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If you’ve spent any amount of time in the digital marketing or SEO world, you already know how even the smallest tweaks to Google’s algorithm or SERP display can send ripples through your strategy. For millions of businesses and content creators, Google isn’t just another tool—it’s the platform that determines visibility, traffic, and ultimately, conversions.
So when Google made its official announcement on June 12, 2025, that it would begin phasing out support for certain structured data types, it grabbed attention. The change isn’t a dramatic overhaul or algorithmic bombshell, but it signals something more strategic: Google is continuing its move toward simplifying the search experience while placing more emphasis on clarity, user trust, and high-value data presentation.
In Google’s own words, the decision to deprecate these structured data types is about focus. According to Henry Hsu, Product Manager at Google Search:
“This change is part of our ongoing efforts to simplify and improve Search. These features were rarely used and are being deprecated to help focus on those that provide the most value.”
That’s the key here: value. Over the years, Google has experimented with dozens of structured data formats to enhance its Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). From price ranges on products to video previews, from FAQs to breadcrumb trails, structured data has played a pivotal role in how results are presented.
But not every format has earned its keep.
So, What Exactly Is the June 12 Google SERP Update?
In essence, Google is sunsetting a handful of structured data types that contribute to rich results on its SERP—but that haven’t really justified their continued existence.
These changes won’t affect how your site ranks. They also won’t break your existing content. What they will do is remove certain enhancements from Google’s search listings that the company believes offer minimal user value.
Here’s what’s being phased out over the coming weeks and months:
- Book Actions
- Course Info
- Claim Review
- Estimated Salary
- Learning Video
- Special Announcement
- Vehicle Listing
If you’re unfamiliar with some of these, you’re not alone. That’s part of the problem. Most of these structured data types were either too niche, time-sensitive, or simply didn’t see wide adoption across the web. For example, “Special Announcement” schema was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic to give healthcare providers and governments a way to issue real-time alerts—but it hasn’t found much purpose in the post-pandemic era.
Others, like “Vehicle Listing” or “Estimated Salary,” were more relevant to specific industries, but didn’t deliver enough value or engagement on a broad scale. In most cases, webmasters either didn’t implement them at all or dropped them in favor of more versatile schema types like Product, FAQ, and Video.
Why Is Google Making This Change?
At first glance, it might seem like just another quiet tweak in the background. Google retires a few obscure structured data types—no big deal, right? But if you’re someone who works in SEO, content strategy, or web development, this shift signals something deeper.
To truly grasp why Google is phasing out certain structured data types, you need to understand the broader direction Search is heading in. Over the years, Google has made it crystal clear that user experience sits at the heart of everything they do. This isn’t just about what shows up in search results—it’s about how effortlessly users can access, trust, and engage with the content they find.
Let’s unpack the four core drivers behind this latest SERP simplification.
1. Low Adoption Among Webmasters
Let’s be honest—some structured data types, while technically useful, never really caught on.
Web developers and content teams often prioritize schema types that provide the most visible payoff: product reviews, FAQs, recipes, how-to guides, and video snippets. These formats consistently deliver rich results that drive clicks, traffic, and even conversions. On the flip side, schemas like Book Actions or Learning Video have always lived in the shadows. They’re niche, they require more custom implementation, and they don’t always show immediate results.
For example, Book Actions schema allows users to take actions—like borrowing or purchasing books—directly from the search result. But most publishers and platforms either didn’t have the tech stack to support it or didn’t see enough benefit to justify the extra work. The same goes for Learning Video schema. While it’s a thoughtful idea for educational content, it lacked the ecosystem support (from both creators and users) to thrive.
The reality is: Webmasters follow ROI. If a schema takes more time to implement than the visibility or engagement it delivers, it falls to the bottom of the backlog—or off the radar entirely.
Google clearly analyzed adoption metrics behind the scenes and found these structured data types weren’t earning their keep.
2. Minimal User Engagement
Even in cases where some websites did implement these schemas, the data tells another story: users weren’t engaging with them.
Consider the “Claim Review” schema. Designed to highlight fact-checks and debunk misinformation, it saw some visibility during highly polarized periods (like elections or health crises). But over time, users began ignoring it—or worse, distrusting it. The feature may have appealed to institutional publishers or fact-checkers, but for the average searcher looking for answers, it was just another unexplained label on the screen.
Similarly, “Special Announcement” schema found relevance during the COVID-19 outbreak. At its peak, hospitals, government bodies, and educational institutions used it to push urgent updates directly to Google. But today? It’s largely dormant. Once the urgency faded, so did the utility.
