Google Removes Covid-Era Structured Data for Home Activities Rich Results
Google has recently removed the Covid-era structured data associated with the Home Activities rich results, which allowed online events to be surfaced in search. This feature had been in place since August 2020, providing a platform for online livestreams, pre-recorded events, and various other virtual activities to be discoverable through Google Search.
What Were Home Activities Rich Results?
The structured data for the Home Activities rich results was designed to help people find things to do from home, especially during the quarantine period. It aimed to promote online classes, virtual events, and other activities that could be enjoyed remotely. Google’s rich results displayed information on how to watch, descriptions of the activities, and registration details.
However, the original documentation for Home Activities has now been entirely removed from Google Search Central webpages. Instead, a changelog notation has been added to explain that the Home Activity rich results feature is no longer available for display.
Implications for Providers
Providers of online events who had been using the Home Activities structured data are advised to transition to using Event or Video structured data instead. While the Home Activities rich results are no longer being surfaced, Google has clarified that there is no need to remove the structured data if it is already in place. Publishing structured data that isn’t utilized for rich results will not have any negative impact.
The changelog on Google’s official documentation explains the rationale behind the removal:
“Removing home activity documentationWhat: Removed documentation on home activity structured data.
Why: The home activity feature no longer appears in Google Search results.”
Further Reading:
For more information on Google’s Home Activities rich results, you can read the official announcement here.
If you’re interested in revisiting Google’s original announcement from 2020, you can access the Wayback Machine’s archive here.
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