google announced Wednesday it makes some improvements to the way it decides which product reviews it displays in search results. The idea behind this and other recent ones product review updates is to ensure that reviews you see are of high quality and actually contain useful information about a product you may be considering buying.
The improvements build on previous updates “to ensure that product reviews in Search meet certain criteria,” Google’s Perry Liu said in a blog post. Here are some examples of the criteria the company is looking for, according to Liu:
Add useful, in-depth details, such as the pros or cons of a particular item, details about how a product performs, or how the product differs from previous versions
Come from people who have actually used the products and show how the product physically looks or how it is used
Include unique information beyond what the manufacturer provides, such as images, audio, or links to other content that describe the reviewer’s experience
Deal with similar products or explain what sets a product apart from its competitors
The updates announced Wednesday will roll out “in the coming weeks” and “could affect the rankings of English-language product reviews on many sites,” Google said. in a separate message†The company also plans to “open product review support for more languages” in the future.
The updates come amid some criticism that Google’s search results are not as useful as they used to be†We’ll have to wait and see if these changes to product reviews make it easier to find quality reviews, but they seem to be a small step in the right direction.