Is This a Misuse of Structured Data (JSON Recipe Tag on Collection Pages)?
-
I've noticed that many food blogs use the "recipe" tag to rank collection pages in carousels. For example, for the search term "Zucchini Recipe," Gaumenfreundin is in the first position in the carousel with a page that contains multiple recipes.
This makes sense if the user intent is plural (e.g., "recipes") - but in the singular?
According to Google's guidelines, the recipe tag is intended for individual recipes. Google even states that it is a misuse if only the ingredients are listed without the steps.
So, isn't it against the guidelines to tag a collection page (even additionally) with the recipe tag? This practice is already common in the US market.
Is Google aware of this and possibly tolerating it because it sometimes makes sense to present multiple recipes to the user? For example, "Zucchini Recipe" - the user might not yet know exactly what they want to cook with zucchini.
Or do you think Google will take action against this practice in the future?
-
Using structured data, like the JSON recipe tag, on collection pages can be seen as a misuse if it's not directly relevant to the content. For example, if Dutch Bros Menu pages use recipe tags without actual recipes, it may confuse search engines, impacting SEO. Ensure the tags match the page content to avoid issues.
-
Using structured data, like JSON-LD Recipe tags, correctly can enhance your site's SEO by making your content more discoverable and understandable by search engines. However, it's crucial to use it appropriately to avoid potential penalties from search engines. Here’s what to consider regarding the misuse of Recipe tags on collection pages:
What is Structured Data?
Structured data is a standardized format to provide information about a page and classify the page content. JSON-LD is a popular method for adding structured data.Proper Use of Recipe Tags:
Recipe tags should be used specifically for individual recipe pages. They help search engines understand the content and can make your recipes eligible for rich results in search.Misuse on Collection Pages:
Using Recipe tags on collection or category pages where individual recipes are not present is considered misuse. This can mislead search engines and users, leading to a poor user experience.Why Misuse is a Problem:
Misleading Information: It provides inaccurate information to search engines and users, leading to potential penalties.
User Experience: Users searching for specific recipes might end up on a collection page, which doesn’t directly fulfill their query.
SEO Penalties: Search engines like Google can penalize sites that misuse structured data, which can negatively impact your search rankings.
Best Practices:Use Recipe tags only on pages with actual recipes.
For collection pages, use appropriate structured data like ItemList or BreadcrumbList to help search engines understand the page structure.
Ensure that each structured data type is relevant to the content of the page.
In conclusion, while structured data is a powerful tool for SEO, it’s essential to use it correctly. Misusing Recipe tags on collection pages can harm your SEO efforts and lead to penalties. Stick to best practices and ensure that your structured data accurately represents the content on your pages.
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
Anyone come accross a completely random site name displayed in the SERPs?
Hello SEO friends, I am looking at a site that has a completely random site name displayed in the serps. The site in question is a hypnotherapy service and the site name is displaying as a commercial cargo airline! See the screen shot. Any ideas? There is 'local business' structured data on the site and it IS showing the correct business name. Is this a hack? Negative SEO attack? Random Google stuff up? Help! Very confused! Thank you for any advice! Sean!Untitled.jpg
Intermediate & Advanced SEO | | sean.e0 -
Why Product pages are throwing Missing field "image" and Missing field "price" in Wordpress Woocommerce
I have a wordpress wocommerce website where I have uploaded 100s of products but it's giving me error in GSC under merchant listing tab. When I tested it show missing field image and missing field price. I have done everything according to https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/product#merchant-listing-experiences and applied fixed i.e. images are 800x800 and price range is also there. What else can be done here?!merchant listing.jpg
Technical SEO | | Ravi_Rana0 -
What Schema would a Web design/development/seo ageny use and what is the schema.org link?
What Schema would a Web design/development/SEO Ageny use, and what is the schema.org link? I cannot for the life of me figure it out. ProfessionalService has been deprecated.
On-Page Optimization | | TiagoPedreira0 -
Schema Markup Validator vs. Rich Results Test
I am working on a schema markup project. When I test the schema code in the Schema Markup Validator, everything looks fine, no errors detected. However, when I test it in the Rich Results Test, a few errors come back.
Intermediate & Advanced SEO | | Collegis_Education
What is the difference between these two tests? Should I trust one over the other?1 -
What is the best structured data for my website
We have 10:branches for our agency where we are looking to attract local businesses to use our marketing services, should each landing page have structured data for ‘local business’? Any advice would be helpful
Local SEO | | Caffeine_Marketing0 -
Using Google structured Data for SEO benefit
Hi there I run www.isacleanse.com.au and I've set up some Structured data using Google Webmaster Tools which says it will be picked up during the next Google update (has been set up over 4 weeks ago), however I dont seem to see any of the structured data for the products/reviews/ratings etc coming through in search results. Question at hand: Is there additional things I need to do in the code of the website or should this be sufficient? (see attached screenshot) szpFUpX
On-Page Optimization | | IsaCleanse1 -
To enter keyword meta tags or to not enter keyword meta tags?
I've been doing SEO for awhile, but new to SEOMoz. I'm surprised that SEOMoz does not recommend keyword meta tags. I didn't enter them for the longest time because I know Google doesn't care about them. However, I did read that other search engines DO use them. And therefore that is why you should have them. I teach my customers about SEO, and I know it would be much easier for them not to enter or worry about the keyword meta tags. However, I would love to hear opinions here. And to Bing/Yahoo put any weight into them or is it only really small search engines? Thanks! Hilary
On-Page Optimization | | endlessrange0