Module 5: Structured Data and SERP Features
Schema markup that unlocks rich results, and the page changes that win featured snippets.
Structured data is the layer of code that tells Google what the words on a page actually mean, and in 2026 its job is still narrower than most people claim. It does not move rankings. What it buys is the chance to earn rich results such as product snippets, review stars, Top Stories, and knowledge panels, and it hands every system that reads your page a clean, typed description of the entity on it.
The winnable column and the influenceable column are not the same thing. Rich results are winnable: you add JSON-LD, validate it, and become eligible. Featured snippets, AI Overviews, People Also Ask, and knowledge panels are not something you file for. Google decides to show them, and the best you can do is rank, structure the answer, and measure what actually appears.
This module sorts out that split. You will learn which rich result types are still live and which Google killed in 2023, the required fields that silently disqualify markup, and the three statuses of valid, eligible, and live. You will also learn the mechanics behind featured snippets and AI Overviews, including why there is no opt-in and what actually makes a page the one Google grounds on.
What you will learn
- Tell what structured data does and does not do: rich results and comprehension, not rankings
- List the rich result types still active in 2026 and the ones Google retired in 2023
- Write JSON-LD with the required fields for a given rich result type
- Separate winnable rich results from influence-only SERP features
- Explain the featured snippet and AI Overview mechanics and their opt-in paths
- Validate and monitor markup with the Rich Results Test and Search Console enhancement reports
Key takeaways
- Schema markup is not a ranking factor; it controls presentation and comprehension, not positions
- JSON-LD is Google's recommended format; Microdata and RDFa are supported but not featured
- FAQ and HowTo rich results are gone or restricted for standard sites since 2023
- Rich results are winnable via markup, while featured snippets and AI Overviews are influence-only
- Missing required fields silently disqualify markup, and valid, eligible, and live are three separate statuses
- AI Overviews require indexing plus snippet eligibility and extractability, with no special markup or LLMS.txt
Reading for this module
Module 5 quiz
Ten questions. Pass mark is 7 of 10. Retake as often as you like; your best score counts.