Glossary · SEO & Search
JSON-LD
Overview
How JSON-LD works
JSON-LD stands for JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data, a W3C standard for expressing structured data as plain JSON. On a web page you place it inside a script tag marked 'application/ld+json.' Because that block sits separate from your visible HTML, you can add or update it without touching the page layout—unlike Microdata and RDFa, which annotate individual elements inline.
JSON-LD and Schema.org
JSON-LD is the format; Schema.org is the vocabulary you write in it. Together they let you declare that a page represents an Organization, LocalBusiness, Product, Article, FAQPage, or BreadcrumbList, with properties search engines can read. Google explicitly recommends JSON-LD for structured data and rich results, which is why it's the default choice for modern SEO implementations.
Using JSON-LD in modern sites
In frameworks like Next.js, JSON-LD is generated server-side per page or template, so each URL ships accurate, up-to-date markup. As part of technical SEO and local SEO work, we inject it for organizations, locations, articles, and FAQs, then confirm it with Google's Rich Results Test. Clean structured data also helps AI Overviews and answer engines parse who you are and what you offer.
Where we use it
Related Zen in Tech services
How our team puts JSON-LD to work in real projects.
FAQ
JSON-LD — common questions
Is JSON-LD the same as schema markup?
Not exactly. Schema.org is the vocabulary of types and properties; JSON-LD is the format used to write that vocabulary into a page. Google recommends pairing them—Schema.org content expressed as JSON-LD.
Where do you put JSON-LD on a page?
Inside a script tag with the type 'application/ld+json.' Google can read it in either the head or the body of the HTML, and it can also be injected dynamically with JavaScript.
Is JSON-LD better than Microdata?
For most sites, yes. JSON-LD keeps structured data in one block separate from your HTML, making it easier to add and maintain, and it is Google's recommended format for rich results.
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