Google has announced a key update that simplifies how Search results are displayed. As part of this effort, they are phasing out eight structured data types that used to trigger rich results in search.
These changes won’t affect your site’s rankings, but they will change how certain types of content appear in Google results.
Why Is Google Making This Change?
According to Google, the structured data types being retired were:
- Seldom used by website owners
- Not significantly helpful to users
- Adding unnecessary clutter to the Search results page
The goal is to keep Search cleaner, faster, and more focused on features people actually use.
What’s Being Phased Out?
Here are the eight structured data types being removed, along with real examples where available:
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Book Actions
This markup allowed buttons like Buy, Borrow, or Preview to appear on book listings directly in Search.
Why removed: Low adoption and minimal user engagement.
-
Course Info
Displayed details like course name, provider, duration, and ratings in a carousel layout.
Why removed: Didn’t significantly improve discovery or clicks.
-
Claim Review
Fact-checking results showed whether a claim was true, false, or misleading based on third-party reviews.
Why removed: Limited user interaction and duplicated content already in the result.
-
Estimated Salary
Showed estimated salary ranges for job listings that didn’t include this data natively.
Why removed: Inconsistent usage and low value in Search.
-
Learning Video
Displayed extra video info like skill level or subject matter for educational content.
Why removed: Rarely used and didn’t improve video results meaningfully.
-
Special Announcement
Used during emergencies like COVID-19 to highlight public health or safety messages.
Why removed: Purpose fulfilled; feature no longer needed.
-
Vehicle Listing
Let car dealerships list vehicles with specs, price, and dealer info right in the results.
Why removed: Low global usage and limited added value.
What Should Website Owners Do?
- You don’t need to delete these markups they just won’t show special visuals anymore.
- Your content will still be ranked and indexed like before.
- Continue using structured data types that are still supported, such as:
- Product
- Article
- FAQ
- Event
- How To
Google is focusing on the structured data that adds the most value for users. While these features are going away, many others remain and are still worth using to improve your search visibility.
If you have questions, you can visit on Google Search Central Community
Final Thoughts
This update is about cleaning up, not penalizing. By removing features that weren’t helping much, Google is making Search faster, simpler, and more useful.
We at Vayutech Global Solutions Stay focused on structured data that highlights your content in meaningful ways and your SEO will stay strong.