Google has access to troves of behavioral data—click-through rates, scroll depth, bounce rates. If people weren’t clicking on or even noticing these enhanced SERP features, then they were simply clutter.
In short: If users don’t care about it, Google won’t either.
3. Reducing Visual Clutter in Search Results
Imagine opening Google Search and seeing a results page filled with review stars, site links, image previews, booking buttons, fact-check tags, video timestamps, announcement badges, and salary estimates—all stacked within a single page. Overwhelming? That’s exactly what Google is trying to prevent.
Every structured data enhancement adds visual elements to the SERP. When managed carefully, these elements can create a richer, more useful experience. But when overdone—especially with obscure or rarely relevant data—they dilute focus and hurt usability.
Users today want instant clarity. They skim, scroll, and make split-second decisions. If the results page looks messy, they lose trust or miss the content that truly matters.
This visual decluttering isn’t just cosmetic—it’s psychological. It guides users more efficiently to meaningful content, cutting through the noise.
By removing these underused structured data types, Google is making a calculated tradeoff: less fluff, more function.
4. Improving User Trust and Clarity
Trust has become one of Google’s most valuable currencies.
With misinformation on the rise and AI-generated content flooding the internet, users are becoming increasingly cautious. They need to trust what they see—and they want that trust to be earned quickly.
Clunky, outdated, or unfamiliar SERP elements—especially ones that seem disconnected from the core search query—can damage that trust. Users may question: Is this ad-sponsored? Why does this box look different? Can I believe what’s written here?
Simplifying the presentation allows Google to create a more uniform, familiar, and trustworthy environment. When people recognize and understand what they’re seeing—whether it’s a standard product listing or a concise FAQ—they’re more likely to engage with it confidently.
It’s also worth noting that trust isn’t built solely on the presence of content—it’s built on the quality and clarity of its presentation. Google’s update isn’t just about removing clutter; it’s about reinforcing user confidence.
What Will Stay the Same?
Clarity Over Chaos: Why You Don’t Need to Panic About the June 12 Update
Let’s get one thing straight: this SERP update from Google isn’t a red flag for your SEO strategy—it’s more of a housekeeping effort. If you’re worried that all your hard-earned structured data implementations are about to go to waste, rest assured: they’re not. Google isn’t pulling the rug out from under anyone who’s been playing by the rules and focusing on proven schema formats.
In fact, this update is not about penalizing websites or changing search rankings. It’s about trimming the fat—removing the structured data types that added visual clutter without delivering meaningful user engagement.
Here’s what’s staying firmly intact:
1. Your Page Rankings Are Safe
First and foremost, let’s address the elephant in the room—rankings. This update does not alter how pages are ranked in Google’s search results. So, if your content has been ranking well thanks to quality writing, clean code, and authoritative backlinks, you’re in the clear. None of those efforts are wasted. This change is purely about how some structured data appears visually in the SERP—not how search positions are calculated.
Whether you’re an SEO strategist working on an e-commerce platform or a blogger optimizing content for rich results, you don’t need to restructure your SEO strategy. Your visibility won’t suddenly vanish because a few lesser-used schema types are being deprecated.
2. Structured Data Still Works Elsewhere
It’s also important to understand that structured data doesn’t exist solely for the traditional search results page. Even though a few visual features will be removed from the SERP, your structured data will still be useful across other Google services.
Think about Google Discover, Google Assistant, Knowledge Panels, and other rich experiences—structured data powers many of these. If you’ve embedded schema markup properly to categorize your content, provide context, or enhance media like videos and products, those integrations remain intact.
So, your content’s ability to appear in voice search results, carousel cards, and content suggestions is still powered by the structured data you’re already using—so long as you’re sticking to the schema types that Google continues to support.
3. Popular Schema Types Are Going Nowhere
The core schema types—those with the most value to users and businesses—aren’t just staying; they’re being actively supported and improved.
Google continues to invest heavily in formats like:
- Product: Critical for e-commerce stores, this schema helps showcase pricing, availability, and product ratings directly in search.
- FAQ: Valuable for virtually every industry, this format boosts your SERP real estate and offers users instant answers.
- HowTo: Great for tutorial-style content, from DIY projects to digital walkthroughs, this schema allows step-by-step instructions to appear directly in the results.
- Review: Still a key trust signal for products, services, and content. Ratings and testimonials remain a powerful conversion tool.
