JSON-LD Basics for LLMO: Article, Product, FAQ and HowTo (Practical Guide)

1. Why JSON-LD Matters for LLMO

JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) is a structured data format embedded in your page as <script type="application/ld+json">. Google uses it to understand entities and relationships. For LLMO, JSON-LD matters even more: it helps AI systems quickly identify what the page is, what it is about, who the author/publisher is, and which facts and answers can be safely reused.

What JSON-LD improves in practice

• Extractability – search engines and AI can parse key signals faster.
• Trust (EEAT) – clearer authorship, publisher identity, organization and logo.
• Rich results – FAQ/HowTo/Product features may appear in SERPs.
• Consistency – standardized entities across the website.

2. When to Use Article (NewsArticle/BlogPosting)

The Article schema (often NewsArticle or BlogPosting) is used for blog posts, guides and editorial pages. For LLMO, the most important fields are:

• accurate headline and description,
• datePublished (and ideally dateModified),
• author and publisher (organization + logo),
• optionally image and mainEntityOfPage.

Minimal safe baseline (Article)

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "NewsArticle",
  "inLanguage": "en",
  "headline": "JSON-LD Basics for LLMO: Article, Product, FAQ and HowTo",
  "description": "A practical guide to JSON-LD schemas for AI visibility.",
  "datePublished": "2025-12-28",
  "author": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Consultee" },
  "publisher": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "LLMO.pro",
    "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://www.consultee.biz/images/consulteeLogo.png" }
  }
}

3. When to Use Product

The Product schema is essential for e-commerce and product landing pages. For LLMO (and AI Overviews), it increases the chance that AI answers understand: what the product is, its key parameters, pricing, availability and ratings.

Fields with the highest impact

• name, description, image
• brand (Brand/Organization)
• sku (or gtin/mpn when available)
• offers (price, priceCurrency, availability, url)
• aggregateRating and review (only if you genuinely have them)

Example (Product + Offers)

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Product",
  "name": "Example Product",
  "description": "Short, factual product description.",
  "image": ["https://example.com/image.jpg"],
  "brand": { "@type": "Brand", "name": "Brand Name" },
  "sku": "SKU-123",
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": "19.90",
    "priceCurrency": "EUR",
    "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock",
    "url": "https://example.com/product"
  }
}

4. When to Use FAQPage

FAQPage is one of the most practical schemas for LLMO. AI systems love Q&A because it is directly reusable in generated responses.

Rules worth following

• Each question should have one clear answer (2–5 sentences).
• Answers should be factual and specific (avoid fluff).
• The FAQ must also be visible on the page (not only in JSON-LD).

FAQPage template

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "inLanguage": "en",
  "mainEntity": [
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What is JSON-LD?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "JSON-LD is a structured data format that helps search engines and AI understand the content and entities on a page."
      }
    }
  ]
}

5. When to Use HowTo

The HowTo schema is ideal for processes and step-by-step guides. It is extremely AI-friendly because it describes steps, tools and outcomes.

Common fields

• name, description
• step (HowToStep / HowToSection)
• tool and supply (when relevant)
• totalTime (e.g., PT15M)

HowTo example

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "HowTo",
  "inLanguage": "en",
  "name": "How to add JSON-LD to a page",
  "description": "A short process to embed JSON-LD in HTML.",
  "step": [
    { "@type": "HowToStep", "name": "Prepare the schema", "text": "Generate JSON-LD for Article/FAQ/HowTo based on the page type." },
    { "@type": "HowToStep", "name": "Embed in HTML", "text": "Insert JSON-LD as a script tag with type application/ld+json." },
    { "@type": "HowToStep", "name": "Validate", "text": "Test using structured data tools or an LLMO audit." }
  ]
}

6. Common Mistakes That Reduce Impact

• Mismatch with on-page content – JSON-LD claims something different than the visible page.
• Fake ratings – aggregateRating without real reviews (high risk).
• Missing publisher/logo – weak EEAT signal.
• Duplicate/conflicting schemas – multiple versions of the same type with different values.
• Missing dates – Article without datePublished/dateModified.

7. Practical Deployment Checklist

1. On articles, always use Article + Organization/Publisher.
2. On product pages, always use Product + Offers (and ratings only if real).
3. On Q&A pages, use FAQPage and show the FAQ in the HTML.
4. On guides, use HowTo and show the steps in the HTML.
5. Validate schemas and extractability via testing tools and LLMO audits.

8. FAQ

Is Article schema alone enough?

It is the minimum for editorial pages, but FAQPage or HowTo can significantly improve LLMO because they provide directly reusable answers and steps.

Can I use multiple schemas on one page?

Yes. It is common to combine Article + FAQPage or Article + HowTo. The key requirement is consistency: schemas must match the visible content and must not contradict each other.

Why does JSON-LD matter beyond Google?

Structured data increases machine readability. That helps AI systems that summarise the web or use web content as a trusted source for answers.