If you are a writer, marketer, SEO expert or business owner. You should know what is going on in the world of Google and digital marketing. Since Google is the biggest driver of digital marketing, almost all of its rules and guidelines affect the entire digital marketing strategy. Therefore, you must stay aware of the changes Google comes up with. On the same grounds, Google has announced an updated article structured data guidelines. 

Let’s dig into the blog to understand what new Google has proposed to marketers worldwide. 

Updated Guidelines For Article Structured Data

Evidently, there are three policy changes which have given access to the top stories section that dominates the top of the Google search results. Consequently, it has become easier for publishers to access it. Below are the changes that took place in the guidelines.

Change 1: You No Longer Need Structured Data For Top Stories

As the name suggests, ‘Top Stories’ is Google’s way to tell news and updates about the particular query you create on Google. 

For instance, if you say ‘Covid-19 cases in the USA.’ You will get fresh news in the Top Stories section on the Google Search Engine. This allows the publishers to stay at the top of the search engine without worrying about their website optimization.

Therefore, it is vital for publishers to feature on Top Stories to get maximum audience attention. 

Although, well-structured data was never too critical for Google as it is not too strict, but rather more comprehensive. However, now the publishers do not need to add structured article data and still expect to be eligible to feature on the Top Stories.

This applies to many more extended lists too. That means, it is natural that Google’s documentation and requirements for Top Stories must follow the trend of no longer needing structured data for qualification. 

Change 2: Google Removes AMP Links

AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) is a platform to develop HTML pages that quickly load on mobiles. There was a time when using AMP was vital for being eligible to feature on Top Stories. Fortunately, that’s not the case anymore.

Google not only changed the rules to include information about AMP and non-AMP. Google has entirely removed all references to AMP from its structured data guidelines. 

Publishers who use AMP are no longer referenced in the data structuring rules for articles. Also, it is not a sudden blast from Google. They had already given notice of this change in 2020. 

Change 3: Change In Top Stories Image Guidelines

Though we all know how greatly images impact viewers’ minds. However, the right portion of the image is necessary to be defined as well. On the same grounds, Google has defined (and reduced) the size of the image in the Top Stories. The size requirement of the feature image in Top Stories is now reduced to 50,000 pixels when multiplying width and height.

Thus, you should be providing high-resolution images (minimum 50,000 px.) when multiplying both the height and width. Following are the possible aspect ratio: 

– 16 X 9

– 4 X 3

– 1 X 1

At The End

Indeed some of you may feel that it was not necessary to have such changes in the guidelines and it might close the scope for many stories you would have been already working on. However, it is another truth that the guidelines are amended to improve the quality of structured data, the Top Stories section and the overall user experience of the visitors. Read these article structured data guidelines thoroughly so that you won’t miss any change.

• August 23, 2022