SEO October 9, 2026
Structured data in 2026: what is still worth doing
On 7 May 2026 Google ended FAQ rich results for all sites. The markup stays valid, but its value now lies elsewhere.
Structured data is still useful, but expectations need to be right. In 2026 part of what was tied to rich results disappeared, and Google said plainly that AI search needs no special markup.
What happened in 2026
- In August 2023 Google limited FAQ rich results to government and health sites
- On 7 May 2026 FAQ rich results stopped showing for all sites
- On 15 June 2026 the FAQPage documentation was removed
- In June 2025 Google announced the removal of seven little-used rich result types
Google stresses that removing a feature does not make a schema.org type invalid. FAQPage is still valid markup; it just no longer yields a rich result in Google.
What Google says about AI search
Google’s AI features documentation and the May 2026 guide confirm: AI Overviews and AI Mode need no special markup and no schema.org data. Structured data simply has to match the visible text, and it is recommended for rich result eligibility.
What is still worth doing
- Organization and WebSite: say who you are and what your site is called
- Article: author, publication and modification dates, headline
- BreadcrumbList: where the page sits in the site structure
- Product and Review (where relevant): price, availability, ratings, mindful of the July 2026 guidance on fake and undisclosed incentivised reviews
- LocalBusiness and Service: contact details and service area
Example: every page on this site carries a JSON-LD graph: organisation, page, breadcrumbs and, on articles, author and dates. The FAQ block stays on the page as an answer people can read, and the markup helps other machines, but we do not rely on it for a Google rich result.
A practical check: five steps
- Make sure the markup matches the visible text and is generated on the server
- Use Google’s Rich Results Test and the Search Console reports to see which types are still supported
- Remove markup that describes content the page does not contain
- Update dates only when the content really changed: Google lists faked freshness as a warning sign of search-engine-first content
- Do not expect rankings from markup: it is a clarity tool, not a ranking lever
What to do this week
- Open Search Console and see which rich result reports still exist
- Check that Organization, Article and BreadcrumbList are in order
- Decide whether FAQ markup stays beside visible content for people
- Document which types you use and why
A practical note for a small business
For a small business the most valuable set is simple: organisation, page, breadcrumbs, and article author and dates. All of it should be generated on the server so robots see it in the first HTML response. The rest is a bonus, not a need.
A good rule: if the markup describes something the reader cannot see on the page, remove it.
Three questions
Should FAQ markup be removed?
Not necessarily. FAQPage is still a valid schema.org type. If the page has a visible block of questions and answers, you can keep the markup, but do not expect a Google rich result from it.
What has been added in 2026?
According to Google’s changelog, on 24 March more supported properties were added for Discussion Forum and QA Page markup, and on 24 July a new guideline on fake and undisclosed incentivised reviews.
How do I test markup?
Use Google’s Rich Results Test and the Search Console reports. Always make sure the markup matches the visible text on the page.
Summary
Structured data is a clarity tool. Keep it correct and consistent with the page, but do not turn it into a ranking promise.
