Google has partnered with schema.org to introduce a new set of structured data designed to optimize content for Google Assistant.
This new markup, known as “speakable,” is intended to highlight content that is particularly suitable for text-to-speech conversion.
For instance, if a user asks the Assistant, “Hey Google, what’s the latest SEO news?” it would reply with a segment from a news article that includes the speakable markup.
When users request news on a specific subject, Google Assistant will provide up to three articles from various online sources and supports audio playback using text-to-speech with speakable structured data.
In addition to verbalizing the content, Google Assistant will also send a link to the user’s mobile device.
Speakable markup can be applied multiple times within a single article, enabling publishers to mark specific sections that are most advantageous for speech.
According to its developer documentation, Google highlights that utilizing speakable markup offers publishers a novel way to connect with a broader audience.
“By adding markup, search engines and other applications can identify content to read aloud on Google Assistant-enabled devices using TTS. Webpages with speakable structured data can leverage the Google Assistant to distribute the content through new channels and engage a wider audience base.”
Publishers can qualify to appear in Google Assistant’s news results provided they are recognized as a valid news site, which can be achieved by submitting their site through the Publisher Center.
Currently, speakable structured data is functional on Google Home devices for English-speaking users in the US only.
