What is Structured Data?
Structured data (also called schema markup) is a machine-readable way to describe information on a web page. Instead of just showing "Sony WH-1000XM4 Headphones - $349.99" as plain text, you wrap it in JSON-LD markup that tells search engines: this is a product, its name is Sony WH-1000XM4 Headphones, the price is $349.99, the currency is USD.
Google uses this markup to understand your page, display rich snippets in search results, and compare your product feed against your actual product pages.
Why Google Reads Structured Data
Your Google Merchant Center feed is one source of truth. Your product landing page is another. Google crawls both.
When a customer clicks on your product in Google Shopping, Google wants to verify that what the customer sees on your landing page matches what you promised in the feed. If the price in the feed is $99 but the page markup says $129, or if the feed says "In Stock" but the page says "Out of Stock", Google flags this as misrepresentation.
This is especially true for branded products with barcodes (GTINs). Google has reference data for major brands. If you claim a Sony WH-1000XM4 costs $199 but Sony's official retail price is $349, the mismatch triggers an investigation.
The Three Types of Schema That Matter for GMC
1. Product Schema
Product schema tells Google the core facts about your product. Here are the essential fields:
- name: Product name (must match GMC feed)
- description: Product description
- price: The current selling price (must match GMC feed)
- priceCurrency: Currency code (USD, EUR, GBP, etc.)
- availability: InStock, OutOfStock, PreOrder, etc. (must match GMC feed)
- brand: Brand name (must match GMC feed for branded products)
- sku: Your internal SKU
- gtin13 or gtin14: Barcode for branded products (often missing but required)
- image: Product image URL
Common Mistake
Many e-commerce platforms show the base price in the feed but the schema markup includes a sale price. Customers see the sale price on the landing page. Google's crawler sees both and flags the mismatch as potential fraud.
2. Review Schema (Aggregate Rating)
Review schema (aggregate rating markup) shows star ratings, review count, and rating value. This is less critical for GMC compliance than Product schema, but it matters for rich snippet display.
- ratingValue: Average star rating (0 to 5)
- reviewCount: Number of reviews
- bestRating / worstRating: Usually 5 and 1
If your review count is fake or inflated, this can harm trust and trigger manual review by Google.
3. BreadcrumbList Schema
Breadcrumb markup helps Google understand your site hierarchy (Home > Electronics > Headphones > Sony WH-1000XM4). This is not directly a GMC compliance issue, but it helps Google's crawler navigate your site properly and can improve crawl efficiency.
How GMC Suspension Happens Because of Structured Data Errors
Here is the sequence that triggers a suspension:
- You upload a product to Merchant Center. Price: $99. Availability: In Stock.
- Google's crawler visits your landing page.
- The landing page shows price: $129 (on sale). Structured data markup says: price $129. Availability: Out of Stock.
- Google's comparison engine sees: feed says $99 + In Stock, but page says $129 + Out of Stock.
- Google suspects misrepresentation and pulls your account pending review.
- During manual review, a human sees the mismatch and confirms suspension for "Misrepresentation of products".
The most common culprits:
- Price mismatch: Base price in feed, sale price on page markup
- Availability mismatch: Feed says "In Stock", page says "Out of Stock"
- Missing GTIN: Feed has no barcode, page has no barcode markup, but product is branded (triggers manual review)
- Brand mismatch: Feed says "Sony", page markup says "SoNy" (case sensitivity matters)
How to Audit Your Structured Data
Step 1: Use Google's Rich Results Test
Go to search.google.com/test/rich-results and paste your product page URL. Google will show you exactly what structured data it sees, with warnings for missing or invalid fields.
Step 2: Cross-Check Against Your Feed
For each product:
- Price in feed: Does it match the price in the structured data on the page?
- Availability in feed: Does it match the availability markup?
- Brand in feed: Exact match with the brand field?
- GTIN in feed: Does the page have corresponding GTIN markup?
Step 3: Check for Common Errors
- Missing availability field (assume Google will see the page as "undefined" availability)
- Price shows as "$99-$199" range but feed specifies single price
- Promotional pricing not reflected in both feed and markup simultaneously
- Brand field missing entirely on branded products
Fix Priority for Structured Data Issues
If you have a GMC suspension and suspect structured data is the cause, fix in this order:
1. Price mismatch (Highest priority): Ensure the price in your structured data matches your GMC feed exactly, including currency. If you run sales, update BOTH the feed and the page markup at the same time.
2. Availability mismatch (High priority): Sync your inventory system so the GMC feed and your page markup always show the same availability status.
3. GTIN/Barcode (Medium priority): For branded products, add GTIN markup to your page if you have it in your feed.
4. Brand field (Medium priority): Ensure exact match between feed brand and page markup brand.
Tools for Structured Data Validation
Google Rich Results Test (free): Shows what Google sees. Warnings for missing fields.
Schema.org Validator (free): Checks if your markup is valid JSON-LD syntax.
Google Merchant Center Feed Analyzer (built-in): Shows feed warnings including missing fields.
GMCSuspension Structured Data Scanner (part of audit tool): Checks your product pages for structured data errors against GMC policy requirements.
Why This Matters for Your Suspension
If you have a GMC suspension and Google cited "Misrepresentation of products", the first place to check is structured data. It is one of the most common technical causes that support does not explicitly mention. Fixing structured data mismatches often unlocks resubmission approval when nothing else works.
Next Steps
After you fix structured data on your pages:
- Re-run the Rich Results Test to confirm the fix
- Update your Merchant Center feed if the data was wrong there too
- Wait 24 to 48 hours for Google's crawler to re-visit and index the changes
- Resubmit your account for manual review (if you were suspended)
Structured data is not sexy, but it is foundational. Google's crawlers care more about what your markup says than what you say. Make sure they agree.