What is structured data and how do I implement it?

Structured data (schema markup) provides explicit information about your content to search engines using standardized formats like JSON-LD. It helps search engines understand your content and can enable rich snippets in search results. Common types include Article, Product, FAQPage, QAPage, and Organization schema. Implement it by adding JSON-LD scripts to your pages or using microdata. Use Google's Rich Results Test to validate. Start with basic schemas like Organization and BreadcrumbList, then add content-specific schemas. Example: Adding FAQPage schema to a Q&A page enabled FAQ rich snippets in search results, increasing click-through rates by 30%.