTR on rich results vs classic results
More clicks = more positive signals for Google = better ranking in the long term.
Why they matter even more for AEO
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is optimization for AI search engines: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Bing Copilot...
These tools don't just display links. They generate answers. And for that, they need to understand your content quickly and precisely.
How LLMs exploit structured data
Language models (LLMs) like GPT-4 or Gemini analyze billions of pages to build their answers. Structured data accelerates this process by providing a clear "reading map".
Concretely, LLMs use schemas to:
- Identify entities: who is the author, what is the company, what is the page about
- Extract formatted answers: structured FAQs are particularly easy to reuse
- Evaluate reliability: publication date, identified author, verifiable source
Well-structured content is more likely to be extracted, summarized and cited in a generated answer.
Without structured data, AI must guess. And when in doubt, it favors sources where information is explicit.
The link between structured data and E-E-A-T
E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is a central criterion for Google. Structured data allows you to reinforce these signals.
Experience and Expertise
- The
Personschema identifies the author and their qualifications - The
authorfield inArticlelinks content to a real person - The
Organizationschema establishes the company's credibility
Authoritativeness
- The
sameAsfield connects your entity to your official profiles (LinkedIn, Twitter...) - Links to reliable sources reinforce your thematic authority
Trustworthiness
- Dates (
datePublished,dateModified) prove content freshness - Structured reviews (
aggregateRating,review) add social proof
For generative AI, these signals are essential. They favor sources where expertise is verifiable.
The 5 types of schema to implement as a priority
Not all schemas are equal. Here are those with the most impact for SEO and AEO.
1. Organization
For whom? Any company, agency, SaaS.
This schema describes your entity: name, logo, website, social networks, contact details. It strengthens your presence in Google's Knowledge Graph and helps AI identify you as a reliable source.
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Vydera",
"url": "https://www.vydera.com",
"logo": "https://www.vydera.com/logo.png",
"description": "SEO and GEO agency specialized in visibility on Google and generative AI.",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/vydera",
"https://twitter.com/vydera"
],
"contactPoint": {
"@type": "ContactPoint",
"telephone": "+33-X-XX-XX-XX-XX",
"contactType": "customer service",
"areaServed": "UK",
"availableLanguage": "English"
}
}2. Article
For whom? Any site with a blog or editorial content.
This schema indicates the title, author, publication date and topic. Essential for AI to understand your articles and be able to cite them.
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Which Structured Data Should You Implement for SEO and AEO?",
"description": "Complete guide on structured data to implement for improving your SEO visibility and being cited by generative AI.",
"author": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Vydera",
"url": "https://www.vydera.com/en"
},
"publisher": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Vydera",
"logo": {
"@type": "ImageObject",
"url": "https://www.vydera.com/logo.png"
}
},
"datePublished": "2026-01-22",
"dateModified": "2026-01-22",
"mainEntityOfPage": {
"@type": "WebPage",
"@id": "https://www.vydera.com/en/lab/structured-data-seo-aeo"
}
}3. FAQPage
For whom? Service pages, landing pages, articles with an FAQ section.
This schema is particularly effective for AEO. AI loves the question/answer format. They extract it easily to generate their answers.
It's probably the most underestimated schema. Google reduced the display of FAQs in SERPs, but LLMs continue to exploit them massively.
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "FAQPage",
"mainEntity": [
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "Do structured data improve SEO?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "Indirectly, yes. They enable rich results that increase click-through rates, sending positive signals to Google."
}
},
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "Do AI systems use structured data?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "Yes. Structured data help generative AI understand the context and content of your pages, increasing your chances of being cited."
}
}
]
}4. LocalBusiness
For whom? Companies with a local presence (agencies, shops, offices...).
This schema describes your address, hours, service area. Essential for local SEO and to appear in geolocated AI responses.
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "LocalBusiness",
"name": "Vydera",
"description": "SEO and AEO agency based in London.",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "123 Example Street",
"addressLocality": "London",
"postalCode": "WC2N 5DU",
"addressCountry": "GB"
},
"geo": {
"@type": "GeoCoordinates",
"latitude": 51.5074,
"longitude": -0.1278
},
"telephone": "+44-X-XXXX-XXXX",
"openingHoursSpecification": {
"@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
"dayOfWeek": ["Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday"],
"opens": "09:00",
"closes": "18:00"
},
"priceRange": "££"
}5. Product
For whom? E-commerce, SaaS with priced offers, comparators.
