Google's Strategic Shift: SpecialAnnouncement Structured Data Adapts Beyond COVID-19, Expanding Scope for General Use

Google's revised guidelines for the Special Announcements structured data move the emphasis away from Schema.org's initial intent and toward a more general use.

SpecialAnnouncement Structured Data

Schema.org developed the SpecialAnnouncement structured data in March 2020 to convey special announcements pertaining only to Covid-19. Actually, according to the Schema.org literature, it is still a work in progress that is primarily concerned with the Covid-19 crisis that exists today.

This is how Schema.org defines this specific structured data:

1.     Contextualized Web links and other structured data are combined with a straightforward textual information update that is date-stamped in a Special Announcement. It is an information update from a locally focused organization, such as the local government, schools, pharmacies, doctors, and community organizations.

2.     The motivating scenario for SpecialAnnouncement is the Coronavirus pandemic, and the initial vocabulary is oriented to this urgent situation. Schema.org expect to improve the markup iteratively as it is deployed and as feedback emerges from use.

Google’s Implementation Of SpecialAnnouncement

The SpecialAnnouncement structured data was introduced by Google in April 2020 as specifically for Covid-19 related situations. It was created as a way for businesses, government entities, schools and other organizations could communicate special announcements such as quarantines, hours of operations, closings, and restrictions that are related to the Covid-19.

Special Announcement was first made available as a beta feature and is still in beta testing, therefore Google's version of it is still open to revisions or removal, as it did covertly during the first week of 2024.

How SpecialAnnouncement Structured Data Documentation Changed

Throughout the document, there are too many modifications to list them all. As of December 2023, Google's prior version of the Special Announcement structured data documentation has 221 text reductions and 38 references to COVID-19.There are now just 13 references to Covid-19 in the updated Special Announcement material.

The previous version of the documentation at the top of the page featured this:

1.       "COVID-19 structured data announcement (Special Announcement) (BETA)"
Note: You may notice changes to the requirements, standards, and appearance of the feature in Google Search as we work to enable COVID-19 announcements in Google Search. Find out more about the availability of the feature.

2.   Numerous institutions, including governments, hospitals, schools, and more, are releasing urgent announcements as a result of COVID-19.

Impact Of Changes To SpecialAnnouncement Structured Data

The SpecialAnnouncement structured data has undergone numerous modifications, which have increased its adaptability for application in scenarios outside of Covid-19.

However, as things are right now, the SpecialAnnouncement structured data remains limited to what it was before. This is due to the fact that the nine instances of possible uses for the structured data are still exactly the same.

Nine Examples Of Special Announcements

1.       declaration of a shelter-in-place order.

2.       Notice of closure (such as a school or public transit system).

3.       Public announcement of government benefits (such as paid time off, unemployment insurance, or one-time payments).

4.       Guidelines for quarantine.

5.       limitations on travel.

6.       Announcement of a brand-new drive-through testing location.

7.       Notification of a change in format from offline to online, or cancellation of an event.

8.       Announcement of modified operating hours and restricted shopping.

9.       Maps and statistics on the spread of disease.

for more : https://cokion.com/blog/specialannouncement-structured-data-adapts-beyond-covid-19