Google Expands Structured Data Support for Product Certifications

Google has recently announced an update to its Search Central documentation, introducing support for certification markup in product structured data. This change will take full effect in April and aims to provide more comprehensive and globally relevant product information.

New Certification Markup for Merchant Listings

Previously, Google focused primarily on energy efficiency ratings through the EnergyConsumptionDetails type. However, the new Certification type offers a more versatile approach, supporting a wider range of countries and certifications. This allows retailers and ecommerce sites to provide detailed information about their products’ certifications, such as CO2 emission classes for vehicles or energy efficiency labels for electronics.

Transition from EnergyConsumptionDetails to Certification Type

Google strongly recommends that websites currently using EnergyConsumptionDetails in their structured data transition to the Certification type before April. This will ensure that product pages remain optimized for Google’s merchant listing experiences. By making this transition, businesses can take advantage of the expanded capabilities and global relevance offered by the Certification type. This will allow them to provide more comprehensive and accurate information about their products’ certifications to consumers, potentially leading to increased visibility in search results and improved user engagement.

Expanded Capabilities and Global Relevance

The move to the Certification type represents a significant expansion in the types of product certifications that can be communicated through structured data. While energy efficiency ratings were a primary focus of the EnergyConsumptionDetails type, the new Certification markup can encompass a much wider array of certifications and standards.

This change is particularly relevant for businesses operating in multiple countries, as it allows for more nuanced and locally applicable certification information to be included.

Implementation Guidelines

Google has provided examples in its updated documentation to guide webmasters in implementing the new Certification markup. To effectively incorporate this markup into your product pages, follow these steps:

1. Identify relevant certifications: Determine which certifications are applicable to your products. This might include energy efficiency labels, environmental certifications, or safety standards.
2. Gather certification details: Collect the necessary information for each certification, such as the certification name, issuing authority, and any specific criteria or requirements.
3. Create structured data: Use JSON-LD format to create structured data for your product pages. Nest the Certification type within the product’s structured data, providing the relevant certification details.
4. Test and validate: Use Google’s Rich Results Test tool to ensure that your structured data is implemented correctly and that the certification information is displayed as expected.

Here’s an example of how the Certification type can be used:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Product",
  "name": "Eco-Friendly Laptop",
  "description": "A sustainable laptop with energy-efficient components.",
  "certification": [
    {
      "@type": "ProductCertification",
      "name": "Energy Star",
      "issuedBy": "U.S. Environmental Protection Agency"
    },
    {
      "@type": "ProductCertification",
      "name": "EPEAT",
      "issuedBy": "Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool"
    }
  ]
}

By following these guidelines and providing accurate certification information, you can enhance your product listings in search results and provide valuable information to potential customers.

Benefits for Consumers and Businesses

By including certification information in structured data, businesses can potentially improve their product listings in search results, leading to increased user click-through rates and purchase decisions. For consumers, this update means access to more detailed and standardized product information directly in search results, particularly regarding certifications and compliance with various standards.

Next Steps

Website owners and SEO professionals should take the following steps:

• Review their current use of EnergyConsumptionDetails in product structured data.
• Plan for the transition to the Certification type before April.
• Implement the new Certification markup on product pages, following Google’s guidelines.
• Test the implementation using Google’s Rich Results Test tool.

By following these steps, businesses can ensure that their product listings remain competitive and informative in the evolving landscape of Google Search.