The Product Reviews Update (2nd)

Launched in December 2021, this was the second iteration of the Product Reviews Update, following the initial update in April of the same year. This update was designed to further refine Google’s ability to identify and reward high-quality product reviews in search results.

 

Fallouts and Highlights from the Update

The second Product Reviews Update caused notable ranking fluctuations for websites featuring product reviews, particularly in the affiliate marketing and e-commerce spaces.

One of the most significant impacts was on review sites that had made changes following the first update in April. Some of these sites saw further improvements in their rankings, while others that may have implemented changes superficially experienced drops.

For instance, a tech review site that had invested heavily in creating more comprehensive, hands-on reviews after the first update reportedly saw an additional 20% increase in organic traffic following this second update.

Conversely, some affiliate sites that had merely tweaked their existing content without substantially improving the depth and quality of their reviews saw significant traffic losses, some reporting drops of up to 30-40%.

Google provided additional guidance for this update, emphasising the importance of first-hand experience with products, including visuals and audio in reviews, and providing quantitative measurements of product performance where relevant.

The SEO community’s reaction was generally positive, with many seeing this as a continuation of Google’s efforts to improve the quality of product review content in search results. However, some smaller affiliate sites expressed concerns about their ability to compete with larger, resource-rich review platforms.

 

Strategy Evolution

The second Product Reviews Update necessitated several shifts in content strategy, particularly for affiliate marketers and review sites:

1. Increased focus on demonstrating hands-on experience with products
2. Greater emphasis on including original images, videos, and audio in reviews
3. More attention to providing quantitative measurements and comparisons between products
4. Development of strategies to showcase expert knowledge about product categories
5. Renewed importance of updating and refreshing older review content regularly

 

This update further reinforced the shift towards more comprehensive, experience-based product reviews. It encouraged content creators to go beyond simply summarising product features and instead provide genuine insights based on actual use.

For many review sites, this meant investing more resources into product testing and content creation. Instead of relying on manufacturer-provided information, they needed to conduct thorough, hands-on testing and provide detailed accounts of their experiences.

The update also led to an increased emphasis on multimedia content in reviews. Many sites began to incorporate more original photos, videos, and even audio clips into their reviews to provide a more comprehensive picture of the products.

Overall, the second Product Reviews Update pushed the affiliate marketing and product review industries towards even more user-centric, value-focused practices. It underscored Google’s commitment to surfacing genuinely helpful content for users making purchasing decisions, and further raised the bar for what constitutes a high-quality product review in search results.