The Fourth Google Product Reviews Update. What Do You Need To Know And How Can You Prepare?
News
On July 27, 2022, Google announced an update to its search algorithm for English-language product reviews. This is the fourth update they’ve made to the product review algorithm. The first update was April 8-22, 2021, the second was December 1-21, 2021, and the third took place on March 23, 2022. While all the latest updates currently apply only to English-language reviews, they are slated to be scaled to reviews in other languages over time.
How Long Will The Algorithm Update Take?
Google announced that the deployment of the update will last about 2-3 weeks and will end approximately on August 15-17. Google will provide additional information about the official completion of the update on the page with the update calendar.
How Is The Fourth Update Different From Previous Ones?
Given that Google has not yet provided any additional instructions related to the fourth update of the review algorithm, the algorithm will probably not undergo any major changes. Most likely, Google will make minor changes to the algorithm based on the results of previous updates.
What Is The Purpose Of Updating Product Reviews?
Posting high-quality product reviews or responses can help customers learn more about a product before making a purchase. For example, a comprehensive review can help shoppers choose the best make or model for their needs and budget.
Google aims to show its users the most meaningful reviews and reviews that can help them make informed choices. On the other hand, reviews with little information will have a much lower search ranking, so buyers will see them less often.
How Can You Improve The Quality Of Your Reviews?
In order for your reviews to be seen by as many potential customers as possible, they must meet the following review quality criteria:
- demonstrate in reviews that you have expert knowledge of the featured product;
- add credibility to your reviews with images, video, and audio;
- provide quantitative indicators in different performance categories;
- explain how the product differs from similar products made by other manufacturers;
- show similar products with similar characteristics that can be purchased as an analogue if necessary;
- describe your own experience using the product, sharing its advantages and disadvantages;
- mention situations where the product would be useful and ones where it would be less useful;
- refer to authoritative sources that contain reliable information about the product.
It’s important that your review provide users with the most comprehensive view of the product possible. If the user gets all their questions answered, the probability of purchase will increase significantly.
