Alterations to Google’s Special Announcements Structured Data Guidance

Google’s latest adjustment to their Special Announcements structured data refocuses towards a more generic application that is distinctly separated from the original intentions of its source, Schema.org. Compiled by Digital Sunbird, this article delves into this shift.

Understanding Structured Data’s Transition

The structured data known as SpecialAnnouncement was conceived by Schema.org in March 2020 as a mode of broadcasting standout announcements in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Schema.org documentation now indicates that this remains as an ongoing development, intended to cater specifically to the evolving situation created by Covid-19.

Schema.org describes this structured data type as follows:

“SpecialAnnouncement is a blend of simple, dated textual updates combined with contextualised web links and other structured data. Established by locally-focused organisations like schools, pharmacies, healthcare providers, community groups, police, local government, etc., SpecialAnnouncement is aimed to handle emergencies like the Coronavirus pandemic, with the vocabulary being oriented to cater to the current crisis. Schema.org has plans to enhance the markup incrementally as it is deployed, and feedback is received.”

The Structured Data’s Introduction by Google

Google implemented the SpecialAnnouncement structured data in April 2020, targeting specifically Covid-19 related scenarios. It was developed to help businesses, government entities, schools, and other organisations communicate special announcements such as changes in operations hours, closures, and restrictions related to Covid-19. The feature, presented as a Beta, continues to remain in this testing phase, implying that changes or potential complete removal are possibilities, as silently happened in the first week of 2024.

Enumeration of Changes to the Documentation

Several changes have been made throughout the document, which are too many to list individually. Up until December 2023, Google’s prior version of the Special Announcement structured data documentation had mentioned Covid-19 38 times with a total of 221 textual deletions. Now, after the changes, the latest version cites Covid-19 only 13 times in the SpecialAnnouncement documentation.

Following are a few examples that reflect the nature of the changes:

• Prior guidance:“Implementing your COVID-19 announcements – Here are two methods to accomplish this.”

  Revised to:

  “Implementing special announcements. Here are two ways that you can implement your special announcements.”

• Initial passage:“Details about public transport closures due to COVID-19, assuming relevance to the announcement.”

  Revised to:

  “Details on public transport closures, based on relevancy to the announcement.”

These alterations, however minor, show the evolution of the SpecialAnnouncement structured data specifications, indicating that the emphasis has moved away from being solely related to Covid-19.

Main Changes Noticed in the Documentation

Perhaps the most significant shift lies in the first paragraph at the top of the page.

• The initial version:“COVID-19 Special Announcement structured data (BETA): Right now, we’re developing support for COVID-19 announcements on Google Search, which is anticipated to affect requirements, guidelines, and the feature’s appearance in Google Search.”

  Updated to:

  “Special announcement structured data (BETA): Various organisations, such as governments, health organisations, schools, will need to publish urgent announcements (including COVID-19 announcements)”

The numerous changes done to the SpecialAnnouncement structured data make it more adaptable for usage in situations that extend beyond Covid-19. However, as it stands, the changes do not extend the scale of the SpecialAnnouncement structured data beyond what they previously were. The examples of how the structured data can be used remain unchanged. The guidance continues to motivate the use of this structured data for unique circumstances related to widespread communicable sicknesses and other disruptive emergencies.

Considering the examples are still the same, it’s safe to infer that utilising this structured data for isolated events like the rescheduling of a theatre performance due to unforeseen circumstances may be inappropriate. However, since this structured data is still in its Beta phase, it’s likely that its application may evolve further.

Delve into the updated SpecialAnnouncement structured data guidance:

“Special announcement structured data (BETA): Many organisations such as governments, health organisations, and schools, may need to publish urgent announcements like COVID-19 announcements.”

Note: The information is based on internal resources of Digital Sunbird

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