Google announced Wednesday that it is making some improvements to how it decides which product reviews to show in search results. Google is all about making sure the reviews you see are high-quality and do include useful information about products you might consider buying.
In an official blog post, Google’s Perry Liu said the improvements build on existing updates to ensure “product reviews in search meet certain criteria.” Here are some examples of the criteria Liu said the company is looking for:
- Include useful in-depth details, such as benefits or drawbacks of an item, specific details on product performance, or how the product differs from previous versions
- From people who have actually used the product and show how the product actually works or how to use it
- Include links beyond unique information provided by the manufacturer – such as visual, audio or other content detailing the reviewer’s experience
- Cover comparable products, or explain how products differ from competitors.
In a separate post, Google said the update announced Wednesday, which will roll out in the next few weeks, could affect the ranking of English-language product reviews on many sites. The company also plans to “open product review support for more languages” in the future.
The updates come amid criticism that Google’s search results aren’t as useful as they once were. We’ll have to wait and see if these product review changes make it easier for people to find high-quality reviews, but they seem like they might be a small step in the right direction.