Google Phases Out 7 Structured Data Types to Simplify Search Results

June 12, 2025 – Google announced it will remove support for several structured data features from Search results as part of ongoing efforts to streamline the search experience.

📋 Key Points:

Discontinued Structured Data Types:

• Book Actions – Interactive book-related features
• Course Info – Educational course details and information
• Claim Review – Fact-checking and verification displays
• Estimated Salary – Job compensation range indicators
• Learning Video – Educational video markup enhancements
• Special Announcement – Time-sensitive announcement features
• Vehicle Listing – Automotive inventory displays

Important Clarifications:

• No ranking impact – Pages won’t lose search visibility
• Gradual rollout – Changes happening over weeks/months
• Limited scope – Only affects Google Search display, not other platforms
• Data analysis driven – Decision based on low usage and minimal user value

🔍 Analysis & Implications:

For Website Owners:

Immediate Actions Needed:

• Audit current structured data – Identify which deprecated types you’re using
• Remove unnecessary markup – Clean up code to avoid validation errors
• Focus on supported types – Redirect efforts to high-value structured data
• Monitor performance – Track any changes in click-through rates

Strategic Considerations:

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• This signals Google’s shift toward quality over quantity in rich snippets
• Website owners should prioritize widely-adopted structured data types like FAQ, Product, Recipe, and Review markup
• Technical SEO resources can be reallocated to more impactful optimizations

Industry Impact:

Winners:

• E-commerce sites – Product markup remains strongly supported
• Content publishers – Article and FAQ structured data still prioritized
• Local businesses – LocalBusiness markup unaffected

Most Affected:

• Educational platforms – Losing Course Info and Learning Video enhancements
• Job boards – No more estimated salary displays
• Automotive dealers – Vehicle Listing features discontinued
• News/fact-checking sites – Claim Review markup removed

Broader SEO Trends:

1. Simplification focus – Google continuing to declutter search results
2. User experience priority – Removing features that don’t add significant value
3. Data-driven decisions – Usage analytics driving feature retirement
4. Concentrated value – Emphasis on widely-used, high-impact features

💡 Recommendations:

Short-term (Next 30 days):

• Inventory check – Scan your site for affected structured data
• Backup current markup – Document existing implementations before removal
• Update technical documentation – Revise SEO guidelines for your team

Long-term Strategy:

• Double down on core types – Invest in Product, FAQ, HowTo, and Review markup
• Monitor Google’s roadmap – Stay alert for future structured data updates
• Diversify rich snippet strategy – Don’t rely solely on structured data for enhanced displays

Bottom Line: While this change removes some visual enhancements, it reflects Google’s commitment to a cleaner search experience. Website owners should view this as an opportunity to focus their structured data efforts on the most impactful markup types that Google actively promotes and users find valuable.

Source: Google Search Central Blog