Google launched its knowledge highlighter instrument in 2012, and it nonetheless works in the present day regardless of not being migrated to the brand new Search Console interface, and nearly nobody I do know makes use of it anymore. Google’s John Mueller mentioned on Mastodon that it simply is not simpler to make use of the information highlighter today with all of the plugins you’ll be able to add to your website to deal with it robotically.
John Mueller wrote in response to a query on if it is sensible to make use of the Google knowledge highlighter instrument, “No,” it doesn’t make sense to make use of anymore. He added “it is solely if you cannot implement it” and he mentioned “with all of the plugins, implementing is simpler than ever.”
I did ask John “is it nonetheless true that the information highlighter markup is simply as legitimate and utilized by Google Search nonetheless in the present day?” He mentioned, “Sure.”
Ryan Levering from Google added some caveats to John’s response saying that not all of what the information highlighter does is consumed by Google Seek for wealthy outcomes. Ryan wrote, “The schema varieties in knowledge highlighter should not all actively consumed in visible options and a few haven’t been up to date to help fields which might be required by more moderen options. However the knowledge will nonetheless circulate like markup and I’ve seen it pop up in a few of our options nonetheless (it is a small quantity).”
So it appears utilizing markup will get you a greater end result. However Ryan mentioned he hopes the instrument is upgraded to help extra of what’s supported with markup. He wrote, “Perhaps this can lastly be the 12 months I obtain higher function kind parity. It is harder to do with some options that want knowledge that is not at all times simply discovered on the web page. The search console workforce additionally owes me higher reporting (it is filtered out) but it surely’s exhausting to complain about till I clear up the supported varieties.”
John additionally mentioned some time again that you simply have extra management with markup however each strategies are equal.
Do any of you utilize the information highlighter instrument? I ran a ballot asking and most don’t and only a few folks took the ballot, which makes me imagine most individuals does not even know what the information highlighter is:
Do any of you utilize Google’s knowledge highlighter instrument for wealthy outcomes as a substitute of markup? https://t.co/DdrgkcIzS2
— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) December 29, 2023
I ponder why Google has saved it round – you’ll be able to entry it over right here.
Discussion board dialogue at Mastodon.