Forum Snippets in Search Results Incorrect

[JesterMagic]

I just notice that my forum posts listed in the search results are not displaying the number of posts correctly and the date of the last post. I did change the template slightly a month or so ago to display better on mobile phones.

The number of posts it displays for everything is just 5. For anonymous users who visit the forum (like Googlebot) the number of forum posts that display for each post is 10. I also have link rel="next" and rel="prev" set for my page navigation so Google should be able to follow everything and display the correct number of posts and date for the forum topic in the search results. This has been working fine for years.

I am pretty sure the tweaks I did to the template wasn't the cause. The breadcrumbs for the forum topic also display fine in the search results.

I know it takes a while for the number of forum posts to get updated with the correct number when new posts are added on the search result page so I don't want to start tweaking things yet as it will take forever to figure out.

For forums what schema and/or rich snippets do people use on forum topic pages (if any) to help Google figure out forum posts?

[keyplyr]

I just notice that my forum posts listed in the search results are not displaying the number of posts correctly and the date of the last post.

I assume Google is displaying the results from the time/date of the last crawl.

[lucy24]

I assume Google is displaying the results from the time/date of the last crawl.

That was my first hypothesis too, but instead:

The number of posts it displays for everything is just 5.

And, before you start conjecturing that 5 is some kind of default number for noscript or not-logged in users:

For anonymous users who visit the forum (like Googlebot) the number of forum posts that display for each post is 10.

Head-scratcher, to be sure.

But does it matter? (Other than in the abstract sense of "This is driving me bonkers and I lie awake nights trying to figure out some possible explanation.") Once humans get to the page they'll see the correct number--or, at least, the number you want them to see--and surely people don't click on search results based on the number of posts listed next to a person's name?

[martinibuster]

It may matter if all Google is seeing is five posts. It may not be a coincidence that the tweak you did for Mobile is influencing your SERPs. Google visits as mobile, you know. What was your tweak?

[JesterMagic]

My tweaks was a change to how the posts are displayed (and colors) and where the forum displays the user info when viewed on smaller screens. I wouldn't think the tweaks should have caused the issue as each post is defined in it's own div(s), etc.. The overall structure didn't change to much. My only way to check this is to change it back I guess and see but I rather see other suggestions first.

I just notice that their is now a schema for Forum Posts (http://schema.org/DiscussionForumPosting). I think I will implement this to see if that helps.

Some of my forum topics are 20 plus pages long that go back several years. So I rather see the last post date listed in the SERP listing along with the correct number of posts. It shows searchers that the topic is active.

One thing I haven't notice is any real lost of position in the SERPs.

[lucy24]

So I rather see the last post date listed in the SERP listing

That's a different problem, and it has existed for years. Try searching for material from, say, "the past month" and you won't get anything from threads that started last year, even if the most recent posts are from the day before yesterday.

[JesterMagic]

@lucy24 Yes I just discovered that after my last post when I took a look at Webmasterworld in the Google search results. Posting count is okay but the date seems to be always the first date of the post.

Also looking at the Schema for DiscussionForumPosting. I can't find any real world examples of a website using it for it's forum topics for the forum posts being displayed on the page along with the page navigation. The example on Schema.org seems to show it being used only for one post on one page which is not how a forum works.

[keyplyr]

Posting count is okay but the date seems to be always the first date of the post.

If you want the last post date to show in the SERP, try switching your posting order to show last post first.

[tangor]

Heh, heh! If forum under discussion is anything like WW, the LAST post of any thread bears no resemblance to the original post, subject or reason. :)

That should really keep g mystified as to the content/intent of the post thread!