SEARCHENGINES
March 2022 Google Product Reviews Update Rolling Out
Google is rolling out its third version of the product reviews update, named the March 2022 Product Reviews Update. The previous two versions were the April 2021 Product Reviews Update and the December 2021 Product Reviews Update. The March version was updated to incorporate more signals and criteria in this niche ranking algorithm.
Google started to roll out the March 2022 product reviews update yesterday, March 23, 2023 at about 12:00pm ET. This impacts only English-language pages for now but Google hinted this can rollout to other languages soon, possibly before another official product reviews update. Google wrote “we plan to open up product review support for more languages.”
Google also said it will take about three weeks to complete and can impact “product reviews across many sites” – “many sites” Google said. So like previous product reviews updates, site hit by this, can feel this in a big way.
As a reminder, the product reviews update aims at rewarding high-level product review content, above thinner product review content. Product review updates are not core updates, but they may be mistaken as such.
This latest version “builds on that work to enhance our ability to identify high quality product reviews,” Google wrote. Google added “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.”
Currently, at the time of publishing this – I am seeing very little movement in the Google search results. I suspect that will change any moment now but the SEO industry chatter is quiet on ranking changes right now and the tracking tools have yet to pick up on any volatility. Again, I expect this to change soon, very soon.
Google Product Reviews Update Quick Facts
Here are the most important things that we know right now in short form:
- Name: Google March 2022 Product Reviews Update
- Launched: March 23, 2022 at around 12:00pm ET
- Rollout: It will take about three weeks to fully rollout
- Targets: It looks at product review content
- Penalty: It is not a penalty, it promotes or rewards “insightful analysis and original research.”
- Not a core update: Many are going to say this is a core update, it is not.
- English Language but will expand: This is only looking at English-language content right now but likely will expand soon to other languages, this is a global launch.
- Impact: Google would not tell me what percentage of queries or searches were impacted by this update.
- Discover: This update can impact your performance in Google Discover, Google previously said.
- Recover: If you were hit by this, then you will need to look at your content and see if you can do better with Google’s advice below
- Refreshes: Google will do periodic refreshes to this algorithm but may not communicate those updates in the future. This may be the first refresh that Google has done, it is the first refresh Google communicated about.
What’s New With The March 2022 Product Reviews Update
Google said “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.”
Also the fact that this may work in non-English languages in the future is new.
Google released three new FAQs with this announcement:
(1) Are product review updates relevant to ranked lists and comparison reviews? Yes. Product review updates apply to all forms of review content. The best practices Google shared also apply. However, due to the shorter nature of ranked lists, you may want to demonstrate expertise and reinforce authenticity in a more concise way. Citing pertinent results and including original images from tests you performed with the product can be good ways to do this.
(2) Are there any recommendations for reviews recommending “best” products? If you recommend a product as the best overall or the best for a certain purpose, be sure to share with the reader why you consider that product the best. What sets the product apart from others in the market? Why is the product particularly suited for its recommended purpose? Be sure to include supporting first-hand evidence.
(3) If I create a review that covers multiple products, should I still create reviews for the products individually? It can be effective to write a high quality ranked list of related products in combination with in-depth single-product reviews for each recommended product. If you write both, make sure there is enough useful content in the ranked list for it to stand on its own.
Google also posted this graphic showing that product review lists can be impacted by this as well:
Google also listed these four points about the criteria Google uses for product reviews:
- Include helpful in-depth details, like the benefits or drawbacks of a certain item, specifics on how a product performs or how the product differs from previous versions
- Come from people who have actually used the products, and show what the product is physically like or how it’s used
- Include unique information beyond what the manufacturer provides — like visuals, audio or links to other content detailing the reviewer’s experience
- Cover comparable products, or explain what sets a product apart from its competitors
Spring 2022 Google Updated Related?
Over the weekend we reported on what I called the Spring 2022 Google update but was this product reviews update related to this Spring 2022 update? Well, according to Google – no. Danny Sullivan of Google updated us on that saying there was no update during that time. It does make me wonder if maybe Google was testing this but Google would probably say no.
There was a lot of buzz around that update impacting product review sites, even Lily Ray tweeted about that:
I was just in the midst of tweeting about how Google seems to have tweaked the product review update last week 😛 https://t.co/Btr172mkWl
— Lily Ray 😏 (@lilyraynyc) March 23, 2022
But again, the March 2022 Google Product Reviews Update didn’t start to roll out until days after the the unconfirmed Spring update. So again, no – they are not related.
Alan Kent from Google directly said so, these are unrelated:
It is unrelated. This new update is just starting to roll out now. It *usually* hits most data centers fairly quickly (days) then takes weeks to get everywhere.
