Google Updates ProfilePage Structured Data Documentation via @sejournal, @martinibuster

Google updated their documentation for the profile page structured data, a structured data that all creators including recipe bloggers can use and become eligible for enhanced listings in the search results.

What is ProfilePage Structured Data?

ProfilePage structured data is a Schema.org markup that Google uses for enhanced listings in the search results. It’s well known for use with forum and discussion communities but it’s also of use for any profile page where there’s information about the author.

What Changed In The Official Documentation?

Google updated the opening paragraph to make it clearer how Google uses it in the search results and removes the mention of “Perspectives” and replaces it with references to Forums, which aligns with how Google Search refers to them in the search results.

The new version of the opening paragraph is about 26% shorter but offers more precise information.

This is the original version (64 words):

“ProfilePage markup is designed for any site where creators (either people or organizations) share first-hand perspectives. It helps Google Search highlight information about the creator, such as their name or social handle, profile photo, follower count, or the popularity of their content. Google Search also makes use of this markup when disambiguating the creator, and in features such as Perspectives and Discussions and Forums.”

This is the revised version (47 words):

“ProfilePage markup is designed for any site where creators (either people or organizations) share first-hand perspectives. Adding this markup helps Google Search understand the creators that post in an online community, and show better content from that community in search results, including the Discussions and Forums feature.”

What’s ProfilePage Markup Good For?

The ProfilePage structured data markup can be used on any profile page where there’s a creator. It’s not just for communities and can make a profile page eligible to show an enhanced listing in the search results.

This is what Google’s documentation says:

“Other structured data features can link to pages with ProfilePage markup too. For example, Article and Recipe structured data have authors…”

It seems like the ProfilePage markup is underused in the recipe blogger space, not sure why. For example, the Serious Eats profile page for recipe writer J. Kenji López-Alt has ProfilePage structured data markup on his profile page and Google appears to reward that markup with an enhanced listing for his Serious Eats profile page.