Just one month after their previous one, Google is readying a new product review algorithm update to be rolled out this month. 

This upcoming update continues to showcase Google’s efforts to display additional, in-depth reviews based on the first-hand expertise gained through search results. 

The tech giants’ timings for this new rollout align with the introduction of their new helpful content update. This will see the platform boost content written for people, and devalue the content which is written primarily for SEO. 

When you include the previous product review update in July, this is the third confirmed change to the Google algorithm in just a month. You always have to be on the ball when it comes to actioning the best practices to stay at the top of your game. 

In short, it seems that Google is on a serious mission to transform the front page of low-value content, with a strong focus on the content used to inform users of purchasing decisions. 

What Will The Next Product Review Update Include? 

Unfortunately, Google remained quite tight-lipped when discussing the next update, but the announcement reads: 

“We know product reviews can play an important role in helping you make a decision on something to buy. Last year, we kicked off a series of updates to show more helpful, in-depth reviews based on first-hand expertise in search results.

We’ve continued to refine these systems, and in the coming weeks, we’ll roll out another update to make it even easier to find high-quality, original reviews. We’ll continue this work to make sure you find the most useful information when you’re researching a purchase on the web.”

So from my predictions, this sounds more or less the same as the previous one. It also seems that Google’s messaging around its product review algorithm isn’t set to drastically change between the previous updates, so I’d expect their guidance to remain the same. 

Will There Be A Possible Connection Between This & The Helpful Content Update? 

As I touched on above, Google’s upcoming product review update is expected to begin rolling out around a similar time to when the helpful content update is complete. Which, naturally suggest they may be a possible connection between the two. 

As a digital marketing consultant, I expect that the helpful content update will grant the search engine a greater hand in identifying those product reviews which provide unique value or showcase first-hand knowledge. 

Both algorithms work together to identify similar qualities within copywriting. When it comes to helpful content pages, Google offered users advice on how asses a page’s value, stating: 

“Does your content clearly demonstrate first-hand expertise and a depth of knowledge (for example, expertise that comes from having actually used a product or service, or visiting a place)?”

From this burst of information, this sounds very similar to what a product review update works to identify. & perhaps, once the helpful content update is complete, the data collected may influence the next product review update. 

It could also boost and push up those helpful product review pages which have been missed in the previous updates rolled out by Google. 

Alternatively, Google could use the data pulled to identify those low-quality product reviews missed previously, and then drop these from the rankings. 

For now, all we can do is predict what the changes will result in, as it’s unknown if Google share any further information with users. 

Thanks for reading,

Myk Baxter, eCommerce Consultant