A human reads a web page and immediately understands that this is a business, that this is an address and that these are the opening hours. A machine sees only text. Unless you make it explicit. You do that with structured data, and the most widely used method for it is called JSON-LD.
What is structured data?
Structured data is structured information you place in your website’s code to make the meaning of your content explicit. You tell search engines and AI literally: this is the business name, this is the service, this is a frequently asked question with this answer. It is invisible to visitors, but highly visible to machines.
What is JSON-LD?
JSON-LD is the format in which structured data is best placed. It stands for JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data. It is a small block of code you add to a page, separate from your visible text. Google officially recommends JSON-LD over older methods.
An example
A painting company adds JSON-LD containing the business name, the type of business, the service area, the services and the reviews. When a search engine or AI reads the page, it does not have to guess. The facts are stated unambiguously. That increases the chance of correct display and citation.
Why is this essential for AI?
AI systems build their understanding from structured facts. The clearer you supply those facts, the better the AI understands and can cite you. Structured data is the foundation beneath entity recognition, and therefore beneath your entire AI findability.
