Structured data should describe what a person can verify on the page. Adding a type because a tool supports it—or hoping for a rich result—does not make the markup accurate.
Trace every property to visible evidence
Choose the type that matches the page’s main purpose. Then compare each property with the rendered page: name, author, dates, image, price, rating, availability, or organization details. Remove fields the page does not show or the owner cannot verify. Do not mark up fabricated reviews, hidden FAQ text, or a generic author as an expert credential.
For an article, make sure the structured title and author match the visible byline. For a product, check that price and availability are current and consistent with the page and feed. For organization details, use the correct entity and official URL. Avoid adding FAQ or how-to markup solely to seek a search feature when the page does not provide that visible content.
Validate in two passes
Use a syntax or rich-results validator to catch implementation issues, then compare the output with actual page content and the search feature’s eligibility rules. Validation means the markup can be parsed; it does not guarantee eligibility, display, ranking, or AI citations. Monitor warnings and search appearance after deployment.
Keep markup generated from the same source of truth as the visible content where possible. When a price or author changes, update both. Google’s structured data guidelines explain quality and eligibility requirements.
AI disclosure: AI tools assisted with drafting. This guide does not claim a rich-result outcome.