JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) is the format Google recommends for adding structured data to web pages. It sits in a script tag, separate from the visible HTML.

JSON-LD — SEO Library | Iftikhar Qureshi

Why JSON-LD is preferred#

Structured data can be written in three formats: JSON-LD, Microdata and RDFa. JSON-LD is the easiest to write and maintain because it doesn’t have to be woven through your HTML — you add one block, and templates or plugins can generate it automatically.

Example: an article with author#

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "BlogPosting",
  "headline": "How to Set Up Redirects in WordPress",
  "datePublished": "2026-03-14",
  "dateModified": "2026-10-01",
  "author": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Iftikhar Qureshi",
    "url": "https://iftikhar.in/who-im/"
  },
  "image": "https://iftikhar.in/wp-content/uploads/redirects.png"
}
</script>

Connecting entities with @id#

Advanced setups use an @graph with @id references so the WebSite, Person, WebPage and Article nodes link to each other instead of repeating details. This theme outputs such a connected graph on every page.

Rules to follow#

Mark up only information that’s visible on the page.
Use one plugin or system to output schema — duplicates can conflict.
Validate with the Rich Results Test and the Schema Markup Validator.
Watch Search Console’s Enhancements reports for errors after changes.