Google Search Central — structured data labels each individual element so users can search by ingredient, calorie count, cook time
Summary
Claim: "Google uses structured data that it finds on the web to understand the content of the page... Because the structured data labels each individual element... users can search for your recipe by ingredient, calorie count, cook time, and so on."
Source: Google Search Central, "Intro to How Structured Data Markup Works," last updated 2025-12-10.
Confidence: Verified — primary.
Why this matters for Candid: Google's own example explains the mechanism in plain language: labelled attributes are individually queryable. Use this verbatim in client conversations — it is the search engine, not a vendor, explaining why structured records beat prose. Cross-link Google Search Central — structured data produces eligibility, not a guarantee; does not guarantee rich results even with correct markup for the honest caveat.
Related entries
Related
- reference Research brief: the searchable, structured catalogue as a working tool — when records-not-prose pays off (June 2026)
- reference schema.org — ItemList / ListItem / Product / Offer types exist precisely to mark up individual records and lists as machine-readable structured data
- rule R3 — One indexable page per record (distinct URL per item / variant) — per Google's merchant-listing guidance
Referenced by (8)
- reference Research brief: the searchable, structured catalogue as a working tool — when records-not-prose pays off (June 2026) relates-to
- reference Mechanism summary — structured catalogues expose attributes as data; prose/PDF/images lock them in a format no filter can reach depends-on
- reference Gartner (April 2021) — 62% of millennials and 75% of Gen Z would use noncompany guidance (Google, YouTube) to self-resolve, even when they can contact support relates-to
- reference Google Search Central — structured data produces eligibility, not a guarantee; does not guarantee rich results even with correct markup depends-on
- reference Google Search Central — product rich results require "a distinct URL" per product (or per variant); confirms one findable page per record relates-to
- reference Bing — supports JSON-LD, schema.org, Microdata, Microformats, Open Graph, RDFa via the Markup Validator (August 2018) relates-to
- reference Nestlé 82% higher CTR on rich-results pages — Google's own documentation, attributed to one named company; RING-FENCED, never present as typical relates-to
- rule R3 — One indexable page per record (distinct URL per item / variant) — per Google's merchant-listing guidance depends-on