Google Announces Changes to HowTo and FAQ Rich Results

Google has announced that it will be making changes to the visibility of HowTo and FAQ rich results in its search results. Starting August 1, 2023, FAQ rich results will only be shown for well-known, authoritative government and health websites. For all other sites, this rich result will no longer be shown regularly. HowTo rich results will only be shown for desktop devices, and not for mobile devices.

These changes are being made to provide users with a cleaner and more consistent search experience. Google believes that FAQ rich results are not consistently adding value to search results, and that HowTo rich results are not as relevant on mobile devices.

Impact on Site Owners

These changes will have a significant impact on site owners who have been using FAQ and HowTo rich results to improve their search engine rankings. For sites that are not well-known or authoritative in the government or health space, FAQ rich results will no longer be shown regularly. This could lead to a decrease in click-through rates and organic traffic.

Sites that rely on HowTo rich results for desktop traffic will also be impacted. These sites will need to make sure that their content is optimized for mobile devices in order to continue to show up in search results.

Counter solutions to Google’s changes to HowTo and FAQ rich results

• Create high-quality, authoritative content. This is still the most important factor in ranking well in search results, regardless of whether or not your content is eligible for rich results. Make sure your content is well-written, informative, and up-to-date.
• Use structured data markup. Structured data markup can help Google understand your content and make it more likely to be featured in rich results. There are different types of structured data markup, including FAQPage and HowTo, that you can use to mark up your content for these specific rich results.
• Optimize your content for mobile devices. Google is increasingly prioritizing mobile-friendly content, so it’s important to make sure your content is optimized for mobile devices. This includes using responsive design and ensuring that your content loads quickly.
• Focus on other types of rich results. There are many other types of rich results that you can optimize your content for, such as Product, Recipe, and Event. By focusing on these other rich results, you can still improve your search engine rankings and attract more visitors to your website.

It’s important to note that Google’s changes to HowTo and FAQ rich results are still relatively new, so it’s not yet clear what the full impact will be on site owners. However, by following the tips above, you can still optimize your content for rich results and improve your search engine rankings.

4 expert tips to keep steady your website’s traffic flow

In addition to the counter solutions mentioned above, here are some other things that site owners can do to mitigate the impact of Google’s changes to HowTo and FAQ rich results:

• Monitor your search engine rankings. It’s important to monitor your search engine rankings after Google’s changes take effect to see if you experience any significant changes. If you do, you may need to make further adjustments to your content or SEO strategy.
• Experiment with different types of content. If you’re not sure what type of content will be most successful in the new search landscape, experiment with different types of content to see what works best for your audience.
• Build relationships with other websites. Building relationships with other websites can help you to attract more traffic to your own website. You can do this by guest blogging, commenting on other websites, and participating in social media.
• Stay up-to-date on the latest SEO trends. The SEO landscape is constantly changing, so it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends. This will help you to make sure that your website is optimized for the future.

By following these tips, site owners can still improve their search engine rankings and attract more visitors to their website, even after Google’s changes to HowTo and FAQ rich results take effect.