- Recipe: A favorite among food bloggers and culinary platforms, recipe schema remains one of the most engaging and traffic-driving formats.
Google has made it clear: if a structured data type drives meaningful engagement, it’s here to stay. So instead of worrying about what’s being removed, lean into the types that actually move the needle—these formats are the backbone of rich search experiences and will continue to help websites stand out.
Full Timeline of the Update
A Calm and Measured Rollout: No Surprises, Just Clarity
Now, let’s talk about timing. One of the best parts about this update is how gracefully Google is rolling it out. This isn’t a sudden flip of the switch—it’s a phased process, giving everyone from enterprise brands to solo bloggers the chance to adapt.
Here’s what the timeline looks like:
- June 12, 2025 – Google formally announced the change. This was the starting gun for everyone to begin assessing their use of the deprecated schema types.
- Mid-June to Late 2025 – The actual phasing-out process begins. It’s happening in stages, so you won’t wake up to a broken schema implementation tomorrow. Google is taking a cautious, low-disruption approach by targeting the least-used structured data types first.
- End Date: TBD – Google hasn’t given a hard stop date, and that’s intentional. They’ll be adjusting based on real-world impact and providing guidance along the way.
You’ll likely see progressive changes starting with certain verticals or content types where the deprecated schemas were rarely adopted. Think of it as Google pruning the garden—not bulldozing the landscape.
And in true Google fashion, they’ve promised full transparency. Any changes to timelines, impacted tools, or structured data behavior will be shared through the Google Search Central Blog, so make sure it’s on your radar. They’ve also historically posted reminders and developer notes in forums like Stack Overflow and GitHub when relevant.
Structured Data Types NOT Affected by Google’s June 12 Update
For anyone running a business website, e-commerce store, recipe blog, or even an online knowledge base, structured data is a lifeline to visibility. The good news? If your SEO strategy leans on widely-used schema types, you can rest easy. Google has made it clear that its latest update—meant to simplify the Search Engine Results Page (SERP)—does not impact the most popular and high-impact structured data formats.
In fact, Google has reaffirmed its long-term support for these schema types, signaling their continued importance in search visibility, content engagement, and overall user trust.
Here’s a closer look at the schema types that remain fully supported:
🔹 Product Schema
Essential for e-commerce, product schema helps you display key information—like price, availability, brand, and reviews—directly in search results. This structured data can drastically improve click-through rates by offering rich, detailed snippets that grab user attention. Whether you’re a major retailer or a small Shopify store, this schema remains a must-have.
🔹 Review Schema
Review schema allows your content to appear with star ratings and review counts on the SERP. It boosts credibility and draws more clicks, especially in competitive niches. From local businesses to product comparison blogs, this schema continues to be highly effective.
🔹 FAQ Schema
FAQ schema is now one of the most valuable tools in content marketing. It enables snippets that display frequently asked questions and answers right on the SERP, which not only increases space and visibility but also provides immediate value to users. It’s ideal for service pages, help centers, and blog posts.
🔹 HowTo Schema
For instructional content, HowTo schema enables rich results that show step-by-step guides, often with images or videos. This is particularly beneficial for DIY websites, tech tutorials, educational blogs, and lifestyle brands offering how-to advice.
🔹 Recipe Schema
Food bloggers and culinary websites can breathe easy. Recipe schema continues to be a high-performing structured data type. It allows searchers to see images, prep time, nutrition info, and ratings—making it more likely they’ll click through to your site.
🔹 Event Schema
Event schema remains vital for websites promoting concerts, webinars, conferences, or local happenings. With this schema, event details can appear prominently in Google Search and Google Maps, ensuring better discoverability for time-sensitive content.
🔹 Video Schema
Video schema still holds value across platforms. It helps Google index and display your videos in Search and Google Discover. Whether you’re embedding YouTube videos or hosting your own, proper schema implementation can significantly boost engagement.
🔹 Organization Schema
This schema is the foundation for branding on the SERP. It lets you display essential details like your company logo, contact info, social media profiles, and customer support links. It’s vital for establishing trust and consistency across Google properties.
🔹 Loyalty Program Schema (Introduced June 10, 2025)
One of Google’s newest additions, this schema is designed to highlight loyalty programs directly in the SERP. Businesses with membership benefits, rewards systems, or subscription perks can now showcase these features more effectively, offering another layer of value to potential customers.
