Google updates Course Structured Data Recommendations

Google last month announced new recommendations for providing course structured data to enhance the visibility of courses in search results.

Publishers can now surface supplemental course information on Google Search by including details like pricing, educational level, ratings, and length.

This information will be displayed in the course info rich result, a new carousel feature that helps learners discover and compare courses that align with their specific needs.

Google's existing course list markup feature, previously known as "Course," will continue to be supported. According to Google, publishers' traffic will not be affected by their decision to adopt or not adopt the new course info markup. Both features will utilize the same schema.org structured data type.

Search Console Tools for Structured Data Management

Google has introduced a new course info Rich result report in Search Console to assist publishers in monitoring and resolving structured data issues. This report identifies valid and invalid structured data items for pages with course info structured data, along with the reasons for invalidity. Publishers can utilize the report to debug, fix, and validate their structured data.

Additionally, the Rich result test in Search Console allows publishers to instantly test the validity of their course info markup by submitting a page URL or code snippet. This tool provides immediate feedback on markup validity, eliminating the need to wait for the rich result report to update.

By implementing these new recommendations and utilizing Google's provided tools, publishers can effectively enhance the visibility and discoverability of their courses on Google Search, attracting potential learners and expanding their educational reach.