— Alan Kent (@akent99) March 23, 2022
More From Google
Here are some more details from Google for clarification purposes:
Product reviews on a merchant website would be impacted as well. This update is relevant to content we believe is a product review, not to product pages. When we believe the user wants a review, and a page contains a review, we try to find the best review for that query.
— Alan Kent (@akent99) March 23, 2022
Google has never ranked “solely on domain strength”. But there is always room to improve and the latest update is another step on that journey. In case you have not seen them, we document recommended best practices for product reviews: https://t.co/VYIXLBfreC
— Alan Kent (@akent99) March 23, 2022
We don’t expect *all* images to be created by the reviewer. We look for evidence the reviewer did actually review the product. A mix is fine.
— Alan Kent (@akent99) March 23, 2022
Original PRU Google Advice
Here is the original advice but Google has posted this in a new help document with the new advice from December, this does not include the specific new points listed above:
- Express expert knowledge about products where appropriate?
- Show what the product is like physically, or how it is used, with unique content beyond what’s provided by the manufacturer?
- Provide quantitative measurements about how a product measures up in various categories of performance?
- Explain what sets a product apart from its competitors?
- Cover comparable products to consider, or explain which products might be best for certain uses or circumstances?
- Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of a particular product, based on research into it?
- Describe how a product has evolved from previous models or releases to provide improvements, address issues, or otherwise help users in making a purchase decision?
- Identify key decision-making factors for the product’s category and how the product performs in those areas? For example, a car review might determine that fuel economy, safety, and handling are key decision-making factors and rate performance in those areas.
- Describe key choices in how a product has been designed and their effect on the users beyond what the manufacturer says?
- Provide evidence such as visuals, audio, or other links of your own experience with the product, to support your expertise and reinforce the authenticity of your review.
- Include links to multiple sellers to give the reader the option to purchase from their merchant of choice.
I have written about every tiny detail of these product reviews update, just do a search on this site for more.
Multiple Sellers
What about the line on the importance of including links to multiple sellers to give the reader the option to purchase from their merchant of choice, Glenn Gabe asked. Alan Kent from Google said “The update is an improvement of current algorithms. There is no special support for multiple sellers in this update.”
Hi Glenn. The update is an improvement of current algorithms. There is no special support for multiple sellers in this update.
— Alan Kent (@akent99) March 23, 2022
Tracking Tools Showing Volatility?
It is early, less than 24 hours since it started to roll out but here is what the various tracking tools are showing right now. Keep in mind, the bulk of this update should be realized within the first few days.
As of this morning, at the time of publishing this, the tools are showing nothing right now. In fact, the chatter in the SEO community has nothing around ranking changes yet either. I do suspect we will see changes here, fluctuations, chatter, volatility and so forth in the upcoming days – it just didn’t happen yet but it will.
Industry Reaction
Heads-up! The third Product Reviews Update is officially rolling out. Will roll out over the next few weeks. And you should expect the bulk of the ranking volatility to happen in the earlier stages of this rollout. https://t.co/7XyQpd2Z07
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) March 23, 2022
I would very much take Google at their word here w. the new guidelines.
I think they can profile the writing style that comes with in-depth knowledge & experience of a product.
I talked about this in my @semrush post from the Dec 21 PRU ➡️https://t.co/4CGeBFuh50 https://t.co/wrJYDsdbnR
— Mordy Oberstein 🇺🇦 (@MordyOberstein) March 23, 2022
G: “We know people appreciate reviews that share “in-depth research” 🔬 , rather than simply summarize a bunch of products with the latest update launching today.” https://t.co/ze1ySvEbPv
— Nicholas McDonough (@Callmenicholi) March 23, 2022
To all affiliates out there 📢
“reviews come from people who demonstrate expert knowledge and first-hand research about products” https://t.co/pHh1WP81Hd
— Paul P (@pavlos1944) March 23, 2022
Academically, I would like to know how Google measures relevancy. Because for me I’m finding the results even more and more irrelevant and I’ve seen major publishers right about the irrelevancy, so not just me.
Is anyone else having a problem with irrelevancy? https://t.co/cWq0vF5FF3
— Kristine Schachinger (@schachin) March 23, 2022
Of course I meant to write: “It has always been about…”
— Pedro Dias (@pedrodias) March 23, 2022
Also a reminder that the first two product review updates had large impact for many sites — similar to a big core update.
With the last two product review updates there was a lot of turbulence even amongst SERPS without product reviews.
— Dr. Marie Haynes🐧 (@Marie_Haynes) March 23, 2022
Main takeaway: make great content as always, but what’s jumping off the page for me is the emphasis on promoting content showing actual use of the products being reviewed.This is great news for niches and bad news for content farmers.
