On February 21st, Google announced its February 2023 Product Review Algorithm Update. The update completed on March 7th and focused specifically on rewarding high-quality product reviews. The update was applied globally to websites in eleven languages, including English and may have affected your site’s performance as a result.
In this article, we’re going to talk about what the update actually does, how it might impact on your own website and product reviews, and what you can do to recover your ranking in Google’s Search Engine Results Pages (SERP)
What Is the Product Review Algorithm Update?
This is the sixth update of Google Search’s product review algorithm system since April 2021, with the most recent previous update being released six months ago in September 2022. The purpose of the update is to improve the user experience for Google users by limiting the number of spam reviews they encounter. These are reviews where there is very little evidence to suggest the product has been bought or used by a real individual. There are few comparative or qualitative statements made, with many of these reviews being little more than reprints of the product description or tech details.
What Is in the February 2023 Google Product Review Algorithm Update?
The biggest change to the review system is that is has extended to 11 languages in total, including Dutch, English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese. This means that a broader selection of reviews will be affected by the update, potentially bringing millions more to Google’s notice.
Has My Site Been Affected by the Update?
If your site is review-heavy or ecommerce-focused, you may have noticed your positions have dropped more than expected over the last few weeks. If this is the case, it’s entirely possible that this is a result of the update itself.
Google Algorithm Recovery Service
It’s important to note that a drop in your rankings following an algorithm update is not a penalty as such. Google is not necessarily punishing your website for using standard manufacturer descriptions but instead rewarding other sites that include original content in their product reviews. The purpose of the algorithm, as stated above, is to improve their user’s experience by placing an emphasis on quality over quantity. If you have noticed a drop in your rankings, you need to put together a plan of action to remove or otherwise resolve any content that fails to comply with the latest algorithm guidelines. Once this plan has been carried out, the site can be resubmitted to allow Google to adjust the rankings accordingly.
For help in recovering your slipping rankings as a consequence of the Google February 2023 Product Reviews Algorithm Update (or any other algorithm update), get in touch with 123 Ranking today. Call us on 0333 320 8099 to see what we can do for your site.
