Google Changes Examines Structured Data Requirements
Google has updated the requirements for reviewing structured data. Failure to comply with Google’s structured data requirements can render a web page ineligible for showing a rich result in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) for review-related keyword searches.
Review Featured Snippets
Successfully implemented structured review data can make a site eligible for review-rich results, including stars, in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).
Getting these rich results to show in SERPs is highly coveted because it can lead to more traffic.
Structured review data is particularly important structured data because it relates to products and therefore can influence revenue.
Advertising
Continue reading below
Affiliate sites and retailers both use structured review data because review snippets can drive more traffic and sales.
For this reason, getting it right is important.
While structured data “optional”Warnings are generally correct, error warnings can indicate a serious problem that may make the page ineligible for rich result.
Review structured data requirements
Structured Review Data is reviews of things like products, events, stores, courses, a business, and more.
Not all reviews are eligible for enhanced review results.
There are 17 valid types for which Google will show results.
Advertising
Continue reading below
Reviews on items that are not part of the 17 items will not be eligible for a result enriched with reviews and will not be able to benefit from it.
So there is a need to post correct structured data and do so using a valid structured data type in Google’s limited list of eligible valid review types (available here).
Changing the author’s name requirements
Google has announced a change to the author’s name structured data field.
The author.name field is now limited to only 100 characters.
Google explanation:
“Added a requirement that the author.name field in review snippets must be less than 100 characters in order to be used in search features.” “
This means that structured review data longer than 100 characters will not be eligible for rich results in the SERPs.
Google added the following author name tips in structured review data:
“This field must be less than 100 characters. If it is longer than 100 characters, your page will not be eligible for an author-based review snippet. “
Author property for structured data review
Schema.org is the organization responsible for creating and maintaining Schema structured data rules.
But Google itself is free to set requirements for what it needs in order to use it for rich SERP results.
Advertising
Continue reading below
Nonetheless, it is important to know what structured exam data is and it can be found on the Schema.org website.
The Schema.org definition of the Author property for structured data in the exam is as follows:
“The author of this content or review.
Please note that author is special in that HTML 5 provides a special mechanism to indicate authorship through the rel tag.
It equates to that and can be used interchangeably.
Consider reviewing your structured review data
Website editors who use structured exam data may consider reviewing their implementation of structured exam data.
Advertising
Continue reading below
It may be prudent to examine the author’s structured data property to ensure that it falls below the limit of less than 100 characters.
This means that author names of 100 characters or more may make structured journal data ineligible for rich results.
Quote
Read the updated Google Author section requirements for Google review snippets
Review structured data requirements
Read the official Schema.org exam type page
Examine the diagram