Google updates the way its algorithm works, and these changes affect how your site will rank in search. They also have a major impact on how your organic traffic will be generated. A few of these updates are more significant than others, and can have a serious effect on your rankings.
Updates to Structured Data
One of the most important things about structured data is that it helps Google better understand your content. This improves the experience for both the search engine and the users of your website. It also allows for more information to be presented in rich snippets on the SERPs, which leads to increased click-through rates.
Some of the most notable Google updates that have affected structured data include:
The First Core Algorithm Change
The first major core algorithm change was rolled out in September 2010 and impacted around 1.2% of all search queries. This update focused on improving the quality of results and making sure that sites were not over-optimizing for certain keywords.
Star-ratings for websites, which had previously been shown in the search results, were removed from Google’s SERPs. This was part of a larger effort to reduce the number of links in the SERPs that could be considered “self-serving.”
Pros and Cons in Product Reviews
Google added a new feature that allowed online retailers to add pros and cons to product review snippets, which are a valuable resource for customers as they shop. However, only editorial product reviews are eligible for this enhancement – merchant products or customer reviews are not.
The Pros and Cons in Product Reviews can help shoppers identify which products are the best choice for them, so Google has included a link to the structured data in the snippet. This will help people find the right product for them, and it will give businesses an opportunity to increase their conversions from those shoppers.
Using Structured Data for Video
Google introduced a new video experience called Key moments in its search engine, which is an addition to the existing Search Results Video feature. With this feature, a ‘Key Moments’ button appears next to the videos in the search results. This makes it easy for people to click through from the search results page and watch a short video about the product they are interested in purchasing.
Adding Structured Data to Article Headlines
Google has removed the 110 character limit on the headline property in its article structured data documentation. This means that it is now possible to write long but concise headlines, which will appear on all devices.
In addition, Google has updated their structured data testing tool to allow you to see how your headlines will look on all devices and browsers before you submit them. This will allow you to make sure that your headlines will be optimized for all of them.
Structured data is an increasingly important part of your SEO strategy. It can be challenging to stay on top of it and keep your site up-to-date, but it can also be very rewarding. It will bring more traffic to your site and help you build your credibility, brand awareness and reputation in the industry.