Google lays down essential ground rules that are all-inclusive for structured data. So do you wish to be eligible for inclusion in Google Search results? Then following these instructions is something that you just can’t afford to miss out.
Why Should We Follow Structured Data Guidelines?
You really do have to pay heed to rules pertaining structured data because not doing so will make your pages or sites receive less favourable ranking or become ineligible for rich results in Google Search.
The Official Announcement: Google rolls out structured data guidelines which must be followed ardently to ensure content is eligible to be displayed as a rich result.
This topic was discussed in the latest instalment of the #AskGoogleWebmasters video series in which the following question was addressed:
“[Do] we need to use structured data as per the Google Developers site (including required/recommended properties) or can we use more properties from Schema.org apart from the Developers site?”
In response, Mueller says it’s perfectly fine to use structured data properties that aren’t listed in the Google Developers site. Structured data that’s listed on the Developers site is what Google officially supports as rich results – there are numerous other types available for webmasters to use.
So if your ultimate aim is to make your web page be displayed as a rich result in Google, then following up with company’s official requirements is highly recommended.
Please Note: Putting structured data does not ensures that a web page will be displayed as a rich result, it simply make it eligible to be displayed as a rich result.
Using structured data types outside of what Google officially supports is optional, but also acceptable. Even if the structured data is not supported in the form of rich results, it still helps Google understand the content better and rank it accordingly.
Here’s how Mueller explains it:
“Independently, you’re always welcome to use structured data to provide better machine readable context for your pages. Which may not always result in visible changes, but can still help our systems to show your pages for relevant queries.”
