How does Google’s product review update impact websites?

People search for information online, and Google ensures that they get the most relevant and helpful content for their queries.

Since its first update back in 2003, Google has been constantly updating its algorithms to return better search results to users.

In late-2021, the search engine released another change to its algorithm, which primarily focuses on product reviews. Although it’s not a core update, it still impacts eCommerce businesses significantly.

Product reviews are essential in the purchasing process. It helps buyers to get practical feedback on the product from another user.

And no industry is more influenced than eCommerce businesses online.

Google has relentlessly upgraded its services to incorporate more and more reviews on businesses. And as an eCommerce venture, you’ve to pay heed to this latest Google update.

Google’s Product Review Update

Google’s product review update is about customer feedback on products and services. The update seeks to publish the most helpful reviews on top of the list, regardless of their nature.

That means, even a negative review can be displayed on top of the reviews list, something that can seriously harm the reputation of a business.

Google determines which review is the most helpful by evaluating how informative it is. In-depth and informative reviews will be on top, while reviews with thin content that summarizes a lot of information will be placed last. Users who have left reviews that focus on the specific uses of the product or service and its pros and cons will be rewarded with the top spot on the list.

Google implements these updates to help users make trustworthy and informed decisions before buying online. So far only applicable to English content; it’s soon to apply to other major global languages as well.

How does Google’s Product Review Update Affect Ecommerce Businesses?

As an eCommerce venture, you should brace up to embrace these changes to maintain your organic rankings on Search Engine Page Results (SERPs).

The good news is that Google has released a list of questions that users should focus on to publish reviews that match with the new set of updates. They are:

Expert knowledge about the product
Showing usage of the product in a more comprehensive way than the manufacturer
Quantitative measurements regarding product performance in various categories
Comparing similar products and explaining which is best for use under certain circumstances
Differentiating the product from competitors
Benefits and drawbacks of the product
Evolution of the product from its previous versions
Identifying key decision-making factors

Effect of the product on the user

Impact of Google’s Product Review Update

The new updates affect webmasters and content creators, but most of all, it affects eCommerce businesses.

While a content creator or an affiliate website needs to be informative when leaving reviews on products to enjoy higher visibility and traffic, eCommerce businesses risk falling down the Google SERPs if their product reviews are thin and not informative enough.

An eCommerce entrepreneur has to ensure that the positive reviews on their products are detailed enough to rank high on search results.

How to Improve Product Reviews

As mentioned above, Google has outlined several strategies to create content around product reviews that rank higher. As an eCommerce business, you need to bend them to your product reviews to enjoy high organic traffic and help buyers make informed decisions at the same time.

Here are some tips and tricks that can help you get high-quality product reviews that are preferred by search engines:

Product Visuals

Incorporating a lot of product visuals is the first step towards harboring quality product reviews. Rather than a long paragraph of description, it’s better to show your product in action and how it looks from different angles.

After all, you’re 65% more likely to remember a product with an image or video over plain text. And nowhere is this more evident than social media posts, where visual content gets 300% more engagement than text posts.

Multiple Purchasing Links

People like to be given as many options as possible when they purchase products online.

It may also be the case that people may want to buy a certain product, but they don’t want to purchase it from a specific seller.

Buyers love to have options to select from different product varieties and sellers. Google has recognized this in its product review update, favoring reviews that provide links to other sellers, giving the buyers options to purchase the product from the vendor of their choice.

So if you’re writing affiliate posts on a product, try and include multiple links to different sellers like Amazon, eBay, and other retailers so that the reader has a variety to choose from. You can simply add these affiliate links on the same page.

Write User-Centric Reviews

The Google guidelines mention that the search engine will favor reviews that are more descriptive of the product usage and its uniqueness.

Users want to know details of the product and the experience of other buyers in using the product.

So you should incorporate as much information as possible, like the durability of the product, the lifetime of the product, best usage, precautions, etc.

Most users are looking for information like this when reading product reviews. Include comprehensively detailed information to create helpful, informative, and high-quality product reviews.

Incorporating these in your review will increase trust and loyalty in your content, thereby boosting your conversions in the long run. It will also position you as a trustworthy industry expert.

Writing high-quality reviews have a two-fold benefit, where you can help buyers make buying decisions while also positioning yourself as an influential source.

Differentiate from Competitors

When you’re buying a product from a hyper-competitive market, say mobile devices, you’ll need more information on how one product is different from those of its competitors.

Product comparison reviews are also regarded highly by Google’s new updates. If your review illustrates how one product is better or different from that of the competitor, it’s more likely to convert readers into buyers.

The new product review update seeks to reward reviews that highlight the main differences between two competing products. So reviews which elaborate on product comparisons are likely to be awarded higher search rankings.

Include details more than the manufacturer

Product reviews are important in the sense that they offer more insight than the manufacturer’s description. So when you’re publishing a product review, ensure that it gives out additional details than what the seller has already mentioned. The information should be such that they aren’t available on the seller’s website.

The extra details could include the product’s life, its durability, challenges, and side benefits.

Conclusion: Google’s Product Review Update

The frequent changes made by Google to its algorithms intend to provide the best experience to users who are searching for information online. The product review updates seek to help users make purchasing decisions by prioritizing detailed and helpful reviews.

These updates affect affiliate and eCommerce websites since their sales largely depend on user reviews. The strategies mentioned in this blog post can help you create informative and in-depth product reviews that rank higher and attracts more organic traffic.

How does Google’s product review update impact websites?

Latest Post

Google’s Product Review Update

How does Google’s Product Review Update Affect Ecommerce Businesses?

Impact of Google’s Product Review Update

How to Improve Product Reviews

Product Visuals

Multiple Purchasing Links

Write User-Centric Reviews

Differentiate from Competitors

Include details more than the manufacturer

Conclusion: Google’s Product Review Update

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How does Google’s product review update impact websites?

Latest Post

Google’s Product Review Update

How does Google’s Product Review Update Affect Ecommerce Businesses?

Impact of Google’s Product Review Update

How to Improve Product Reviews

Product Visuals

Multiple Purchasing Links

Write User-Centric Reviews

Differentiate from Competitors

Include details more than the manufacturer

Conclusion: Google’s Product Review Update

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Quick Link

Our Location