Google has recently updated its documentation on organization markup, providing clearer explanations on how this structured data is utilized in search results. This update aims to help website owners and SEO professionals better understand the impact of various markup properties.
Key Points of the Update:
Purpose Clarification: The update emphasizes that organization markup helps Google better understand administrative details and disambiguate organizations in search results.
Behind-the-Scenes Properties: Some properties, such as 'iso6523' and 'naics', are used internally by Google for organization disambiguation but don't directly affect visible search results.
Visual Impact Properties: Other properties can influence visual elements in search results, such as which logo is displayed in search results and knowledge panels.
Merchant-Specific Information: For merchants, additional details like return policy, address, and contact information can be influenced in merchant knowledge panels and brand profiles.
Flexible Implementation: Google notes that there are no required properties, encouraging organizations to add as many relevant properties as possible.
This update provides more transparency on how Google uses organization markup, helping website owners make informed decisions about which properties to include in their structured data. By clarifying the distinction between behind-the-scenes and visually impactful properties, Google aims to guide organizations in optimizing their presence in search results and knowledge panels.
Website owners and SEO professionals are encouraged to review their current organization markup implementation in light of this updated guidance.
