In August 2023, Google announced significant changes to how certain rich results appear in search. The company stated it would reduce the visibility of FAQ rich results and limit HowTo rich results to desktop devices only. This announcement marked a notable shift in how structured data impacts search appearance, affecting website owners and SEO professionals who had invested in implementing these rich result types.
For websites that previously qualified for these enhanced search listings, the changes meant adapting their SEO strategies to maintain visibility. Understanding the specifics of these changes, their implications, and practical responses became essential for maintaining search performance.
The announcement came directly from Google's Search Central blog, providing official guidance on what website owners should expect and how to respond to the changes.
What Changed With FAQ Rich Results
FAQ rich results, which displayed expandable question-and-answer content directly in search results, underwent significant eligibility restrictions. Prior to the change, many types of websites could qualify for FAQ rich results by implementing the FAQPage structured data markup. This allowed search engines to display multiple questions and answers in an expandable format beneath the search listing.
Google's announcement specified that FAQ rich results would now only be shown for what the company described as "well-known, authoritative government and health websites." This restriction dramatically reduced the number of websites eligible for this rich result type:
- Government websites: Official policies, regulations, and public information maintained eligibility
- Health websites: Medical information providers retained the ability to show FAQ rich results
- Commercial websites: Most business sites, informational sites, and other content types no longer qualified
The rationale behind this restriction likely relates to Google's ongoing efforts to reduce clutter in search results while ensuring that specialized rich result types serve users in high-stakes contexts where accuracy and authority are paramount. Health-related queries and government information represent areas where users frequently need authoritative answers quickly.
For website owners who had implemented FAQPage structured data, this change meant their FAQ content would no longer display in the enhanced format. The structured data itself remained valid and crawlable, but Google no longer used it to generate rich results for most site types.
What Changed With HowTo Rich Results
HowTo rich results, which displayed step-by-step instructional content with visual thumbnails and expandability in search results, experienced a different type of restriction. Rather than limiting eligibility by site type, Google limited where these results could appear based on the device being used for the search.
The announcement indicated that HowTo rich results would only be shown on desktop devices going forward. This meant that:
- Searches performed on mobile phones would no longer display HowTo content in the enhanced format
- Searches performed on tablets would also lose HowTo rich result visibility
- Desktop searches would continue to show the full HowTo rich result experience
This change reflected broader trends in Google's approach to mobile search results, where the company has progressively aligned mobile and desktop experiences while making device-specific adjustments. For content creators who had optimized their HowTo articles specifically for mobile visibility, this change required reassessment of their content strategy and potentially their mobile user experience design.
Mobile searches represent a significant portion of overall search volume, and many users specifically search for instructional content on mobile devices while performing tasks. The desktop-only limitation meant losing visibility for this substantial audience segment.
Understanding how mobile SEO differs from desktop optimization helps content creators adapt their strategies for changing search landscapes.
Search Intent And User Experience Implications
The changes to FAQ and HowTo rich results intersect with fundamental principles of search intent. Both rich result types served specific user needs:
FAQ Rich Results
- Answer Verification: Users wanted quick, direct answers to specific questions
- Information Scannability: The expandable format allowed users to scan multiple related questions
- Trust Signals: FAQ formatting suggested organized, authoritative information
HowTo Rich Results
- Task Completion: Users needed step-by-step guidance for completing specific tasks
- Time Estimation: Displayed completion time helped users assess commitment required
- Visual Guidance: Thumbnail images provided visual reference for key steps
When analyzing these changes through the lens of search intent, Google may have determined that expanding these formats to all sites created inconsistency in answer quality and potentially reduced clicks to more authoritative sources. For HowTo searches, users typically need procedural guidance, and mobile devices are increasingly the primary computing device for many users.
Understanding how search intent shapes content strategy helps prioritize optimization efforts across all content types.
Technical Implementation And Structured Data
Understanding the technical requirements for these rich result types remains valuable even when eligibility changes affect visibility. Both FAQ and HowTo rich results required specific structured data implementations using Schema.org vocabulary.
FAQPage Schema Requirements
The FAQPage schema type required marking up each question-answer pair with proper element nesting. The structure included:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "FAQPage",
"mainEntity": [{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "Question text here",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "Answer text here"
}
}]
}
HowTo Schema Requirements
The HowTo schema type required marking up individual steps with detailed descriptions:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "HowTo",
"name": "Task name",
"totalTime": "PT30M",
"step": [{
"@type": "HowToStep",
"text": "Step description",
"image": "step-image.jpg"
}]
}
Even though these rich results are now limited in visibility, maintaining valid structured data ensures the content remains properly understood by search engines and could become eligible again if Google modifies its policies. Our technical SEO services include comprehensive structured data implementation and validation.
Alternative Approaches For Maintaining Visibility
With FAQ and HowTo rich results restricted, several alternative approaches help maintain search visibility for this type of content:
For FAQ-Type Content
- Create dedicated question-focused pages with comprehensive answers
- Structure content with clear question headings (H2, H3) and direct answers
- Optimize for "People Also Ask" features and featured snippets
- Build topical authority through comprehensive coverage of related topics
For HowTo Content
- Focus on clear, scannable formatting within articles
- Use numbered lists for procedural steps
- Include images alongside each instruction
- Provide estimated completion times in visible locations
- Develop comprehensive guides that serve as definitive resources
General Strategies
- Diversify SEO strategy across multiple ranking factors
- Build internal linking to establish topical authority
- Create content that answers user questions comprehensively
- Monitor search performance and adapt to algorithm changes
The broader lesson from these changes emphasizes not relying exclusively on any single rich result type for search visibility. Diversifying content optimization strategies and building authority across multiple search feature types creates more resilient long-term performance. Explore our comprehensive SEO services to build a diversified strategy.
Structured Data Audit
Comprehensive review of your schema markup to ensure validity and identify optimization opportunities
Content Restructuring
Reorganize FAQ and HowTo content for optimal search visibility without rich result dependencies
Performance Monitoring
Track rich result visibility and organic traffic changes using Search Console and analytics
Strategy Diversification
Build authority across multiple ranking factors to reduce vulnerability to algorithm changes