Google Retires 7 Structured Data Features To Streamline Search Results via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern
Google retires seven structured data features including Book Actions, Course Info, and Claim Review to streamline search results. Rankings unaffected. The post Google Retires 7 Structured Data Features To Streamline Search Results appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
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Google retires seven structured data features including Book Actions, Course Info, and Claim Review to streamline search results. Rankings unaffected.
Google is removing seven structured data features from search results. This change will not affecting rankings. There's no immediate action needed.Google announced it will phase out support for seven structured data features to simplify search results.
This change, rolling out in the coming weeks, will affect the appearance of search results but will not impact rankings.
Why Google Is Making These Changes?
Google is discontinuing certain structured data types due to their low usage in search results. The company stated that this decision will streamline the results page and focus on more valuable experiences.
Google explained:
“We’re phasing out these specific structured data types because our analysis shows that they’re not commonly used in Search, and we found that these specific displays are no longer providing significant additional value for users. Removing them will help streamline the results page and focus on other experiences that are more useful and widely used.
This update won’t affect how pages are ranked. This simplification means that for some results, the specific visual enhancements powered by these lesser-used markups will no longer appear, leading to a more streamlined presentation. The use of these structured data types outside of Google Search (and dependent features) is not affected.”
Which Features Are Being Retired?
The seven structured data types being phased out cover a diverse range of content categories:
Book Actions: Allowed publishers to add action buttons for books, such as purchase or preview options, directly in search results. Course Info: Provided enhanced displays for educational course information, including details like instructor names and course descriptions. Claim Review: Supported fact-checking organizations by highlighting reviewed claims and their verification status. Estimated Salary: Helped job-related content display salary range information prominently in search results. Learning Video: Enhanced educational video content with structured information about the learning material. Special Announcement: Designed to highlight important announcements, particularly beneficial during events like the COVID-19 pandemic. Vehicle Listing: Provided enhanced displays for automotive listings with pricing and specification details.What Changes or Websites?
For websites using the affected structured data types, the content will appear with a simpler presentation rather than the visual enhancements these markups previously provided.
Use of these structured data types outside of Google Search remains unaffected. Websites can continue using these markups for other purposes without any changes.
What’s Next?
Websites using the affected structured data types don’t need to take immediate action. Be prepared for the visual enhancements to disappear over the coming weeks and months.
Featured Image: Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock
SEJ STAFF Matt G. Southern Senior News Writer at Search Engine Journal
Matt G. Southern, Senior News Writer, has been with Search Engine Journal since 2013. With a bachelor’s degree in communications, ...
