What is Organization structured data, and what should it include?

What is Organization structured data?

Structured data is a standardized format for providing information about a page and classifying its content. Google documents that adding Organization structured data to your home page can help it better understand your organization's administrative details. This also helps Google disambiguate your organization in search results, ensuring it correctly identifies your entity.

The Organization type is part of Schema.org, a collaborative vocabulary for structured data. Google recommends using the most specific Schema.org subtype of Organization that matches your organization, such as `LocalBusiness` or `Corporation`, if applicable.

What properties should Organization structured data include?

While there are no required properties, Google recommends including as many relevant details as possible to describe your organization. The Schema.org `Organization` type allows you to specify various details about your company. These properties help Google build a comprehensive profile of your organization.

• `name`: The official name of the organization, e.g., the registered company name. This property expects a text value.
• `logo`: The URL of your organization's official logo. This property expects an `ImageObject` or a URL.
• `url`: The URL of a reference web page that unambiguously indicates the item's identity, typically your main website.
• `sameAs`: URLs of other reference web pages that unambiguously indicate your organization's identity, such as official social media profiles. This property expects a URL.
• `contactPoint`: Information about a contact point for your organization. An organization can have different contact points for various purposes.
• `department`: Describes a relationship between your organization and one of its departments. A department is also an organization, allowing its own URLs, logos, or opening hours.
• `legalAddress`: The official registered address of an organization, used for legal and tax purposes.
• `vatID` or `taxID`: These properties are for a VAT or tax identification number. Schema.org suggests preferring ISO-6523 codes for less ambiguity. Official registration info, including the issuer, is provided as a `Certification`.
• `acceptedPaymentMethod`: The payment method(s) generally accepted by an organization, or for specific offers or demands.

What details can you add to a contact point?

The `contactPoint` property allows you to provide specific details about how users can reach different departments or services within your organization. A `contactPoint` is a specific point of contact, such as a customer complaints department. An organization can have multiple contact points, each serving a different purpose. For example, you might have separate contact points for sales, support, or billing.

• `contactType`: Specifies the kind of contact point, such as "customer support" or "technical assistance."
• `areaServed`: The geographic area where the service or offered item is provided by this contact point.
• `availableLanguage`: The language someone may use when interacting with this contact point.
• `contactOption`: Any specific options available at this contact point, such as a toll-free number or support for hearing-impaired callers.
• `hoursAvailable`: The hours during which this service or contact point is available.
• `productSupported`: The specific product or service that this contact point is related to, such as product support for a particular product line.

Where should you place Organization structured data?

Google recommends placing Organization structured data on a single, authoritative page that describes your organization. Google recommends placing this information on your home page. Alternatively, you can place it on another single page that comprehensively describes your organization, such as an "about us" page. The goal is to provide a clear, unambiguous source for Google to understand your company's core details.

How do you validate Organization structured data?

You should validate your Organization structured data using Google's Rich Results Test to identify and fix any critical errors. After implementing Organization structured data, Google recommends validating your code using its Rich Results Test. This tool helps you identify and fix any critical errors in your structured data implementation.

It is important to adhere to Google's guidelines for structured data. If your site violates one or more of these guidelines, Google may take manual action against it, which could impact your visibility in search results. Remember that it may take several days after publishing a page for Google to find and crawl it and process the new structured data.

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