Significant changes have been announced for September 14, 2023, as part of an ongoing effort to enhance and simplify the Google search experience. Google is expanding its How-to upgrade to desktop devices, which means that How-to rich results for desktop users will be deprecated. The goal of this transition is to provide a more streamlined and consistent search experience. The changes will have a significant impact on how site owners use FAQ and How-To structured material, particularly in terms of their visibility in search results. Changes to Search Console reporting will also be visible, providing website owners with insights into the success of their FAQ and How-To material. This update is scheduled to be rolled out globally in the following week, affecting all languages and regions, however it is not yet available. This post will go over the intricacies of these changes and what they mean for website owners and users alike.
Changes to Google’s Search Results: (Important Note)
- Google is streamlining its search results by modifying how certain rich result types are displayed.
- Beginning September 13, 2023, the How-to rich results will no longer be displayed on desktop devices. For desktop users, this effectively deprecates this result type.
- This modification will be reflected in metrics linked to the How-to search appearance in the performance report and the number of impressions in the How-to enhancement reports.
- Google will discontinue the How-to search appearance, rich result report, and support in the Rich results test in 30 days.
- Support for How-to in the Search Console API will be discontinued or removed in 180 days to allow for API call changes.
Purpose of the Changes:
- These modifications are intended to give users with a clearer and more uniform search experience.
- Only well-known, authoritative government and health websites will now display FAQ-rich results. Other sites will no longer have consistent access to this type of rich result.
- There is no requirement for site owners to remove structured data that is no longer being used. It will not cause any issues with Search and will have no noticeable effects in Google Search.
- Only desktop users will see how-to rich results. For these results to appear on desktop, the mobile version of a website must have the necessary markup.
Impact on Search Console Reporting:
- Website owners may notice changes in Search Console reporting, particularly in the metrics for FAQ and How-To search appearances in the performance report, as well as the amount of impressions shown in the relevant improvement reports.
- The amount of things reported in the enhancement reports will not be affected by these modifications, and the search appearances and reports will remain in Search Console for the time being.
Global Rollout
- These improvements will be sent out globally over the next week, affecting all languages and nations.
- It should be noted that this is not a ranking adjustment and will not be reflected in the Search status dashboard.
- There will be a small holdback experiment, so some users may not notice the changes right once.
Conclusion
Google is simplifying its search results by reducing the display of FAQ and How-To rich results and phasing out How-To rich results on desktop. These adjustments will be reflected in Search Console reporting as part of an effort to improve the search experience. Although the update will be implemented globally, search rankings won’t be directly impacted.
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