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Turning brand values into structured data

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Turning brand values into structured data


Why translate values into data now

Brand values drive preference, but they only influence discovery when machines can see them. Search engines and AI assistants read structured data to understand who you are, what you stand for, and why you’re credible. Organisation markup in Schema.org and Google’s structured data guidelines give you a standard way to expose those signals to search and answer engines.

There’s also a trust imperative. Edelman’s 2024 and 2025 Trust Barometer reports show consumers increasingly buy or avoid brands based on shared values, and trust in leaders is fragile—making transparent, verifiable signals more important than ever.

What “structured values” actually look like

Values aren’t a paragraph on your About page—they’re a set of verifiable claims with supporting evidence. In structured data, those claims map to specific entities (Organisation, Brand, Product) and properties (for example, publishingPrinciples, ethicsPolicy, diversityPolicy, logo, sameAs, slogan). These properties help crawlers connect your stated values to concrete documents, policies, and third-party profiles.

Think of it like this:

  • Value: “We act ethically.”
    Data: Link your public code of ethics using ethicsPolicy.
  • Value: “We’re transparent publishers.”
    Data: Reference editorial or content standards using publishingPrinciples.
  • Value: “We champion inclusion.”
    Data: Point to a public DEI statement using diversityPolicy.
  • Value: “We keep our promises.”
    Data: Reinforce with sameAs to official regulator registries, trade bodies, and reputable profiles.


A practical mapping: from purpose to properties

1) Identify your “proof objects”

List URLs and documents that prove your values:

  • Codes of ethics, environmental or supply-chain policies
  • Diversity reports, accessibility statements
  • Certification pages, ISO standards, trade memberships
  • Author pages with credentials and bios (for E-E-A-T)
  • Third-party profiles: Companies House, LinkedIn, charity registers

Tip: If you claim sustainability, link to an actual policy or report—not a marketing page.

2) Choose the right entity types

Use Organization (or a specific subtype like LocalBusiness) and extend to Brand and Product where relevant. Google recommends focusing on Organisation details (name, logo, URL, contact, addresses) and authoritative external profiles via sameAs.

3) Encode values as policies and principles

Attach URLs for ethics, editorial standards, and diversity statements with ethicsPolicy, publishingPrinciples, and diversityPolicy. These properties are part of Schema.org and are machine-readable when expressed in JSON-LD.

4) Connect values to people and products

  • For credibility, tie leadership and authorship to Person entities with qualifications, affiliations, and profiles—this supports experience and expertise signals.
  • For products or services, use Brand and Product markup (with GTINs where applicable) to align claims with what you sell.

5) Publish and test

Follow Google’s structured data guidelines and validate using the Rich Results Test. Don’t block your JSON-LD to crawlers.

Example: “Values-aware” Organisation JSON-LD

Below is a compact example you can adapt. It encodes core organisation details and links your values to public proofs.

{
“@context”: “https://schema.org”,
“@type”: “Organization”,
“name”: “Acme & Co”,
“url”: “https://www.acme.example”,
“logo”: “https://www.acme.example/assets/logo.svg”,
“slogan”: “Do the right thing, brilliantly.”,
“sameAs”: [
“https://www.linkedin.com/company/acme-co/”,
“https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/01234567”
],
“contactPoint”: {
“@type”: “ContactPoint”,
“contactType”: “customer service”,
“email”: “support@acme.example”
},
“publishingPrinciples”: “https://www.acme.example/publishing-principles”,
“ethicsPolicy”: “https://www.acme.example/code-of-ethics”,
“diversityPolicy”: “https://www.acme.example/inclusion-and-diversity”,
“address”: {
“@type”: “PostalAddress”,
“streetAddress”: “1 Example Street”,
“addressLocality”: “Leeds”,
“postalCode”: “LS1 1AA”,
“addressCountry”: “GB”
},
“brand”: {
“@type”: “Brand”,
“name”: “Acme”,
“logo”: “https://www.acme.example/assets/brandmark.png”,
“slogan”: “Smart. Simple. Ethical.”
}
}

Why this helps: Google explicitly recognises Organisation markup and recommends placing it on your homepage or About page. Using policy properties and authoritative sameAs links ties your brand values to verifiable sources.

Measurement: tie values to outcomes

Trust & preference: Edelman finds 84% need shared values to buy; making values discoverable and credible can support conversion and retention. Track assisted conversions from About/policy pages and monitor brand-query click-through where rich results appear.

Financial impact proxy: If you report on brand value, note that ISO 10668 sets out a framework for brand valuation—helpful for aligning marketing signals with finance conversations.

Channel trust fit: Nielsen’s trust studies consistently show that different channels carry different trust weights; ensure your sameAs profiles and policy pages align with where your audience already trusts information.

Common pitfalls to avoid

  • Vague values without proof: If there’s no public policy or report to link, write one before marking it up.
  • Over-claiming in markup: Google’s quality guidelines discourage misleading or irrelevant structured data. Only mark up what’s on the page.
  • Neglecting maintenance: Values evolve—set a quarterly review to refresh policy URLs, leadership bios and memberships.
  • Forgetting products and people: Your values live through offerings and experts—connect Organization to Brand, Product, and Person entities.


Step-by-step checklist

  • Inventory proofs: ethics code, DEI, sustainability, accessibility, editorial standards, certifications.
  • Publish proofs on stable URLs with plain-language summaries.
  • Add JSON-LD to your homepage or About page using Organization, plus Brand/Product where relevant.
  • Link values to proofs with publishingPrinciples, ethicsPolicy, diversityPolicy, sameAs, and add a clear slogan.
  • Validate & monitor via Rich Results Test and Search Console; record changes in a simple governance log.


FAQs

What is “structured brand values” in SEO?

It’s the practice of expressing your values and trust signals as machine-readable properties (for example, ethicsPolicy, publishingPrinciples) within Schema.org Organisation markup so search/AI can reliably understand them.

Where should I put Organisation markup?

Google recommends your homepage or a single About page. Ensure the JSON-LD mirrors on-page content and links to authoritative external profiles via sameAs.

Does this help E-E-A-T?

While E-E-A-T isn’t a single tag, structured data clarifies who you are and why you’re credible (people, policies, proofs). It supports systems that surface trustworthy entities.

How do I show “purpose” in markup?

Use slogan for a concise promise; link your mission and standards with publishingPrinciples, ethicsPolicy, and diversityPolicy. Back claims with real documents.

Final thought

Turning brand values into structured data is about evidence over assertion. By mapping your purpose to policies, proofs and properties, you make your values legible to search and AI—improving discoverability, strengthening trust signals, and aligning marketing with measurable business value.

Key Sources



Best Regards,

David.

© David R. Durham, All rights reserved, 2025.

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