Google up to date their documentation of discussion board structured information to make clear authorship associated necessities to the InteractionCounter schema.org information sort and so as to add a brand new really useful property for the writer sort.
Each modifications have an effect on how Google interprets info associated to customers who’re posting feedback in a discussion board.
It’s moreover of curiosity as a result of it reveals how Google is in pinpointing the authors of content material, this time inside the context of a discussion board.
Search outcomes that function consumer generated solutions from boards at present don’t function writer names.
However Google is more and more doing extra with authorship indicators comparable to displaying the names of authors of stories articles so it’s an open query whether or not displaying discussion board consumer names is one thing being thought of or if Google shall be doing one thing else with writer information behind the scenes.
Learn: What’s Google E-E-A-T?
InteractionCounter Structured Information Kind
A Schema.org structured information sort is the principle a part of a given part of structured information code. The Property is only a description of that structured information Kind.
In Schema.org jargon, a Property is an attribute of the Kind.
The InteractionCounter Schema.org structured information sort tells Google what number of occasions an writer interplay has occurred.
That is essential as a result of InteractionCounter structured information has required structured information properties. Required signifies that utilizing the properties is obligatory for eligibility to be proven in Google Views and different search outcomes that function wealthy outcomes.
Google’s earlier discussion board documentation for the InteractionCounter “sort” was obscure and solely supplied definitions of two “properties” related to that sort. It didn’t provide an examples of the context of utilizing that information Kind and the 2 related Properties.
Google clarified this part in order that it’s extra apparent why the InteractionCounter sort is essential and helpful to make use of in documenting varied writer interactions.
Extra Particulars About interactionType
Here’s what Google modified within the discussion board structured information documentation.
The steerage beforehand said:
"Required properties interactionType Motion See the place the place that is used for an inventory of legitimate Motion subtypes for this property."
Under is what the brand new steerage reveals, with the modified textual content highlighted with italics:
"Required properties interactionType Subtype of Motion For an inventory of legitimate Motion subtypes for this property, test the property that is utilizing InteractionCounter (for instance, interactionStatistic)." Creator Added To Required Properties
Creator.URL Property
One other essential change to the Discussion board structured information steerage is the addition of the writer.url Property of the Remark structured information Kind.
This modification can also be essential as a result of it’s a required property that impacts eligibility for the related forum-related wealthy ends in Google search.
That is the brand new steerage that was added:
"writer.url URL A hyperlink to an internet web page that uniquely identifies the writer of the publish, almost certainly a profile web page of the discussion board. We suggest marking up that web page utilizing profile web page structured information."
Learn Google’s newly up to date steerage on discussion board structured information:
Dialogue discussion board (DiscussionForumPosting) structured information
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