New schema update for virtual, postponed and cancelled events

by Guna Nadar - 8/26/2020 2975 Views

Google introduced new types of event schema since events gets canceled, postponed, or rescheduled these days now.Let google know about your event status.

COVID-19 causes more event postpones, cancellations and online-only formats around the world as it spreads virtually. In this current environment, Google added some new, optional properties to show the accurate event status to users. This schema update supports publishers and users of regions and languages.

How the new schema update works?

Site owners can indicate whether an event has been canceled, postponed, or rescheduled by using the ‘eventStatus’ property. Hence, Google can show users the current status of an event, instead of dropping the event from the event search experience altogether by this schema update.

If the event has been canceled: Set the ‘eventStatus’ property to ‘EventCancelled’ and keep the original date in the ‘startDate’ of the event.

If the event has been postponed (new date isn't known yet): Keep the original date in the ‘startDate’ of the event until you know when the event will take place and update the ‘eventStatus’ to ‘EventPostponed’.

If the event has been rescheduled to a later date: Update the ‘startDate’ and ‘endDate’ with the relevant new dates. Optionally, you can also mark the ‘eventStatus’ field as ‘EventRescheduled’ and add the ‘previousStartDate’.

If the event has moved from in-person to online-only: Optionally update the ‘eventStatus’ field to indicate the change with ‘EventMovedOnline’.

Google also offers additional assistance for the properties of virtual events. Make sure to use it, if the event is happening only online.

Set the location to the ‘VirtualLocation’ type.

Set the ‘eventAttendanceMode’ property to ‘OnlineEventAttendanceMode’

Update Google about your event changes

To display the updated information on Google search make sure you update Google after making changes on markup. Highlight your new content to search engines as quickly as possible by making the sitemap automatically available through your server. Otherwise, you can ping Google specifically with the location of your sitemap by entering this URL in the address bar: http://www.google.com/ping?sitemap=URL/of/file.

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schema update

About Guna Nadar

Brief Info about Guna Nadar +

I mostly write technical aspects and not much into creative writing. For the past decade I worked along with top notch SEO & Internet Marketing professionals which naturally lured me into the world of Search Engines. When I am not writing I read from comics to philosophy.Antiques, Fishing, hunting are my passions. Currently I am working on Google Penalty protection and .... more info about the author