Google Schema Brand Warning

[EdHarrison]

It seems later last year Google did the following:

Google Search Console error - Invalid object type in "brand" field

Google changed brand schema type in 2021, to fix this error replace
'@type' => 'Thing',
with
'@type' => 'Brand',

I am getting a warning now in search console for exactly this , I do not know how to implement the fix - has anybody else seen this or fixed yet?

thank you

[brucet]

It looks like Google have changed how they validate the brand element. They no longer accept the standard schema.org format that Sellerdeck uses

The fix looks simple enough. I'm trying to find somewhere I can test it - unfortunately our test servers block access from Google. If you want to try the fix yourself in the meantime it's this:

Open the 'Schema Markup' Layout and find the following line of code:

"brand":"<actinic:variable name="brand" />",</actinic:block><actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22mpn%22%20%2f%3e%20%21%3d%20%22%22" >

and change it to:

"brand": {
"@type": "Brand",
"name": "<actinic:variable name="brand" />"
},</actinic:block><actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22mpn%22%20%2f%3e%20%21%3d%20%22%22" >

[EdHarrison]

Thanks Bruce - I will try it and post back here if it cures it
Edit still showing the error

https://www.harrisontelescopes.co.uk...xplorer70.html

[EdHarrison]

Here is the detail - I think "thing" needs to go?

[brucet]

The fix isn't present in the page for some reason. If it was then:

"brand":"Celestron",

would instead read:

"brand": { "@type": "Brand", "name": "Celestron" },

Are you using a different layout for your schema tags? Did you upload the site after applying the change?

[EdHarrison]

As far as I know my schema layout is standard, yes site uploaded - odd

[brucet]

I've tested the fix now using the Google schema test tool, https://search.google.com/test/rich-results, and found it OK. Although the original format was also accepted by it - so I don't know why the Search Console is showing a warning for you.

TBH the warrnings are pretty draconian, I don't think you get penalised for them. You can get a warning even for not including a field that's optional!

[brucet]

The fix looks good in the layout. Most likely some cacheing on the server is involved, then, and it's sending Google the old version of the page. Maybe try again tomorrow?

[EdHarrison]

I have refreshed the website, will check again over the next day or two, thank you for looking at this.

[EdHarrison]

Bruce...my bad, mine is not in the schema layout, my code has been placed in standard meta tags, so that's why the fix didn't work.
I will speak to my developer as when I attempted it in there it broke badly with 3000 coding errors!

[EdHarrison]

Update all fixed thank you Jonathan Chappell!

[EdHarrison]

Ok products are now perfect with no warnings but the fix seems to have caused a parsing error in all section (non product) pages, see below - any ideas please?

[EdHarrison]

Now fixed, thank you to Jonathan

[Mantra]

It looks like Google have changed how they validate the brand element. They no longer accept the standard schema.org format that Sellerdeck uses

The fix looks simple enough. I'm trying to find somewhere I can test it - unfortunately our test servers block access from Google. If you want to try the fix yourself in the meantime it's this:

Open the 'Schema Markup' Layout and find the following line of code:

"brand":"<actinic:variable name="brand" />",</actinic:block><actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22mpn%22%20%2f%3e%20%21%3d%20%22%22" >

and change it to:

"brand": {
"@type": "Brand",
"name": "<actinic:variable name="brand" />"
},</actinic:block><actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22mpn%22%20%2f%3e%20%21%3d%20%22%22" >

V16.1.2 - I am using Standard Meta Tag Layout configured before Schema Mark Up V18 Layout was released.
This has worked satisfactorily apart from the occasional Google Search Console warnings that have been fixed as and when they arise.
I started receiving the invalid object type in "brand" field warnings about 6 weeks ago increasing with the number of products affected since then.
I can now confirm that the above fix has worked for me and that it took Google about a week to validate the fix for 547 products impacted at the time when the change was uploaded.

[Mantra]

Hey-ho just upgraded from v16.1.2 to v18.2 and the Google Search Console error - Invalid object type in "brand" field warning has just started to re-appear together with some other missing fields "review", "sku", "aggregateRating", "priceValidUntil" and "url".

I checked the Meta Tag variable selector in the header of the Responsive Outer Layout and this was set the same as the v16.1.2 layout Values for Standard Meta Tags.

The Layout upgrade log details a host of successful code match updates and 1 failed code match update:

Match: content=\"<actinic:variable name=\"CatalogURL\" \\/>
Replace: content=\"<actinic:block if=\"%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22IsBaseHREFStandard%22%20%2f%3e\" ><actinic:variable name=\"CatalogURL\" /></actinic:block><actinic:block if=\"%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22IsBaseHREFSSL%22%20%2f%3e\" ><actinic:variable name=\"SSLCatalogURL\" /></actinic:block>
Result: Failed

I couldn't find this

content=\"<actinic:variable name=\"CatalogURL\" \\/>

in the Standard Meta Tags Layout so any suggestions where I should best place the replacement

content=\"<actinic:block if=\"%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22IsBaseHREFStandard%22%20%2f%3e\" ><actinic:variable name=\"CatalogURL\" /></actinic:block><actinic:block if=\"%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22IsBaseHREFSSL%22%20%2f%3e\" ><actinic:variable name=\"SSLCatalogURL\" /></actinic:block>

would be most appreciated.

I can then insert this into the Standard Meta Tags layout and refresh the website to see if it makes any difference to the Google Search Console error warnings.

Martin
Mantra Audio