Google Streamlines Search by Retiring Seven Structured Data Features
Google announced today it will discontinue support for seven underutilized structured data features, including Book Actions and Course Info, as part of ongoing efforts to simplify search results. The change takes effect immediately, though visual enhancements powered by these markups may take weeks to fully disappear from Search.
Key Details:
No ranking impact: The update won’t affect page rankings but will remove specialized displays for affected content
Rationale: Google cited low usage and diminishing user value for the retired features
Scope: Changes apply only to Google Search; markup functionality remains available for other platforms
Discontinued Features:
Book Actions (purchase/preview buttons for books)
Course Info (enhanced educational course displays)
Claim Review (fact-check verification highlights)
Estimated Salary (job salary ranges)
Learning Video (educational video metadata)
Special Announcement (emergency/pandemic alerts)
Vehicle Listing (enhanced car listings)
Next Steps for Webmasters:
While no immediate action is required, Google recommends:
- Auditing structured data implementations
- Exploring alternative markup options where applicable
- Monitoring traffic for potential CTR changes as visual enhancements phase out
The company emphasized this move aligns with its broader initiative to prioritize widely used features that deliver measurable user value.
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