Google Search Simplification: Deprecating Structured Data for a Cleaner Experience

Google is continuously working to improve the search experience for both users and website owners. As part of this effort, they are simplifying the Google Search results page by deprecating support for certain structured data features. This move aims to streamline the search results and focus on more widely used and valuable experiences.

The following structured data types will no longer be supported in Google Search results: * Book Actions * Course Information * Claim Review * Estimated Salary * Learning Video * Special Announcement * Vehicle Listing These types were identified as less frequently used and not providing significant added value to users.

It's important to note that this update will not affect the ranking of web pages. The simplification means that specific visual enhancements powered by these less-used markups will no longer be displayed, resulting in a more concise presentation of search results. The use of these structured data types outside of Google Search (and related dependent features) will not be affected.

In line with the deprecation of these structured data types, Search Console will also remove support for them. Specifically, the following changes will occur: * Removal from Rich Results reports * Removal from Rich Results testing tool * Removal from Search Appearance filter lists (where applicable) The Search Console API will continue to support these types until December 2025.

Google provides recommendations for users of Search Console, especially those using bulk data export. They advise updating queries to account for the possibility of deprecated search result rendering fields reporting as NULL. This ensures that queries continue to function correctly even when a search result rendering becomes NULL. The use of the `IS` operator in BigQuery is recommended for writing queries that can handle future changes.

Google's decision to deprecate these structured data types is driven by their analysis showing that they are not commonly used and do not provide significant additional value to users. Removing these types helps to simplify the results page and focus on other, more practical, and widely used experiences. This contributes to a cleaner and more focused search results page for everyone.

While some structured data types are being deprecated, Google continues to actively support a wide range of other structured data types. These supported types are considered helpful to users in evaluating the content they want to visit. Website owners are encouraged to utilize these supported structured data types to enhance their search presence.

The simplification of Google Search results by deprecating certain structured data types is part of Google's ongoing efforts to provide the best possible search experience. By focusing on the most valuable and widely used features, Google aims to create a cleaner, more efficient, and more user-friendly search environment for everyone. Website owners should review their structured data implementation and adapt to the changes to ensure continued optimal performance in Google Search.