Table of Contents
- The Announcement of the Update
- What Does the Update Mean For Your Site?
- Quick Facts on the Update
- Advice on the product reviews update
- A Recap of Google’s Recent Product Review
- The Relevance
According to Google, the February 2023 Google Product Reviews Update has now reached its completion of rollout.
In case you forgot, the February 2023 product reviews update began to circulate on February 21 at around 5 p.m. EST. It took 14 days after it was announced for this upgrade to go live. Thus, this upgrade began on February 21 and ran through March 7, 2023.
This update is comparable to earlier ones that affected product reviews, but this one affected other languages besides English, making it broader.
In addition to English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Russian, Dutch, Portuguese, and Polish, this version adds more languages to the product reviews update.
The Announcement of the Update
Launched on February 21, 2023, at around 5 pm ET
What Does the Update Mean For Your Site?
Even if changes have been made, content that was affected by a product reviews update may not be fixed until the following one is published. However, keep in mind that changes may occur at any time for a variety of reasons since our automated evaluation of product review material is just one of many factors utilised to rank content.
Google has outlined the following four elements of their selection criteria for product reviews:
- Add enlightening in-depth information, such as the advantages or disadvantages of a particular product, facts on how it works, or how it varies from earlier iterations.
- Come from users who have used the products and provide details about the devices’ features and physical characteristics.
- Include additional material that isn’t provided by the maker, such as images, audio, or links to other resources that describe the reviewer’s experience
- Explain how a product differs from its rivals or discuss comparable products.
The goal of the product reviews system is to better recognize and reward high-quality product reviews, which are authored by subject matter experts or ardent enthusiasts and offer incisive analysis and original research.
The mechanism for product reviews is described in more detail on this page, along with tips on how to evaluate and enhance your content.
Quick Facts on the Update
The updated Google product reviews programme seeks to draw attention to review content that goes above and beyond the majority of the pre-written data you see online.
Google declared that it would give these customer reviews precedence when determining the order of its search results.
Reviews of inferior products that contain “thin content that merely summarises a bunch of products” are not specifically targeted by Google’s penalties. It will feel like a penalty, though, if after producing such content you discover that your rankings have dropped due to other content being promoted above it.
According to Google, there isn’t really a penalty for your material; rather, it’s just that sites with more insightful review content are ranked higher.
Technically, this update should only affect content that reviews products; it shouldn’t affect other kinds of content.
Additional Languages
The difference in this version is that it now supports additional languages in addition to English. Spanish, German, French, Italian, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Russian, Dutch, Portuguese, and Polish are now supported with this version.
Update on Refreshes
Google will adjust its algorithm on a regular basis, but it’s likely that in the future it won’t disclose the modifications. The first upgrade that Google has publicly revealed maybe this one.
Other Impacts
This product review update had a significant impact. For several days, we observed a great deal of volatility and a great deal of SEO discussion among SEOs. On March 1st, this past weekend, and additional spikes on February 25th, very significant changes were reported.
Advice on the product reviews update
According to Google, the majority of its changes are aimed at giving users access to in-depth analysis and original research through material created by subject-matter experts or enthusiasts.
It also provides the following list of “additional pertinent questions to consider in terms of product reviews”. It is similar advice to the previously offered core update suggestions.
Google updated its advice in three new ways for this third iteration of the product reviews update:
1. Do updates to product reviews matter for ranking lists and comparison reviews?
Yes. All types of review content are subject to product review changes. The recommendations we’ve given are also applicable. Yet, given that ranked lists are condensed, you might want to be more succinct in your attempts to establish authority and uphold authenticity.
This can be accomplished in a number of ways, including by citing relevant data and supplying real pictures from your own product testing.
2. Do reviews that list the “best” products come highly recommended?
Be sure to explain to the reader why you think a product is the greatest if you suggest it as the best overall or the best for a particular use.
What distinguishes the item from others on the market? What makes the product especially appropriate for the suggested use? Provide supporting first-hand evidence whenever possible.
3. Should I still write reviews for each product separately even if my review covers many items?
Combining a comprehensive single-product evaluation with a high-quality ranked list of similar products for each suggested item can be very beneficial. If you compose both, make sure the ranked list has sufficient value to stand on its own.
4. Write effective product reviews
Use these best practices to make it easier for customers to find your product review pages in Google Search and on other Google surfaces:
- Consider the product from the viewpoint of the user.
- Show that you are an expert by demonstrating your understanding of the products being evaluated.
- To prove your knowledge and uphold the veracity of your review, including evidence from your own use of the product, such as images, audio, or other connections.
- Quantitative data about a product’s success in many categories should be shared.
- Describe what distinguishes a product from its rivals.
While choosing which product to buy, consumers can benefit greatly from product reviews. Focus on the quality and uniqueness of your reviews rather than their length while writing them, and use as many of the aforementioned best practices as you can. This will provide customers who read your reviews the most value.
A Recap of Google’s Recent Product Review
The product reviews update’s sixth release, which was made available on February 21 at around 5:00 p.m. ET.
1. September 20, 2022
On September 20, 2022, Google announced the release of its September 2022 Product Reviews Update. This algorithm update is the fifth in a line of modifications that specifically target review sites.
This update will start rolling out on September 20, 2022, and should be finished in a week.
2. July 27, 2022
Google updated its algorithm for product reviews on July 27, 2022.
In a series of algorithm updates aimed toward product reviews, this is the fourth upgrade.
Google made the official announcement on Twitter.
3. March 23, 2022
The March 2022 Product Reviews Update, the third in a series of upgrades that began in 2021 with the goal of rewarding websites that provide in-depth evaluations based on real first-hand experience, has been officially announced by Google.
4. December 1, 2021
The second product review update for December 1, 2021, has been released by Google with the goal of assisting websites that provide in-depth reviews that aid customers in making wise purchasing decisions.
Google had previously introduced a similar upgrade in April. It modification affected websites with reviews that are superficial and provide no value. For the December 2021 Product Review Update as well, a similar effect is anticipated.
5. April 8, 2021
The Google product review upgrade, which was first announced on April 8, 2021, has now been fully implemented.
The Relevance
If the content on your website includes product reviews, you should check your rankings to determine if they have changed. Your Google organic traffic changed for the better, became worse, or stayed the same.
In the long run, you’ll want to make sure that you put a lot more time and care into your product review content moving forward so that it is distinctive and stands out from the competitors on the web.
Additionally, those who made an effort and were impacted by prior core changes can be rewarded by this update on product reviews from February 2023.