— Michael Micacchi (@michaelmicacchi) March 23, 2022
Game on folks! May the bots be ever in your favour. #GoogleAlgorithmUpdate https://t.co/rne6TCZopz pic.twitter.com/NcLmm4S976
— Crystal Carter (@CrystalontheWeb) March 24, 2022
Forum discussion at Twitter and WebmasterWorld.
SEARCHENGINES
Daily Search Forum Recap: March 28, 2024
Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.
Google released its Google Ads Saftey report showing how many ads they removed and advertisers they suspended. Google changed the definition of “Top ads” in their help documents, guess why… Google launched a number of maps and shopping features yesterday. Google Ads Share ad preview is now live. Google now lets you search for blockchain wallet addresses.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
-
Google Ads Suspended 90% More Advertisers This Year & Removed 5.5 Billion Ads
Google has released the 2023 Google Ads safety report sharing that Google has removed 5.5 billion ads, suspended 12.7 million advertiser accounts and restricted ads from showing up on 2.1 billion publisher pages. That is about 6% more ads removed, 90% more suspended advertiser accounts and 40% more ads removed from publisher pages. -
Google Updates Its Definition Of Top Ads; They May Not Be At The Top
Back in October we reported that Google has confirmed its search ads, Google Ads, can show up mixed in the middle of the organic search results. Now Google is updating its help documentation to change the definition of top ads to say the ads may appear below the organic results, ultimately not making the ads appear at the top. -
New Google Shopping & Maps Search Features
Google announced a number of new(ish) shopping and maps/local features yesterday, a lot of them using AI features that Google likes to tout. There are glanceable AI-generated reviews, swipe left/right shopping, AI-generated product ideas, local trip ideas, recommendation lists for locations, and more. -
Google Ads Adds Share Ad Preview For Performance Max
Google is now rolling out the ability to share ad campaigns within Google Ads for Performance Max campaigns without the need for the person you are sharing it with to have a Google Ads account. This is a new Share Ad Preview button available in Google Ads account for this. -
Google Can Search For Your Blockchain Wallet Addresses (Bitcoin & More)
You can now search Google for any of your wallet addresses across bitcoin and five new Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) networks. So you can look up your balances within those networks directly on Google Search. -
Google Calligraphy Class In NYC
It appears that Google held some calligraphy class or art class of some sorts at the New York City office. I found this photo on Instagram.
Other Great Search Threads:
- “Grow with Google” serves as a resource for training and tools to enhance your skills, career, or business. However, it appears that the platform is not regularly updated. Here are a few examples: [List examples under use-too, Shameem Adhikarath on X
- To help understand better the difference between key events and conversions, we’ve launched a detailed resource to answer all the questions you might have. Check it out!, Google Analytics on X
- Hreflang tag on individual blog post?, Reddit
- Webmasters, who may be less talented than you, have made significant mistakes in the past with this feature. They accidentally wiped out their entire sites. Since we have limited the usage of this feature to, Fabrice Canel on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
Industry & Business
Links & Content Marketing
Local & Maps
Mobile & Voice
SEO
PPC
Search Features
Other Search
Feedback:
Have feedback on this daily recap; let me know on Twitter @rustybrick or @seroundtable, on Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky and you can follow us on Facebook and on Google News and make sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or just contact us the old fashion way.
SEARCHENGINES
Daily Search Forum Recap: March 27, 2024
Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.
Google Local Service Ads is asking for more photos. SEOs, please don’t remove the contact us and about us pages. Hotels can remove pricing details from its Google listings. Google Local reviews is testing reactions. Google Analytics real time reporting had issues today. Google help documentation is testing using AI features.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
-
SEOs, Please Don’t Remove Contact Us & About Us Pages
Google’s John Mueller asked if it would be alright not to list a contact us and about us page on their website. The reason is, they would only add it if Google wanted it, but not for users. John Mueller responded, “I can think of good reasons for some sites to have these kinds of pages, but, after double-checking, there’s nothing in our search developer documentation that suggests this is needed.” -
Google Local Service Ads Sends Email Asking You To Upload Photos
Google is sending some Local Service Ads advertisers emails asking them to upload photos to their profiles. The email says, “Photos are coming to your Local Services Ads. Upload images to your profile to help your business stand out.” But don’t LSAs already contain photos? -
Google Search Developer Docs Gain AI Generated Help Features
A week ago Monday, March 18th, I noticed Google’s search developer documentation had generative AI features to help you find the answers to your question. This is in the form of an improved search, summary of the page content, a chat feature and more. I was told this was rolled out on some developer docs earlier in the year. -
Google Local Reviews Reactions Notice
In November 2023 we started to see Google allow reactions on local photos and some reviews. Well, it seems to be rolling out more widely now. -
Google Analytics Real Time Data Lagging Today
There are countless complaints across the forums and social media that Google Analytics real time data is lagging and not reporting accurately. It seems like those complaints are legit after checking a number of sites. -
Google Cafe Cleaning & Delivery Robot
You probably have seen these cleaning and delivery robots in some restaurants and lounges but have you seen them in the Google cafes? Here is one doing its thing at one of the cafes at the GooglePlex in Mountain View, California.
