C17 — Chapter 3 - Schema.org

Criterion C17: JSON-LD format — guide + checklist

PART 1 - Fundamentals Chapter 3 - Schema.org Keyword : json-ld format

This criterion often makes a difference in audits.

Criterion C17 — JSON-LD format is part of our SEO checklist (335 criteria). Here, you have a practical method to verify and fix it — with a concrete example.

What exactly this criterion covers

This criterion often makes a difference in audits.

C17 — JSON-LD format (Chapter 3 - Schema.org): Use JSON-LD (recommended by Google) rather than Microdata or RDFa.

Why it matters (SEO + UX)

Why it matters: it is a safeguard against duplicate content and cannibalization. When poorly applied, common issues include ambiguity (wrong associated query), duplication between pages, or loss of performance in indexing rate.

On high-volume generated sites, this criterion also acts as a safeguard: a stable rule prevents 1,000 errors at once.

How to verify (step by step)

Approach: validation via Search Console (real data). Recommended tool: Screaming Frog (JSON-LD extraction).

  1. Test the URL in Google Rich Results Test.
  2. Validate the JSON-LD (types, mandatory properties, consistency with content).
  3. Check Search Console → “Enhancements” (if available) for errors/warnings.

Tip: first isolate 10 representative URLs (top pages + generated pages) before scaling the correction.

How to fix properly

Strategy: fix the minimum necessary, then stabilize.

  • Choose one main type (Article / FAQPage / LocalBusiness…) that is coherent.
  • Fill only what you can justify in the content (no invented fields).
  • Validate, then monitor errors via Search Console.

Next: recrawl 50–200 URLs, then monitor Search Console over 7–14 days (impressions/CTR/indexing).

Concrete example (illustrative)

Example (illustrative):

  • Context: local page for a restaurant in Rabat
  • Before: No schema (or incomplete JSON-LD).
  • After: Added a FAQPage schema consistent with the content.
  • Note: Objective: structure information and reduce ambiguity for the search engine.

Checklist to tick

  • [ ] Coherent schema type
  • [ ] Respects: recommended by Google
  • [ ] Mandatory fields present
  • [ ] No unjustified information
  • [ ] Validation OK (0 errors)
FAQ

Frequently asked questions — C17

What is the most common error on “JSON-LD format”?

Trying to “optimize” by adding too many keywords, which degrades readability and creates repetitions.

Which tool is the fastest for large-scale checking?

For this type of criterion, a crawl (e.g. Screaming Frog) plus targeted verification in Screaming Frog (JSON-LD extraction) is generally the fastest combo.

How to prevent this from recurring on 10K generated pages?

Freeze an auto-generation rule (title/structure/schema/URLs) plus add automatic control (crawl or test) before production import.

Ready to go from theory to action?

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