Why many book pages underperform

How SwiftSchema helps

How it works

What is Book structured data?

Book structured data describes physical or digital books, capturing core attributes like title, authorship, identifiers (ISBN/GTIN), publisher, publication date, cover art, format, and commercial availability. By exposing these details via JSON‑LD, you help search engines match your catalog to user queries, highlight availability, and qualify for features like book carousels or knowledge panels. Book markup is especially useful for multi-format catalogs (hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook) where the same title exists in multiple editions.

When you pair Book schema with Product, Offer, and Review data, you provide a complete picture: bibliographic metadata plus pricing, formats, and social proof. This reduces ambiguity in marketplaces, reseller platforms, and library catalogs that syndicate your data.

Essential fields to include

1. name
   — book title exactly as it appears on the cover.
2. author
   — Person or Organization; include
   name
   , optional
   url
   or
   sameAs
   for author sites.
3. isbn
   — 13-digit ISBN for the specific edition. Use GTIN or proprietary IDs if ISBN is unavailable.
4. image
   — high-resolution cover art (minimum 1,200px height for Discover eligibility).
5. bookFormat
   —
   EBook
   ,
   Hardcover
   ,
   Paperback
   ,
   AudiobookFormat
   , etc.
6. datePublished
   — original publication date. Add
   dateModified
   if the edition was revised.
7. publisher
   — Organization responsible for publishing or imprint.
8. inLanguage
   — BCP 47 code (e.g.,
   en-US
   ,
   es-ES
   ).
9. workExample
   — link to other editions/manifestations (paperback vs ebook) if you maintain them.
10. offers
    — price, currency, availability, and seller for each purchasing option.
11. aggregateRating
    /
    review
    — only if you have legitimate reviews that comply with Google’s snippet policies.

Optional enhancements:

Handling multiple formats and editions

• Create a dedicated page per format/edition (e.g.,
  /book/mastering-sd/hardcover
  vs
  /ebook/mastering-sd
  ).
• On each format page, use Book schema referencing that edition’s ISBN and
  bookFormat
  .
• Use
  workExample
  (or
  hasPart
  ) to link other editions, and
  isPartOf
  to reference the overall work.
• When you sell bundles (print + ebook), use an Offer referencing both formats and note it in the content.
• Keep pricing/offers in sync with the actual e-commerce data to avoid mismatched schema.

Content prep checklist

• Confirm title, subtitle, and author names exactly match the cover and retailer listings.
• Gather ISBNs, ASINs, or other identifiers per format.
• Prepare high-res cover images and optional lifestyle photos.
• Write a concise description/abstract plus key selling points (awards, bestseller lists, translator credits).
• List formats and pricing on the page so schema mirrors visible content (no hidden offers).
• Collect review blurbs or testimonials that comply with regional marketing laws.

Implementation steps

1. Identify the canonical URL for each edition. Make sure canonical tags point to the correct page.
2. Generate Book JSON‑LD via the form below, filling required props and optional ones like
   numberOfPages
   ,
   genre
   ,
   inLanguage
   .
3. Add Offer blocks for each format sold: include
   price
   ,
   priceCurrency
   ,
   availability
   ,
   url
   , and
   seller
   .
4. Embed the JSON‑LD once per edition page. Avoid duplicate Book schema from plugins.
5. Validate using Rich Results Test; pay attention to warnings about missing identifiers or offers.
6. Monitor Search Console’s Enhancements (if available) and performance reports for Book/Product search appearances.

Offers, availability, and inventory

• Use Schema.org Offer statuses (
  InStock
  ,
  OutOfStock
  ,
  PreOrder
  ) to reflect real availability.
• Update prices and availability whenever they change; automation via your commerce platform is ideal.
• For third-party sellers (Amazon, Bookshop.org), specify the seller in
  seller
  or
  offeredBy
  .
• If you only distribute via retailers, include an Offer pointing to their product page and mention this in the content.
• For libraries or subscription services, use
  Offer
  with
  price: 0
  and
  businessFunction: LeaseOut
  to signal lending.

Reviews and social proof

• AggregateRating should only include first-party review data that you control. Don’t embed Goodreads or Amazon stars unless you’ve collected the reviews yourself and they comply with policies.
• Use
  Review
  to highlight notable blurbs (e.g., “New York Times”) with
  author
  ,
  datePublished
  , and
  reviewBody
  .
• Keep reviews updated annually; remove outdated quotes or those from publications that no longer exist.

Troubleshooting checklist

• Missing ISBN warnings: double-check you provided a 13-digit string without hyphens or spaces.
• Incorrect
  bookFormat
  : use Schema.org enumerations (
  AudiobookFormat
  ,
  EBook
  ), not custom strings.
• Duplicate Book blocks: if your CMS auto-generates schema, disable it or ensure there isn’t conflicting JSON‑LD.
• Outdated prices: set a process to update both content and schema when pricing changes to avoid policy issues.
• Mixed canonical references: ensure
  mainEntityOfPage
  points to the exact URL where the JSON‑LD lives.

Common Errors & Fixes

• Missing identifiers: supply a valid
  isbn
  or other recognized IDs.
• Ambiguous authorship: include an
  author
  with a clear
  name
  (and
  @type: Person
  or
  Organization
  ).
• Inconsistent format info: use
  bookFormat
  to specify edition/format; link other editions via
  workExample
  .
• No availability info: add Offers with
  price
  ,
  priceCurrency
  , and
  availability
  for purchasable editions.
• No cover image: include at least one high-quality cover image URL so searchers recognize the title.