Other Great Search Threads:
- It’s also not a request for the site’s homepage nor for a comprehensive sorted list – it’s a restrict. Sometimes the homepage doesn’t show on top, I wouldn’t take that as a sign of anything in particular. It’s a bit easier with small sites, but not always, John Mueller on X
- It’s really refreshing to see this level of detail after an appeal is denied in GBP. This saves us a lot of time trying to get everything ship shape! Also – make sure you know who has admin access to your GBP, y’all.., Carrie Hill on X
- That’s correct – hreflang is not geotargeting, it’s all about alternate versions., John Mueller on X
- When I joined Google in early 2021, it was clear that regulatory & privacy changes and AI (automation) advancements would be key focus areas for marketers over the next several years. Fast-forward three years, and we’re now at the inflection point., AdsLiaison on X
- Hey Brett, This is currently in closed beta. I don’t have further details to share at this time, but we’re continuing to test it., AdsLiaison on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
Other Great Search Stories:
Industry & Business
Links & Content Marketing
Local & Maps
Mobile & Voice
SEO
- All about Core Web Vitals: INP (Interaction to Next Paint), Yoast
- Google Shopping GTIN Requirements Explained!, ZATO Marketing
- Google’s Helpful Content Update & Ranking System: What Happened and What Changed in 2024?, Amsive
- How to Do Keyword Mapping for SEO (+Free Template), WordStream
- Managing decentralized marketing for international SEO, Oncrawl
- Structured data for SEO: What you need to know, Wix SEO Hub
- The helpful content system has changed, Marie Haynes
- Why Site Speed Matters for SEO, Lumar
- Content Pruning: Why It Works, and How to Do It, Ahrefs
- Does Google rank AI content?, SERP’s Up SEO Podcast
- How To Survive 3 New Threats to Your SEO Strategy, Content Marketing Institute
PPC
Other Search
Feedback:
Have feedback on this daily recap; let me know on Twitter @rustybrick or @seroundtable, on Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky and you can follow us on Facebook and on Google News and make sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or just contact us the old fashion way.
SEARCHENGINES
Daily Search Forum Recap: March 26, 2024
Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.
Google Search Console is testing an Android App. Google is testing places and places sites in the search bar menu. Google spoke about if a business should have a website and a blog. Google added 3D models to product structured data. Google Search does not support AVIF images, yet. Mikhail Parakhin stepped down as the head of Bing Search and Microsoft Advertising.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
-
Google Search Console Tests Android App
Google seems to be testing an Android App for Google Search Console. This comes several weeks after I reported that Google has no plans for a mobile app for Google Search Console. -
Google Tests Places & Places Sites Search Bar Filter Tabs
Yesterday we reported Google is testing products and products sites in the search bar tab in the European regions. Today, Google is testing places and places sites in the search bar tab in the European regions. -
Google: Should Small Service Businesses Start A Website & A Blog?
Google’s Search Liaison, Danny Sullivan, was asked about if a business should always have a website and if so, should they also have a blog. Sullivan replied that he believes all businesses should have at least a basic website, but when it comes to a blog, that depends on what they have to say on that blog. -
Google Adds 3D Models Markup To Product Structured Data For Linking
Google has added new 3D models markup support to the product structured data documentation so that you can connect, associate or link your products to the appropriate 3D model. -
Google Search Does Not Support AVIF Images Just Yet
Did you know that Google Search does not support the AVIF image format? At least not yet. Google Search doesn’t list it on its supported image formats and Google Image Search simply won’t index them. But John Mueller of Google said on X, “I’m sure this won’t be necessary long term.” -
Mikhail Parakhin Steps Down As Head Of Bing Search & Microsoft Advertising
Mikhail Parakhin, the head of Bing Search and Microsoft Advertising, is stepping down from that role as Parakhin “decided to explore new roles.” We’ve quoted Mikhail Parakhin here countless times over the past couple of years, to hear that he is leaving the role makes me super sad. His transparency and willingness to listen to the community was amazing. -
St. Patrick’s Day Dancers At Google Ireland
Here is a video I found on Instagram from the Google Ireland office of dancers performing at the Google office in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. It looks like they call themselves the Golden Beats.
Other Great Search Threads:
Search Engine Land Stories:
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
Industry & Business
Links & Content Marketing
Local & Maps
Mobile & Voice
SEO
PPC
Search Features
Other Search
Feedback:
Have feedback on this daily recap; let me know on Twitter @rustybrick or @seroundtable, on Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky and you can follow us on Facebook and on Google News and make sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or just contact us the old fashion way.
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