Google updated it’s documentation to add a new 3DModel markup Type to the Product structured data type, connecting the two by the use of the subjectOf property.
Understanding The New Structured Data Property
A structured data Type is an entity or a concept (like EatAction or DrugCost). Some common structured data Types most people are familiar with are CreativeWork, Product, Event, and Organization.
A property is simply an attribute of the structured data Type.
The new markup that Google is introducing for use with the Property Type is the 3DModel Type which is connected to the Property Type through the use of the subjectOf property.
The subjectOf property is a way to link two Types. In this case the 3DModel type is linked with the subjectOf property to the Product structured data type. The 3DModel structured data type adds more information about the Product.
Why Is Google Introducing The 3DModel Type?
Google’s developer pages changelog explains that the reason Google is making the 3DModel Type official is because 3DModels are increasingly used on product webpages so this gives merchants a way to add information about the 3DModel that is associated with a product on a product pages.
There is no indication of how the 3DModel structured data might be used as a rich result but it’s not unreasonable to imagine that merchant listings or the regular SERPs may one day have a rich result associated with 3D representations of products.
Even if Google doesn’t create a rich result for the search results pages (SERPs) it’s still worthwhile to use the new structured data type because it helps Google know that there is a 3D representation of the product on the webpage and use that information for ranking purposes.
Google’s explanation for the introducing the new Schema.org structured data type is described in the changelog:
“Sometimes 3D models appear on pages with multiple products and are not clearly connected with any of them. This markup lets site owners link a 3D model to a specific product.”
Example Of 3DModel Type
Google published an example of how the subjectOf property is used to connect the 3DModel type to the Product structured data type.
Example Of 3DModel Type In Use
{ "@context": "https://schema.org/", "@type": "Product", "sku": "1234-5678", "image": "https://www.example.com/sofa.jpg", "name": "Water heater", "description": "White 3-Seat Sofa", "gtin14": "12345678901231", "mpn": "S1234W3", "brand": { "@type": "Brand", "name": "ExampleSofaBrand"
}, "subjectOf": { "@type": "3DModel", "encoding": { "@type": "MediaObject", "contentUrl": "https://example.com/sofa.gltf"
}
},
As can be seen above, the subjectOf property links the 3DModel Type to the overall Product structured data Type.
Read the new documentation in Google’s Search Central page for the Property structured data:
Product (Product, Review, Offer) structured data – 3D Model
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