Long-Term Trends in Google’s Structured Data Strategy
This June 2025 update isn’t just a spring cleaning—it’s a clear indication of where Google is heading with structured data.
High-Impact, High-Value Schema Will Continue to Thrive
Google has one goal: deliver answers that are fast, useful, and relevant. Structured data that drives high user engagement—like Product, FAQ, and Video schema—will not only remain supported but likely see more enhancement in the near future. These are the types of schema that consistently prove their worth in user behavior metrics like clicks, conversions, and dwell time.
One-Time and Niche Schema Types Are On Their Way Out
Structured data types that were relevant only in specific timeframes or niche industries—like Special Announcements during COVID-19 or Learning Video for education tech—no longer offer broad utility. Google is cleaning house, and these seldom-used schema formats are being retired to remove unnecessary SERP clutter.
Commercial Schema Is Taking Center Stage
Perhaps the biggest insight here is Google’s shift toward monetizable structured data. Product listings, loyalty programs, and Merchant Center feeds are being given more visibility. This aligns with Google’s push toward zero-click commerce and its broader AI-assisted shopping experience. The SERP is turning into a real-time storefront, and structured data is the key that unlocks that front door.
Why This Matters for You
If you’re a digital marketer, web developer, or business owner, these trends are more than just technical footnotes. They’re a playbook for where Google wants your content to go. Sticking to supported schemas means better performance, more clicks, and long-term SEO health. It also allows you to provide a cleaner, more valuable experience for users—one that aligns with Google’s own standards of quality and usability.
At its core, this update is a reminder: Google rewards clarity, value, and relevance. And if your structured data helps fulfill those three pillars, it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
Who Should Be Concerned — And Why It Matters More Than You Think
At first glance, Google’s June 12 update may seem like a minor tweak to the search landscape. After all, the company confirmed that search rankings will remain unaffected. But for certain industries and digital platforms, this isn’t a change to overlook—it’s a signal to adapt.
Educational Platforms
If you’re running an online learning platform or represent a university with digital course catalogs, you should take special note. Many institutions have adopted the Course Info and Learning Video schema to showcase syllabi, modules, or even certifications directly within search results. With these schema types being deprecated, this visibility will gradually disappear.
The key risk here isn’t a loss in ranking—it’s a loss in user experience. Prospective students may no longer see course start dates, durations, or preview snippets in the SERP. This can reduce clicks and inquiries. Educational platforms should pivot now to FAQ schema, Video schema, or HowTo schema—formats that still offer rich previews and drive engagement.
Automotive Websites
Car dealerships, classifieds, or auto listing services using the Vehicle Listing schema will also feel the pinch. Until now, these sites could surface vehicle inventory and pricing info directly in search results. That advantage is going away.
Dealerships should realign their schema strategy toward Product schema, especially if they sell accessories, parts, or services online. Moreover, integrating Google Merchant Center feeds can help maintain visibility for inventory in Shopping results, which is where user attention is increasingly shifting.
News Publishers
Fact-checking content has become a hallmark of responsible journalism, and many outlets embraced the Claim Review schema to highlight truth-tested stories. With its removal, news sites may lose a valuable feature that set them apart in a saturated digital media space.
This change underscores the importance of returning to schema basics: Organization schema to build authority, Article schema for improved indexing, and FAQ schema to address common questions around ongoing stories. Combining these can help retain editorial credibility while adjusting to the evolving SERP environment.
Government and Healthcare Websites
During the pandemic, the Special Announcement schema played a vital role in communicating public health alerts, closures, or policy changes. While its importance has waned post-COVID, some institutions still use it for critical updates.
If your website still depends on this format, it’s time to sunset it. Consider transitioning to FAQ schema to display common public questions, or Event schema if you’re highlighting local health campaigns, vaccine drives, or official meetings. These alternatives provide continued SERP enhancements without falling behind compliance.
In short, if you’re in any of the categories above, this update isn’t just housekeeping—it’s a pivot point. The sooner you respond, the smoother your transition will be.
How to Prepare for the Change – A Strategic Schema Cleanup Guide
This isn’t the time for panic—but it is time for a cleanup. Below is a step-by-step approach to keep your website aligned with Google’s evolving SERP strategy.
1. Audit Your Current Schema Usage
Begin by running your site through Google’s Rich Results Test or the Schema Markup Validator. Focus specifically on identifying deprecated schema types like Claim Review, Course Info, or Book Actions.
Take stock of where these schemas appear across your site—whether it’s blog posts, course listings, product pages, or vehicle inventories.
