Google Enhances Event & Recipe Structured Data
▼ Summary
– Google updated its structured data documentation for events and recipes, clarifying implementation practices.
– Online event properties were removed from the events documentation, as Google now requires events to be public and held at physical locations.
– Google added more examples of eligible and ineligible events to the events structured data guidelines.
– The recipe structured data update clarified that the image property does not influence the text result image selection.
– Users of event or recipe structured data should review these changes to ensure compliance, especially for online event markup.
Google has rolled out updates to its structured data documentation for events and recipes, providing clearer guidance for developers and content creators. These refinements, though subtle, address common implementation questions and could impact how certain content appears in search results. Website owners relying on these markup types should review the changes to ensure compliance.
For events structured data, Google eliminated references to online event properties entirely. The company clarified that only publicly bookable events held at physical locations qualify for enhanced search appearances. This shift removes previous support for virtual events within this markup type. The updated documentation now includes expanded examples illustrating which events meet eligibility requirements and which don’t. Comparing the current version with archived copies reveals additional minor adjustments throughout the document.
Recipe structured data received clarification regarding image properties. Google explicitly stated that including an image in recipe markup doesn’t influence which image appears as the text result thumbnail. Instead, the company directs publishers to follow standard image SEO best practices for optimizing text result images. This distinction helps content creators focus their efforts where they’ll have the most impact.
These updates matter because they affect how content appears in search results. Businesses using event markup for online events should remove those properties, while recipe publishers can stop worrying about structured data images affecting their text result thumbnails. Staying current with these guidelines helps maintain optimal search visibility and prevents potential ranking issues from outdated implementations.
(Source: Search Engine Land)
