Google announced that it is making some changes in the algorithm to prioritize good products and push them up in the search results. The idea behind the recent product review update is to bring forward products with useful information and user reviews. Google said; “Our first updates were designed to, among other things, help ensure reviews come from people who demonstrate expert knowledge and first-hand research about products. [This latest] update builds on this work to make sure that product reviews in Search meet certain criteria.”
Product review update: Criteria to land in top search results
Google’s Perry Liu said in a blog post that here are some examples of the criteria that the company is looking for to push up the item in product review update:
- 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 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
The improvement comes after Google was criticised for recommending ‘not so good products’ in the search. Google has also issued a guideline of writing a good review, as mentioned in a blog post; “When writing reviews, focus on the quality and originality of your reviews, not the length, following as many of the above best practices as you are able. This will deliver the most value to shoppers reading your reviews.”
Reviews in a different language
Google has also mentioned the company has plans to open up product review support for more languages in the future for people who don’t understand English. It said in a blog post; “We’ve seen positive effects of our initial changes on the English-language ecosystem and online shoppers, and we plan to open up product review support for more languages.”
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Source: Verge
