You spent time and budget adding FAQ schema to key pages and watched them earn expanded SERP real estate. On May 7, 2026, Google quietly removed FAQ rich results from search results everywhere, and started winding down the related Search Console reporting behind it. No big announcement, no warning email, just a documentation update and SERPs that looked different the next morning. Search Engine Roundtable and the Marie Haynes SERP tracker both flagged it within hours. If you invested in structured data SEO to win those expanded snippets, this is your signal to audit, adapt, and redirect your effort toward what actually moves rankings today.
What Happened
On May 7, 2026, Google retired FAQ rich results from all Google Search results, globally, on desktop and mobile, without a public blog post. The change was published as a quiet update to Google's FAQPage structured data documentation, which now states FAQ rich results no longer appear in Search. Google also confirmed it will remove the FAQ search appearance filter, the rich result report, and Rich Results Test support in June 2026, and remove FAQ data from the Search Console API in August 2026.
This completes a phase-out that started years ago. FAQ rich results launched in 2019, became one of the most popular structured data targets for SEOs, then got restricted in August 2023 to only well-known government and health sites. May 7, 2026 was the final step. As PPC Land noted, HowTo rich results followed the same path on desktop in 2023, which means this pattern is now well established.
Why This Matters for Your Marketing
What You Lose in the SERP
FAQ rich results historically lifted click-through rates by roughly 20 to 30 percent at the same ranking position, according to SEO industry analyses compiled before the removal. The mechanic was simple: an expanded FAQ accordion under your blue link gave you more SERP real estate and surfaced your answer before the click. Now that visual lift is gone everywhere. Pages with informational intent are the most exposed, and the SERP space FAQ accordions used to occupy is increasingly getting absorbed by AI Overviews and People Also Ask blocks.
What Happens to Your Existing FAQ Schema
FAQPage schema itself is not deprecated. Google explicitly said the markup remains valid, will continue to be used to understand page content, and that unused structured data does not hurt rankings. In other words, you do not need to rip out FAQ schema overnight. The pages keep working. They just do not get the rich result anymore.
The People Also Ask and AI Overview Connection
Here is the angle most coverage will skip: Google still reads structured FAQ content. That makes it a candidate for AI Overviews, Search Generative Experience answers, voice search results, and possibly People Also Ask placements. If your FAQ schema accurately reflects real questions your audience asks, it is still working for you on the AI surfaces, which is where most of the click attention is moving anyway.
The 3-Step FAQ Schema Reset Plan
This is the action plan I would run on any client site this month.
Audit. Pull every URL with FAQ schema. Use the Google Search Console structured data report under Enhancements while it is still available (it goes away in June 2026). Cross-check with a Screaming Frog crawl filtered on FAQPage schema in the Structured Data tab. Export both lists and reconcile to one master URL list.
Decide. For each page, answer two questions. First, does the FAQ block accurately reflect questions a real customer asks? Second, am I willing to maintain it? If both yes, keep the schema. It still feeds AI Overviews, voice search, and Google's understanding of the page. If either is no, queue the page for removal.
Replace. Take the time and budget you used to spend chasing FAQ rich results and pivot it. Identify People Also Ask questions for your target keywords and write content that directly answers them. Add HowTo schema to true process content where it still helps. Add Speakable schema to short answers you want voice search to read aloud. The structured data game is not dead, the target moved.
Two extra steps to close the loop. Validate every page you change with the Google Rich Results Test before you push live, then watch impressions and CTR for the affected URLs in Google Search Console for the next 30 days so you can quantify the impact and adjust.
How MKDM Can Help
This is exactly the kind of work I do for clients in SEO and technical SEO engagements. I run the structured data audit, decide what stays and what goes on a page-by-page basis, and rebuild the SEO roadmap around what Google rewards today, which means AI Overview optimization, People Also Ask targeting, and the schema types that still earn visible SERP features. If you have FAQ schema across a content site or a service business, I can scope a one-time audit and reset, or fold it into an ongoing technical SEO retainer. Reach out and I will take a look at your site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I remove FAQ schema from my website now that rich results are gone?
Not automatically. Google confirmed FAQPage schema is still valid markup and unused structured data does not hurt rankings. Keep the schema on pages where it accurately describes content and may help AI Overviews, voice search, or future SERP features. Remove it from pages where it was only added to chase rich results and now adds page weight without value.
Will keeping FAQ schema hurt my SEO after Google's May 2026 update?
No. Google's documentation states that unused structured data does not negatively impact Search rankings. FAQ schema may still help Google understand your content, which is relevant for AI Overviews and Search Generative Experience surfaces. The only reason to remove it is page weight, maintenance cost, or accuracy if the content no longer matches the schema.
What structured data types still work for rich results in 2026?
Product, Review, Recipe, Event, JobPosting, Article, Breadcrumb, LocalBusiness, Video, and Speakable schema all still drive visible SERP features for eligible content. HowTo rich results were removed from desktop in 2023 and remain limited. Focus structured data effort on the schema types Google actively rewards with visible enhancements.
How do I find which pages on my site use FAQ schema?
Use Google Search Console's structured data report under the Enhancements section until June 2026 when the FAQ report is retired. After that, crawl your site with Screaming Frog and filter for FAQPage schema in the Structured Data tab, or run the Rich Results Test on any page you suspect. Export the URL list and use it as the audit baseline for the cleanup plan.
Originally published at mattkundodigitalmarketing.com
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