Google has updated its structured data guidelines to better emphasize that all three structured data formats are acceptable to Google and also to clarify why JSON-LD is recommended.
The updated Search Central page is the Supported Formats section Introduction to structured data coding on the Google search web page.
The most important changes were the addition of a new section title (Supported Formats), and the expansion of that section by explaining the supported structured data formats.
Three structured data formats
Google supports three structured data formats.
- JSON-LD
- Partial data
- RDFa
But it is recommended to use only one of the above formats, which is JSON-LD.
According to the documentation, the other two formats (Microdata and RDFa) are still fine to use. Documentation update explains why JSON-LD is recommended.
Google has also made a slight change to the title of the previous section to reflect that the section deals with the vocabulary of structured data
The original section title, Structured Data Formatting, is now Structured Data Vocabulary and Formatting.
Google added a section title that provides guidance on Google’s preferred structured data format.
This is also the section with most of the additional text added to it.
New supported formats section heading
The updated content explains why Google prefers the JSON-LD structured data format, while emphasizing that the other two formats are accepted.
Previously, this section contained only two sentences:
Google Search supports structured data in the following formats, unless otherwise documented:
Google recommends using JSON-LD for structured data whenever possible.
The updated section now contains the following content:
Google Search supports structured data in the following formats, unless otherwise documented.
In general, we recommend using a format that is easy for you to implement and maintain (in most cases, it’s JSON-LD); All three formats are equally good for Google, as long as the markup is valid and implemented properly according to the feature’s documentation.
In general, Google recommends using JSON-LD for structured data if your site setup allows it, because it’s the easiest solution for website owners to implement and maintain at scale (in other words, less prone to user errors).
Structured data formats
JSON-LD is arguably the easiest structured data format to implement, the easiest to scale, and the most straightforward to edit.
Most, if not all, WordPress SEO and structured data plugins produce JSON-LD structured data.
However, it’s a useful update to Google’s structured data guidelines to clarify that all three formats are still supported.
Google documents on the change can be I read here.
Featured image by Shutterstock / Olena Zaskochenko
