I recently discovered that Google has enhanced its structured data support for forum and Q&A pages. This update introduces new properties that allow us to better signal reply threads, quoted content, and identify whether content is generated by AI or humans.
With these changes, which aim to boost Google’s accuracy in interpreting discussions and Q&A content, we can now ensure our content is represented more precisely.
What’s New. Google has updated its QAPage documentation to include commentCount and digitalSourceType. Moreover, the DiscussionForumPosting documentation now supports sharedContent alongside these new properties.
The Details. Using Q&A markup, I’m able to apply commentCount to questions, answers, and comments, showcasing the total number of comments even if they are not fully marked up. This total should align with answerCount + commentCount, representing all types of replies.
How It Works. The digitalSourceType property allows me to indicate whether content is produced by a model or simple automation. I can use TrainedAlgorithmicMediaDigitalSource for advanced outputs and AlgorithmicMediaDigitalSource for basic bots. If this property is left out, Google assumes the content is human-generated.
What’s New for Forums. The sharedContent property helps me to mark the primary item that’s being shared in a post. Google supports various content types like WebPage, ImageObject, and more, including quotes or reposts.
Why This Matters. This update provides me with greater control over how Google interprets community content, which is particularly important for sites rich in forums, support communities, UGC platforms, and Q&A sections. Google can now distinguish between answers and comments more effectively, tally partial threads across multiple pages, and recognize when a post primarily shares specific media types.
Documentation. The official documentation was updated on March 24, providing all the details I need to apply these new capabilities.
Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
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