Google’s “reviews systems” has been designed to recognize reviews that demonstrate in-depth research and expertise. Such content is typically composed by individuals who possess a thorough understanding of their subject matter. It does not include third-party reviews such as those posted by users on products or service pages.
Update Alert:
March 2022: Google releases the March 2022 product reviews update. The rollout was complete as of March 28, 2023.
Changes to Google Product Reviews
This update is not considered a core update, nor is it meant to penalize anyone. The goal is to get better and more relevant information in front of users. Per Google, “we’re launching another update that builds on that work to enhance our ability to identify high quality product reviews. This will make it easier for us to get sound purchasing advice in front of users, and to reward creators who are earnest in being helpful.”
These updates will focus on targeting the content in product reviews. It will be looking for reviews that focus on delivering useful, original, and concise yet authentic information to users.
Additionally, Google teases that this update may open up the ‘reviews systems’ to more languages. As of now, it has only ranked and looked at English-language product reviews.
Tips for Product Reviews
Google certainly leaves no stone unturned and offers plenty of advice for creating useful content for product reviews. Their three newest tips are:
- Product review updates apply to all forms of review content. This includes ranked lists and comparison reviews. Due to the short nature of ranked lists, you should focus on making your results concise. This can be done by stating pertinent results and even including original images of the tested products.
- If you are reviewing a product as the “best” you should include information about why you consider it the best. Tell users exactly what the advantages are, how they benefit, etc…. Better yet, backup your claims with evidence.
- If writing both a ranked list and an in-depth product review about the same products, be sure to keep content relevant and engaging in both instances. Don’t just use duplicate content, each review should stand on its own.
At the end of the day, Google strives to deliver the most useful information to its search users. If you need more help with creating product review content, check out their post on how to write quality product reviews.
Remember, keep your content on point and your SEO strategy targeted. Get in front of users when it matters and show them why you stand out. Not sure where to start? Reach out and schedule a consultation with Cyberlicious®, we’ll be sure to give you a sugar rush.