This schema details your products or services: name, description, price, availability, reviews. AI uses it to generate comparisons and recommendations.
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Product",
"name": "Complete SEO Audit",
"description": "Technical, semantic, and competitive analysis of your website to improve visibility on Google and AI systems.",
"brand": {
"@type": "Brand",
"name": "Vydera"
},
"offers": {
"@type": "Offer",
"price": "1500",
"priceCurrency": "EUR",
"availability": "https://schema.org/InStock"
},
"aggregateRating": {
"@type": "AggregateRating",
"ratingValue": "4.9",
"reviewCount": "27"
}
}What priorities according to your site type?
Not all sites have the same needs. Here are the schemas to prioritize according to your activity:
Always start with Organization. It's the base that identifies your entity. Then add the schemas specific to your activity.
Mistakes to avoid
Structured data is powerful. But poorly used, they can hurt you.
Over-markup
Adding schemas everywhere "just in case" is counterproductive. Google ignores irrelevant structured data. Worse, excessive markup can be perceived as spam.
Simple rule: a schema must correspond to the actual content of the page. If you don't have a visible FAQ, don't add FAQPage.
Inconsistencies
If your schema indicates a price at $500 but the page displays $700, you lose credibility. Google and AI detect these inconsistencies.
Always verify that structured data exactly reflects what is visible on the page.
Outdated data
A schema with a date of 2023 on an article "trends 2026" is problematic. Update your dateModified with each content modification.
Markup without quality content
This is the most common mistake. Some think that structured data will compensate for weak content. This is false.
Structured data is an amplifier. They make good content more visible. But they don't improve bad content.
Our point of view: structured data doesn't do everything
Let's be clear: structured data will never replace good content.
You can have the cleanest markup in the world. If your content is shallow, poorly written or irrelevant, neither Google nor AI will highlight you.
At Vydera, our approach is simple: we work on the substance first (strategy, content, expertise), then we optimize the form (structure, markup, technical).
The reverse doesn't work.
Structured data is a technical lever. But the real differentiator remains the quality of information you bring to your audience.
How to verify that your structured data works
Before going live, always test your markup.
Recommended tools
- Google Rich Results Test: checks if your structured data is valid and eligible for rich results
- Schema Markup Validator: technical validation of JSON-LD code according to the Schema.org standard
- Google Search Console: tracking errors and rich results detected on your site
For AEO
There is no official tool yet to measure your visibility in AI. The most reliable method in 2026: test manually.
Ask questions to ChatGPT or Perplexity about your sector. Observe if your content is cited. Note the queries where you appear and those where you are absent.
It's artisanal, but it works.
Conclusion
Structured data has become essential. For SEO, they boost your visibility in rich results. For AEO, they allow AI to understand you and cite you.
But be careful not to fall into excess. Relevant markup on quality content will always be more effective than over-markup on mediocre content.
Where to start?
- Implement
Organizationon your site - Add
Articleon your editorial content - Structure your FAQs with
FAQPage - Then adapt according to your activity (LocalBusiness, Product...)
And above all: don't neglect the content. That's what makes the difference.
No, the impact is indirect. Google confirmed that structured data doesn't directly influence rankings. However, they allow you to get rich results (stars, FAQ, prices...) that increase click-through rate. More clicks send positive signals to Google, which can improve your ranking in the long term.
Generative AI like ChatGPT or Perplexity need to quickly understand a page's content to cite it. Structured data acts as an identity card: they clearly indicate who the author is, what the page is about and when it was published. Without them, the AI must guess. With them, your chances of being cited increase significantly.
JSON-LD is the format recommended by Google. It's placed in the page code without interfering with the visible HTML. It's simpler to implement, easier to maintain and less prone to errors. Microdata and RDFa are still supported but more complex to manage, especially on sites with many pages.
It depends on your activity, but always start with Organization to identify your entity. Then:
- SaaS / B2B: Article, FAQPage, Product
- E-commerce: Product, FAQPage, BreadcrumbList
- Local: LocalBusiness, FAQPage
- Blog: Article, FAQPage, Person
FAQPage is particularly effective for AEO because AI easily exploits the question/answer format.
Yes, over-markup is counterproductive. Adding schemas "just in case" or on content that doesn't match can be ignored by Google, or even perceived as spam. Simple rule: a schema must exactly reflect the visible content on the page. If you don't have a visible FAQ, don't add FAQPage. Quality and relevance always take precedence over quantity.
