Google has announced a major new search algorithm update. The update is called the Google product reviews update and is designed to reward product reviews that share in-depth research, rather than just simply summarizing the product. But when does this update go into effect and what might it mean for your website rankings? We’ll tell you everything you need to know about the update to how Google ranks product reviews in this article.
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Google Product Reviews Update
The goal of the Google product reviews update is to promote reviews of products that contain insightful analysis and original content that is well-researched and written by experts or enthusiasts. The algorithm will find and promote those reviews in its search results.
“We know people appreciate product reviews that share in-depth research, rather than thin content that simply summarizes a bunch of products. That’s why we’re sharing an improvement to our ranking systems, which we call the product reviews update, that’s designed to better reward such content,” according to Google.
However, that does not mean that Google is punishing lower-quality product reviews, either. Google is simply rewarding sites with what it deems the best researched content. There is no penalty for reviews that does not meet Google’s high standards. (That being said, if you write a review that ranks below other, higher-quality reviews, you might feel that your review has been punished.)
For now, this update only impacts English-language search results.
It is also important to know that this is not a Google core update . It is a standalone update that is separate from Google’s regular core updates. In other words, it is simply a Google algorithm update . Earlier this year, Google did publish a blog post about the importance of providing better product information for shoppers , so this is clearly a priority for the search engine.
So, how do you go about writing product reviews that Google will reward and rank highly? We’ll tell you.
How to Write Product Reviews Google Will Love
Along with announcing the update, Google shared some advice for how to write excellent product reviews that will rank high on the search engine. Helpful, right? Here are some of the things that your product reviews should accomplish, according to Google.
- Express expert knowledge about products when and where it is appropriate. Reviews are best written by enthusiasts who know the topic.
- Show what the product is like physically, or how it is used, with unique content beyond what is provided by the manufacturer
- Provide quantitative measurements about how a product measures up in various categories of performance
- Explains what sets a product apart from its competitors
- Covers comparable products you might consider, or explains which products might be best under different circumstances
- Discusses the benefits and drawbacks of the product, based on research
- Describes how a product has evolved from previous models or releases. For example, what improvements have been made or issues have been addressed that might help readers make a purchase decision?
- Identifies key decision-making factors for the product’s category and how the product performs in those areas. For example, a car review might discuss fuel economy, safety, and handling, and rate the car in each of those areas.
- Describes key choices in how a product has been designed and their effect on the users, beyond just what the manufacturer claims.
Google Product Reviews Update is Live Now
Though Google did give you some helpful tips for how to write product reviews, unfortunately, they did not give you any advance warning. The Google product review update was announced on Friday, April 8. It is live as now for English-language reviews across the internet.
Why the Google Product Reviews Update is Important
If your website offers any content with product reviews, this update is important for you to keep in mind. Keep in mind that going forward you will want to put a lot of details, research, work, and effort into your product reviews and testimonials in order to have them rank well. As time goes on, you might check your rankings to see if the update impacted your standing. See if your organic traffic from Google increased, decreased, or stayed the same, so you can then make adjustments accordingly.
FAQs:
- When does the Google product reviews update go live?
- How do I write a product review that will rank high on Google?
- Why should I care about the Google product reviews update?
- Which sites are impacted by the Google product reviews update?
- Are only English-language reviews affected by the Google product reviews update?
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