Google is set to revolutionise how we find educational videos online. They’ve unveiled a new structured data markup, enhancing search experiences by providing detailed information about the content of instructional videos.
Understanding the new structured data
This groundbreaking structured data allows publishers to tag their videos with specific educational details. It includes information about the educational level, key concepts, and skills that the video covers. By integrating schema.org metadata, Google Search can better understand and categorise these videos, ensuring users get the most relevant results.
Enhanced search results with rich snippets
Videos marked with this new structured data will stand out in search results. They’ll feature rich snippets displaying essential information like the target education level and the type of video, such as “overview” or “solution.” This feature is available worldwide in English for desktop and mobile users, focusing on academic and educational content.
Implementing structured data: A guide for publishers
Publishers with content on websites can easily implement this new markup. Those using content management systems (CMSs) can add the structured data through plugins, while websites based on JavaScript can generate the schema.org metadata via coding. Google recommends following best practices, like using their Structured Data Testing Tool for validation and submitting a sitemap to inform Google of the changes.
Key technical requirements
To benefit from this feature, there are some technical necessities:
- Videos must be at least 30 seconds long.
- They should be publicly accessible, without needing a login or subscription.
- The structured data should be placed on the same page where the full video can be viewed.
Advantages for both search engines and users
This new markup is not just a boon for search engines; it significantly enhances the user experience. Users can quickly find videos that match their learning needs by providing detailed information about educational videos in search results. Publishers, in turn, may see increased traffic due to these enriched search snippets.
Google’s commitment to enhancing educational searches
Google’s latest initiative underscores its commitment to improving the searchability of educational materials. This move follows other recent updates, like introducing new Google Search tools for math and science and AI-generated responses in Search Guides for Education (SGE) to enhance learning.
