This Week’s Google Updates: Apps & MLB Snippets, Detailed Reconsideration Responses

This week Google added rich markup data for mobile apps, partnered with MLB.com for more rich baseball data on the SERP, and increased the level of detail on the email sent to webmasters who have requested reconsideration for the Google search index.

Mobile Apps Get Rich Snippets

Webmasters now have access to rich snippet markup that allows the denotation of data specific to mobile apps. Once marked up, Google SERP entries for the app may include rich data, including review info, price, and the date of the most recent version. The first sites including this data include Apple, CNET, and Google’s own Android Market, according to Inside Search.

Rich data markup was introduced in 2010 and has since seen a wide array of implementations, ranging from recipes to videos to concerts times to sports data and more.

Rich Sports Data Added for MLB.com

Google has teamed with MLB.com to offer baseball fans more rich results in the search engine. Any result from MLB.com will now include “the latest scores, schedules, and team standings,” as reported on Inside Search.

Google previously partnered with ESPN to offer rich snippet data for the MLB and NFL and has promised future markups for hockey and soccer.

Google Reconsideration Responses Get More Detailed

Google is now sending more detailed reconsideration responses to webmasters who’ve requested re-inclusion in the search index, according to the Google Webmaster Central Blog. The response tells webmasters whether their request has been granted; if there is still an issue; or if their site has not been manually removed. This allows webmasters to get a clear idea of their current status, but doesn’t provide personalized details such as the exact issue or other reasons why the site isn’t showing up on the index.

Google manually removes sites that have engaged in spam action, contain malicious code, or violate the law. Google reconsiders the site once the webmaster has ensured the site no longer violates Google guidelines and fills out a reconsideration request. Prior to this update, webmasters only received a confirmation that their request had been processed. No further details were included.