The State of Search: Product Reviews Algorithm Update

On April 8th, Google announced the rollout of its Product Reviews update, which seeks to reward “product reviews that share in-depth research, rather than thin content that simply summarizes a bunch of products.”

Affiliate and review sites appeared to have been impacted the most following this update. In an effort to combat “spammy” reviews, sites that share useful information in reviews, including the pros and cons of products without heavy use of marketing or promotional jargon, appear to have risen to the top.

Around April 22-23, our algorithm sensors reported turbulence similar to that of a smaller algorithm update but nothing has been confirmed by Google: 

Google News & Updates

• Core Web Vitals - Google announced that it has postponed the roll out of its anticipated Page Experience algorithm update (re: Core Web Vitals) until mid-June.
• Indexing Issues - You can now submit indexing errors directly in Google Search Console via the Index Coverage Report. However, they ask that you first consult Google’s Search Central Help Community Forum. 
• PageSpeed Insights - The page speed report now shares screenshots from Lighthouse of the page elements that contribute most to specific Core Web Vital metrics.
• Advice - Be sure to check out Google’s #AskGooglebot playlist on YouTube which shares short videos answering specific questions related to SEO, search, and more.

What This Means for You

Although Google postponed the rollout of its Page Experience update until June, don’t delay making improvements to your site’s Core Web Vital metrics. Take advantage of Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool by testing your site’s most important landing