Google has just released their latest algorithm update, this time taking aim at pages that feature product reviews. If you run an e-commerce site that allows users to rate your products, this update has the potential to hugely affect your rankings, so it is important to know exactly what is going on here.

Here, Google explains what the update does

Google Search is always working to show the most useful and helpful information possible, through testing, experimenting, and review processes. From this, we know people appreciate product reviews that share in-depth research, rather than thin content that simply summarizes a bunch of products. That’s why we’re sharing an improvement to our ranking systems, which we call the product reviews update, that’s designed to better reward such content.

Essentially, to get the best results, you want to ensure that any product reviews on your site are well-written, detailed & offer useful advice.

When looking at the product reviews on your site, Google have provided several questions to consider in terms of product reviews. Do your reviews:

• 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?

 If you are looking for help with the SEO for your site, including how this latest update might affect you, please get a free review via our site.