What is more effective, microdata or JSON-LD?

Question

I know that Google prefers JSON-LD over microdata, that is a given. I intend to use both as much as I can. I also know that the Earth rotates around Google and the Sun is just a moon. However, from a performance perspective, which is more effective overall (I assume microdata) and is JSON-LD a requirement for things like Google+, Google Maps, and Google My Business? I am hoping that this question would be a semi-authoritative update on the topic of encouraging knowledge graph cards and any offering Bing might have. If there are any other requirements besides mark-up, that would help as a side-note.

I have created a fairly simple one-page mobile-first website which I intend to expand later with content for renters and landlords as well as comments on rental real-estate law and tricks of the trade. I intend to use Google My Business and Google Maps as much as possible for validation and ranking. I will not be using HTTPS. The domain name will have a private registration. I want to build my trust metrics to compensate for these factors.

I ask these questions because it seems that mark-up has changed somewhat lately and how people use them as well as how the SEs see them. I do want to encourage a knowledge graph card right out of the box. I do have rental listings online now and doing a search for the address does result in some major real-estate rental sites having a listing as a result of past advertising. I expect/hope that Google will see this as validation. Who knows?

I am just dotting my t's and crossing my i's and seeing if there is an official word out there on the subject.

Answer 1

• Google doesn't prefer JSON-LD over microdata. Google just offers its documentation more for those, who automate website building and maintenance. There is no effectivity in terms of what kind of markup gives you better rich snippets.

• But, dependently of your webmaster workflows, JSON-LD should be more effective in terms of daily maintenance: creation and injection of JSON-LD can be automated, microdata can't (technically it can for sure, but with such affort, that it makes the whole procedure no longer cost-efficient).

• In terms of website performance JSON-LD wins too - it produces less code and can be implemented on the end of HTML document. To do so with microdata is possible too, but it is much more tricky and not clean.

• To learn structured data i would rather recommend to use microdata - it is more illustrative.