Google has revised its guidance on Special Announcements structured data, moving its emphasis towards a broader and more general-purpose application, diverging from the original intent of Schema.org. The SpecialAnnouncement structured data, introduced by Schema.org in March 2020, initially served as a means to convey announcements specifically tied to Covid-19.
Notably, Schema.org acknowledges in its documentation that the framework was initially developed as a work in progress with a specific focus on the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. Here is Schema.org’s definition of this particular structured data:
“A SpecialAnnouncement combines a simple date-stamped textual information update with contextualized Web links and other structured data. It represents an information update made by a locally-oriented organization, for example schools, pharmacies, healthcare providers, community groups, police, local government.
The motivating scenario for SpecialAnnouncement is the Coronavirus pandemic, and the initial vocabulary is oriented to this urgent situation. Schema.org expect to improve the markup iteratively as it is deployed and as feedback emerges from use.”
What is Google Special Announcements structured data?
Google’s SpecialAnnouncement structured data is a markup format designed to provide information about special announcements related to events, especially during crises or emergencies. It was initially introduced in March 2020, primarily in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
This structured data allows websites to communicate essential information to users and search engines in a standardized format. Some examples of special announcements covered by this structured data include quarantine guidelines, closure notices, event cancellations or transitions from offline to online, and other critical updates related to emergencies or widespread communicable diseases.
Google implemented the SpecialAnnouncement structured data in April 2020, with a specific focus on situations related to Covid-19. It served as a communication tool for businesses, government entities, schools, and various organizations to convey special announcements, including information about quarantines, operating hours, closures, and Covid-19-related restrictions.
Initially introduced as a Beta feature, SpecialAnnouncement has maintained its Beta status, officially designated as being in a testing phase. This implies that Google’s implementation of the feature was subject to potential changes or even complete removal. Notably, in the first week of 2024, the implementation was quietly removed.
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The documentation for SpecialAnnouncement Structured Data underwent numerous changes, too extensive to detail comprehensively. As of December 2023, Google’s earlier version of the documentation for Special Announcement structured data featured 38 references to Covid-19, with a total of 221 instances of text being removed.
Following the update, the revised SpecialAnnouncement documentation now includes only 13 references to Covid-19. Many of the alterations share similarities with the examples provided below.
The previous guidance documentation for this section:
“How to implement your COVID-19 announcements
There are two ways that you can implement your COVID-19 announcements:”
Was rewritten to this:
“How to implement special announcements
There are two ways that you can implement your special announcements:”
The alterations to the preceding passage redefine the role of SpecialAnnouncement structured data, expanding its scope beyond the previous narrow focus on Covid-19 to encompass a broader range, while still maintaining an emphasis on local medical-related events (further elaboration provided below).
An additional example with a comparable broadening impact:
The earlier passage:
“Information about public transport closures in the context of COVID-19, if applicable to the announcement.”
Was rewritten to remove references to Covid-19 like this:
“Information about public transport closures, if applicable to the announcement.”
The modifications, though nuanced, signify a change in the specifications of the SpecialAnnouncement structured data, moving away from its initial specificity to Covid-19.
The most significant alteration in the documentation is evident right at the top of the page, specifically in the initial paragraph.
The earlier version of the documentation at the page’s outset included the following:
“COVID-19 announcement (SpecialAnnouncement) structured data (BETA)
Note: We’re currently developing support for COVID-19 announcements in Google Search, and you may see changes in requirements, guidelines, and how the feature appears in Google Search. Learn more about the feature’s availability.Due to COVID-19, many organizations, such governments, health organizations, schools, and more, are publishing urgent announcements…”
Here is what the updated guidance now looks like:
“Special announcement (SpecialAnnouncement) structured data (BETA)
Many organizations, such governments, health organizations, schools, and more, may need to publish urgent announcements (such as COVID-19 announcements)…”
The numerous modifications to the SpecialAnnouncement structured data result in increased flexibility for its application beyond Covid-19 scenarios.
However, the current state of the changes does not extend the scope of the SpecialAnnouncement structured data beyond its previous limitations. This is evident in the fact that the nine examples illustrating the use of structured data remain unchanged.
Instances of Special Announcements:
- Declaration of a shelter-in-place directive
- Notice of closure (e.g., shutting down a school or public transportation)
- Announcement of government benefits (e.g., unemployment support, paid leave, or one-time payments)
- Guidelines for quarantine
- Travel restrictions notification
- Introduction of a new drive-through testing center
- Announcement of an event transitioning from offline to online or cancellation
- Notification of revised hours and shopping restrictions
- Statistics and maps illustrating the spread of a disease
The guidance persists in recommending the use of this structured data for extraordinary situations linked to widespread communicable diseases and other disruptive emergency scenarios.
Considering that the examples remain unchanged, it is likely inappropriate to utilize this structured data for isolated events such as rescheduling a theater performance due to unforeseen circumstances. However, given its Beta status, this structured data may evolve at some point.
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