Google confirms the July 2022 product review update, the fourth in a series of updates targeting low-quality reviews, is now rolling out.
The update begins rolling out today, July 27 and concludes within two to three weeks.
Google made the announcement on Twitter while linking to the official page for search ranking updates.
Today we released the July 2022 product reviews update. We’ll update our ranking release history page when the rollout is complete: https://t.co/sQ5COfdNcb
— Google Search Central (@googlesearchc) July 27, 2022
If Google’s announcement comes as a surprise to you, that’s because it is. Many of Google’s algorithm changes come without warning, including all of the product review updates so far.
However, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. With every algorithm update, there’s a chance for ranking improvements, especially if the last update hurt you.
Here’s what you need to know about the July 2022 product reviews algorithm change.
What’s Changing?
Today’s update is a refinement of Google’s product review algorithm that was introduced in March 2021.
The algorithm is designed to reward reviews that share in-depth research rather than thin content that summarizes the information you can find on a manufacturer’s website.
No new guidance is included in today’s update. Websites that publish product reviews are encouraged to continue focusing on meeting Google’s stringent criteria for high-quality content.
In short, Google wants to see that you’ve tested and experimented with the product you’re reviewing first-hand.
You can make this clear to Google, and your readers, by including information such as quantitative measurements, benefits and drawbacks, comparisons with other products, and so on.
Rewriting the same content that already exists on the web will not cut it anymore. Google is now prioritizing reviews that offer unique value. Even original photos are practically mandatory.
Will I Be Impacted?
If you don’t publish product reviews on your site, this update doesn’t apply to you. It’s not a core update that impacts all search results.
If you sell products that customers can review on your website, this update still doesn’t apply to you because that’s not considered the same as a review article.
This update applies to websites that publish long-form product reviews, such as those seen on websites like Wirecutter and CNET.
Should you notice rankings for product review pages fluctuate over the coming weeks, it’s likely due to the July 2022 product review update.
If you’re impacted negatively, the best way to recover is to improve the quality of your product review pages by following Google’s guidance.
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