Microdata is an older method of implementing structured data, embedding schema markup attributes directly within a webpage’s visible HTML elements, as opposed to the more modern JSON-LD format, which sits separately in the page’s code.
While microdata still functions and is recognized by search engines, Google explicitly recommends JSON-LD as the preferred implementation method, since it’s generally easier to implement, maintain, and troubleshoot without affecting the page’s visible design.
Websites still using microdata markup can generally continue doing so without issue, though migrating to JSON-LD is often recommended for easier long-term maintenance.
We recommend JSON-LD over microdata within our Technical SEO service.