TL;DR
Publish your machine-readable truth using JSON-LD schema so search and answer engines can recognise your brand and offers. Validate with the Rich Results Test and monitor via Google Search Console.
Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) is a system that delivers direct answers. They depend on clear, machine-readable signals. Google recommends JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) as the preferred structured format because it is easier to manage at scale. Adding structured data markup disambiguates your entity and can make pages eligible for enhanced search features. Validate and monitor to turn markup into measurable outcomes.
Why Should You Publish Structured Data?
Structured data clarifies who you are, what you offer, and where to find you; it creates eligibility for rich results but does not guarantee display. Use the sameAs property to link authoritative profiles (LinkedIn, Crunchbase, Wikipedia) to disambiguate your organisation. Keep markup aligned with visible content to avoid Google quality flags. For AEO, this foundation ensures engines not only crawl your site but also understand it with certainty.
What Should You Mark Up?
Begin with Organisation markup on home and about pages: name, URL, logo, contact, and identifiers. Add Product or Service schema to core offer pages and use FAQPage or HowTo only where the content genuinely answers user questions. Ensure markup values match the page content to preserve eligibility. Think of it as giving search engines a structured introduction to your organisation, its credibility, and its offers.
How Should You Implement It?
1. Add Organisation JSON-LD with robust sameAs links. Place the script in the page HTML, include key properties, and link to authoritative profiles. Validate the snippet to avoid syntax errors.
2. Add Product/Service schema to core offer pages and ensure markup matches visible content. Use stable identifiers and correct pricing; incorrect data can violate Google policies. Monitor these pages in Search Console to catch issues quickly.
3. Use FAQPage or HowTo only for genuine FAQs or step instructions. Mark each question with Question and an acceptedAnswer or follow HowTo structure where relevant. This makes those pages eligible for richer snippets when appropriate.
4. Validate pre-publish with the Rich Results Test and review Search Console enhancement reports. Fix syntax and quality errors promptly and re-test. Regular monitoring converts eligibility into measurable search-appearance gains.
Show & Tell
Use Google’s structured-data intro, the Organisation documentation and the Rich Results Test as your implementation checklist. These official pages explain supported types, required properties and testing.
Takeaway
Structured data is the backbone of AEO: declare your machine-readable truth, validate pre-publish, and monitor outcomes. Start with Organisation JSON-LD, add accurate offer and FAQ markup, and make validation part of your release checks.
Micro-Glossary
JSON-LD: JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data; Google-recommended format for structured data.
sameAs: Schema.org property linking an entity to authoritative URLs.
Rich Results Test: Google tool to validate which rich results a page may generate.
