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Nineteen days after Google launched the third version of the product reviews update, it is now finished rolling out.
According to data providers, the update was much smaller than the one in December, but it still did manage to cause some fluctuations in rankings and impact organic traffic.
If you have products review on your website, it would be a good idea to check if your organic traffic improved, declined, or remained unchanged.
In the long run, you should definitely put more effort into your product and make it special, let it stand out on the web.
Heads-up. Yesterday I said I was seeing more volatility with the March Product Reviews Update… Yep, it’s definitely heating up. Seeing more movement yesterday into today across verticals, with some big gains and drops. Weird it took a bit to get moving, but it’s moving now. pic.twitter.com/PaIYkEdfJa — Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) March 31, 2022
What To Do If You’re Affected
Those who were affected by this update probably felt it very strongly, but the chatter within the community was not as widespread as it was for the December update.
Google has provided advice on what you should consider if you are negatively impacted by this product reviews update.
Along with focusing on providing users with insightful and useful, expert-written content, you should also think about two things: multimedia and multiple sellers.
If you ask Google, you should provide evidence in your product review. Add visuals, audio, and links of you using the product – show your expertise.
Also, add include links from multiple sellers. That will give readers more choice and help with your trustworthiness.
Include helpful details and specifics, show how the product is actually used and include information beyond the manufacturer’s. Explain why is that product better than the competition.
In its third update to the products reviews, Google also added three new tips:
Product reviews apply to all forms of review content, but because ranked lists tend to be shorter, you may want to demonstrate expertise and emphasize authenticity more concisely. Including original images from tests you’ve done with the product and citing pertinent results are good ways to demonstrate this.
If you recommend a particular product as the best overall or the best for a particular purpose, be sure to explain to the reader why you feel that is the case.
The combination of a ranked list of related products and in-depth reviews of each product can be very effective. If you were to write both, make sure the ranked list has enough useful content to stand on its own.
A review that compares two (or more) products is completely valid and useful to users. I was just saying it holistically needs to look like a review (title and contents), not just claim to be a review in the title and the contents is really a link farm with no real value. — Alan Kent (@akent99) April 13, 2022
This update’s goal is to promote review content that is much more than basic, dry, templated information you find on the web.
According to Google, these types of product reviews will be promoted in search results. So, why not benefit from the situation and do your best to get a fresh organic search result rank?
For now, Google is not punishing those who have a simplified summary of products. But, if there is better-written content out there, it will beat you and get the rank – so, you’re not punished, but they are rewarded.
So, go, check, rewrite and get that ranking!
Update from the future: In July 2022, Google started rolling out the fourth Product Review Update. Read more about it here.
