Definition
JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) is the recommended method for implementing Schema.org structured data on web pages. It is embedded in a `<script type="application/ld+json">` tag in the page `<head>` or `<body>`, keeping the structured data completely separate from the visible HTML markup.
Search engines and AI systems read JSON-LD to understand page entities, relationships, and content types. Because it's isolated from HTML, it's easy to add, update, and validate without touching the page layout. Google, Bing, and most AI crawlers all support JSON-LD natively.
Why It Matters
JSON-LD is the single most impactful technical change you can make to improve AI readability. It gives AI systems an unambiguous, machine-readable summary of your page's meaning — dramatically improving citation accuracy and structured snippet eligibility.
Examples
- `{"@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [...]}` for FAQ content
- `{"@type": "Article", "headline": "...", "author": {...}}` for blog posts
- `{"@type": "Organization", "name": "...", "url": "..."}` in the site-wide layout
- `{"@type": "DefinedTerm", "name": "AEO", "description": "..."}` for glossary pages