2. Remove Outdated Markups
Just because a schema is deprecated doesn’t mean it will break your site. But it will become obsolete—meaning no visual enhancements, no added value, and possibly wasted server calls. Begin phasing out these markups by removing them from templates and discontinuing their use in new content.
This not only streamlines your backend but prevents confusion for search engines.
3. Optimize What Still Works
Use this transition as a chance to polish the structured data that is still recognized and supported by Google. For example:
- Product Schema: Add granular details like brand, price range, availability, GTINs, and SKUs.
- FAQ Schema: Strategically address user questions that drive long-tail traffic.
- Video Schema: Include thumbnails, durations, and content descriptions to boost visibility.
- Loyalty Program Schema: If your brand offers exclusive deals or member perks, now’s the time to implement this newly launched schema (introduced June 10, 2025).
Good schema is no longer just technical SEO—it’s part of how users see your brand.
4. Stay Informed and Adaptive
Google has promised transparency during this rollout. Keep a close watch on the Search Central Blog, subscribe to updates, and stay active in SEO forums like Reddit’s /r/SEO or WebmasterWorld. These spaces are often the first to pick up on nuanced changes or undocumented behaviors.
The more informed you are, the quicker you can pivot when Google adjusts course again.
Real-World Case Studies — What Change Looks Like in Practice
A University Website
Before: The university used Course Info schema to show real-time course information, like semester length, credit hours, and prerequisites, directly in the SERP.
After: By removing the deprecated schema, they shifted focus to FAQ schema addressing questions such as “How do I apply?”, “What scholarships are available?”, and “What’s student life like?” The result? Still-rich snippets that continue to attract search clicks—even without course schedules displayed.
A Local Dealership Website
Before: The dealership leaned on Vehicle Listing schema to display make, model, and price right in the search results.
After: With the change, they transitioned to robust Product schema for parts and accessories, and synced inventory with Google Merchant Center. Shoppers now find them directly in Google Shopping—where buyer intent is even stronger.
An E-Learning Startup
Before: The startup embedded Learning Video schema in its tutorials to help users find beginner-friendly coding lessons via SERPs.
After: By switching to the more widely supported Video schema and combining it with HowTo schema for step-by-step guidance, they retained strong visibility. The bonus? Their content now also shows up in Google Discover feeds and mobile video carousels.
The Bottom Line: What This SERP Update Really Means for You
At first glance, Google’s June 12, 2025 SERP update might not raise eyebrows—it doesn’t shake up rankings or penalize sites. But beneath the surface, it signals a major philosophical shift in how Google approaches search results. This isn’t about punishing niche content or restricting innovation. It’s about sharpening the focus of Search to reflect real user behavior. In short: if a feature isn’t helping users, it no longer belongs on the results page.
By retiring rarely-used structured data types like Book Actions, Claim Review, Course Info, and Vehicle Listings, Google is trimming the fat. These features cluttered the SERP without delivering meaningful engagement. And in a world where every second counts, clarity is king.
For SEO strategists, marketers, developers, and site owners, this is your cue to rethink your schema game. You don’t need to support everything—just what works. Instead of spreading yourself thin across obscure schema types, concentrate on the formats Google still supports and users actually engage with: Product, Review, FAQ, HowTo, Video, and the newly launched Loyalty Program.
Here’s what you should know and do:
- Structured Data Deprecated: Book Actions, Course Info, Claim Review, Estimated Salary, Learning Video, Special Announcement, Vehicle Listing
- Reason: Low usage, minimal impact, too much visual clutter
- Still Supported: Product, Review, FAQ, HowTo, Video, Loyalty Program
- Ranking Impact: Absolutely none
- Action Plan: Audit existing markup, remove outdated schema, double down on supported formats, and stay informed
As the digital landscape matures, simplicity is becoming a trust signal. Google’s move reinforces that principle. Clean structure. High-quality content. Meaningful markup. That’s what earns attention—and keeps it. The smart brands will adapt quickly and benefit long-term.
Thatware | Founder & CEO
Tuhin is recognized across the globe for his vision to revolutionize digital transformation industry with the help of cutting-edge technology. He won bronze for India at the Stevie Awards USA as well as winning the India Business Awards, India Technology Award, Top 100 influential tech leaders from Analytics Insights, Clutch Global Front runner in digital marketing, founder of the fastest growing company in Asia by The CEO Magazine and is a TEDx speaker and BrightonSEO speaker.
