In 2019, Google Search Console added Structured Data Product Markup reporting. It’s a new way for merchants to provide up-to-date and accurate product information, which Google notes is key to successful shopping journeys.
Many companies add structured data markup to their websites to ensure Google has a correct understanding of products they sell. Websites that use schema.org structured data markup to annotate product information now have access to a new report for ‘Products’ in Search Console. The report allows you to see any pending issues for markup on your site. After you fix the issue, you can have Google re-crawl your site and verify the resolution.
The product markup reporting now includes:
- Recipes
- Job postings
- Events
- Q&A pages
- Products
Google will also send emails notifying about active product markup errors.
If you sell your products in the United States but you don’t have an existing account Merchant Center account, create one here and upload a product data feed.
Despite being one of the most important schema markups, Google has not finished the reporting and is still working on some bugs. So, not all websites have access to this new reporting yet. When we tested some WooCommerce websites, the search console showed errors like the following:
Either “offers,” “review,” or “aggregate rating” should be specified.
But when we tested the same URL on Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool, it did not display any errors. It just showed warnings instead.
A Note About Using Structured Data Product Markup Reporting
The number of errors and warnings on the new structured data product markup reporting is staggering. However, if you’re receiving notifications about the errors, be careful how you respond. They can be actual errors (and not a bug). Weeding through the issues can be tricky. That’s where we come in. If you’re interested in using Google’s suite of resources to better market your company, we welcome you to give us a call for advice.