Google’s Removal of Structured Data: What It Means for Website Owners in 2025

Overview

In a recent update, Google announced a major shift in how it handles certain structured data types in its search results. As of June 12, 2025, Google began phasing out support for several structured data types that it deemed underused or no longer valuable to users. This decision is part of the company’s broader goal to simplify the Search results page and enhance user experience.

While structured data has long been a cornerstone for helping Google understand and present web content in rich ways, the company is now streamlining its focus. This change has raised concerns and questions among website owners, SEO professionals, and developers. In this post, we will break down what’s changing, why it’s happening, and how you can adapt your SEO Thailand strategy moving forward.

Which Structured Data Types Are Being Removed?

Google has identified seven specific structured data types that will no longer be supported in Search results. These include:

• Book Actions
• Course Info
• Claim Review
• Estimated Salary
• Learning Video
• Special Announcement
• Vehicle Listing

While these structured data types will no longer power enhanced visual features in Search, it’s important to note that their removal does not impact the ranking of your web pages. The content can still be crawled and indexed by Google, but the special rich result features they previously enabled will no longer appear in Search.

Why Is Google Removing Structured Data?

According to Google, the primary reason for removing these structured data types is that they are not widely used by users or site owners. Google regularly assesses which features are delivering real value, and these particular data types were found to be outdated or underutilized.

The move is part of a broader effort to “streamline the results page” and focus on experiences that are more beneficial. A cleaner, more focused Search results interface can improve load times, reduce distractions, and help users find the most relevant information more quickly.

By removing support for these features, Google is also reducing the complexity of its systems and tools. This simplification benefits both users and developers, making it easier to manage and maintain structured data implementations.

Impact on Search Rankings

One of the most important clarifications from Google is that this change will not affect how pages are ranked in Search. Structured data can enhance the appearance of a result, but it does not directly influence the ranking algorithm.

So if you’re currently using one of the deprecated structured data types, your page’s visibility in terms of ranking on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) will remain the same. However, any rich snippets or enhanced visual features that were enabled by this structured data will disappear over time.

This is particularly relevant for industries like education, automotive, and publishing, where structured data types like Course Info and Vehicle Listings have been used to offer additional details directly in Search results. For example, businesses in the education sector may want to explore alternative strategies such as Education Marketing.

Changes in Google Search Console

On September 8, 2025, Google also updated Search Console to reflect these changes. Starting from September 9, the following will be removed from Search Console:

• Rich result reports for the affected types
• Support in the Rich Results Test tool
• Appearance filters related to these structured data types

For those managing large-scale websites or using bulk data exports, deprecated fields will return NULL starting October 1, 2025. This could potentially break queries or dashboards that rely on those fields.

Google recommends modifying your BigQuery queries to use the IS operator instead of assuming non-null values. For example:

Old Query:

AND NOT is_learning_videos

New Recommended Query:

AND is_learning_videos IS NOT TRUE

This ensures your queries remain functional even if the appearance field becomes NULL.

What Website Owners Should Do Next

If your website currently uses any of the structured data types being phased out, here are a few steps you should take:

1. Audit Your Structured Data: Use tools like Google’s Rich Results Test or Schema Markup Validator to identify where these deprecated types are still being used.

2. Update or Remove Deprecated Markup: While Google won’t penalize you for having outdated markup, it’s good practice to keep your codebase clean.

3. Focus on Supported Types: Invest your time and development resources into implementing structured data types that still provide rich results, such as Product, FAQ, Article, and Review.

4. Monitor Search Console: Keep an eye on notifications and errors that might arise due to deprecated structured data.

5. Educate Your Team: If you work with a larger SEO or dev team, make sure everyone is aware of these changes to prevent confusion or misaligned priorities.

For businesses looking to optimize their online presence further, exploring services like SEO Audit can help ensure your website remains competitive.

How to Future-Proof Your Structured Data Strategy

Google’s latest update is a reminder that SEO is an evolving discipline. Structured data, in particular, is subject to changes as Google refines how it presents information to users. Here are some best practices to ensure your strategy remains resilient:

• Stick to Schema.org Standards: Always base your structured data on the official Schema.org vocabulary. Google typically supports a subset of these schemas, but using standard markup ensures broader compatibility.

• Validate Regularly: Use validation tools frequently, especially after major updates, to ensure your markup is still functioning as expected.

• Stay Informed: Follow official Google channels like the Search Central Blog and participate in communities where changes in structured data are discussed.

• Avoid Over-Optimization: Don’t add structured data just for the sake of having it. Only implement markup that provides real value to users and aligns with your content.

• Plan for Deprecation: Structured data features can be removed, just like in this case. Always design your systems with flexibility in mind to easily adapt to such changes.

For businesses that rely heavily on e-commerce, keeping up with Ecommerce SEO trends is crucial to maintaining visibility in search results.

Conclusion

Google removing structured data types like Course Info, Estimated Salary, and Claim Review marks a significant change in how search results are displayed and managed. While these updates may initially seem disruptive, they offer an opportunity for site owners and SEO professionals to refocus their optimization efforts on features that truly matter.

The removal of support for certain structured data types is not a penalty but a streamlining effort. Your rankings won’t be affected, but the visual enhancements in Search will change. By staying proactive—auditing your existing structured data, updating your queries, and focusing on supported types—you can ensure your website continues to perform well in Google Search.

Adaptability is key in SEO, and this change is a perfect example of why staying updated and being flexible can help you maintain a strong online presence. For businesses seeking tailored solutions, consider reaching out to Agencies that specialize in digital marketing strategies.