How to Deal with Google’s December 2021 Product Reviews Update in 2022

IN ADDITION TO MY BLOG, I’M ALSO A CONTRIBUTOR FOR ENTREPRENEUR AND THRIVE GLOBAL | CHECK THEM OUT & KEEP READING!

Google began rolling out the second product reviews update of the year, the December 2021 product reviews update, on December 1, 2021. This happened at the end of the November 2021 core upgrade, which had just finished rolling out on November 30, 2021.

But there may be some exceptions, according to data from RankRanger and SEMrush, two SEO toolsets. The December 2021 product reviews update was more volatile than the April 2021 product reviews update. Another big algorithm update that could affect sites.

What does the update mean for you?

According to Google, they received feedback from the users on what type of content they find useful and trustworthy. Users generally trust reviews that provide evidence of tested products and want multiple options to buy the product.

• Pages with in-depth and comprehensive reviews of products will be rewarded; Add more multimedia to your product reviews to support your expertise and showcase your authenticity.
• For manufacturers, product reviews should contain links to multiple sellers — allowing customers to purchase from a merchant of their choice.
• Affiliate sites with thin reviews will be considered less valuable.

Google product reviews update: This new upgrade will promote review content more effectively than the web’s templated information. These in-depth product reviews will be promoted by Google in their rankings.

This does not, however, imply that lower-quality product reviews would be completely deleted from the search results. The first page results will be stripped of any thin text that is comparable to the product description. Customers will have access to in-depth product reviews, unique research, and product reviews produced by experts as a result of the update.

Intent Shifts Prevalent: There were clear intent shifts in the search results during the rollout where Google was swapping review sites for e-commerce retailers and vice versa based on the query type. Google said it’s evaluating sites and sections on a broader level with the Products Reviews Update—So, it’s beyond just page versus page comparison.

Power of Organization: For review content, comparison charts are extremely useful. On sites that benefit from the December Product Reviews Update, I saw more and more of this. When comparing multiple products, it’s helpful to organize all of the facts so that users can get a sense of what’s going on.

Strong Visuals (Photos, Videos, and GIFs): Killer images can assist users in choosing the proper product when they are asking for assistance. Rather than using a stock factory photo for your reviews, I would suggest using original photos of the product you’re reviewing (if possible). Furthermore, offering a video of the product so that people can have a better sense of it might be quite beneficial to readers. It’s also a good idea to provide brief gifs of how things function.

Explain your review process and why people should trust you: When individuals are looking for reviews, it’s a good idea to explain your review method to them (and can help break down barriers). Demonstrate how you rank things, what criteria you use to rate them, how you choose the best products in each category, and more. If you want a good example of how this looks, you should check out Wirecutter. They provide that information in each review.

Why we care: If you have product review information on your website, it’s critical to see how the modification has impacted your rankings. Did your Google organic traffic improve, decline, or stay the same? In the long run, you should ensure that your product review content includes additional specifics to stand out from the competitors.

How to break into a new market

Finding how viable a market is can take a lot of time and research. SEMrush offers a new widget that gives a clean, birds-eye view of any market or domain plus. Another approach would be to get expert support or a digital partner in your niche or you may take a much more traditional approach:

Determine The Specific Market You Want To Enter

• Follow Your Clients Into New Markets
• Observe the market traffic size, industry leaders by acquisition channels, traffic trends, the share of visits, audience gender, age, and interests

Estimate Competitors’ Market Share

• Evaluate your market size and examine the key competitors
• Explore how competitors generate traffic to enhance your marketing strategy
• Uncover audience gaps to get a larger market share

Explore Custom Markets

• Discover general market trends
• Benchmark yourself against selected competitors
• Get high-level market insights for selected rivals and monitor their market dynamics

Breaking into a new market will be easier with a well-informed business model. Identifying potential partners or alliances should also be part of your investigation. When it comes to geographic expansion, there are often strategic partners who can assist you in getting started.

Working alone is one of the most common reasons for businesses to fail while growing geographically, so don’t be hesitant to rely on the knowledge of others when you need help. Even if they take some of the value you create, they’ll remove high-level risk. Plus, once you’ve made a name for yourself, you can always divest your strategic alliances.

Summary: Understand The April PRU, Learn About The December Update, and Get Ready For The Next

The December Product Reviews Update, like the April Product Reviews Update, was significant for numerous review sites. For many, it was a core update, with surges, drops, and recoveries across verticals. I recommend reading Google’s blog entries regarding the updates if you were impacted by the December PRU.

• Surface gaps in your review content and fill those gaps, improve the user experience, watch the aggressive ad situation.
• Find a trusted digital partner with expertise in your niche.
• Don’t improve a little… make BIG changes. Remember, there are dueling machine learning systems out there looking to surface the highest quality content possible.
• Control what you can control. That’s the best path forward

We’d love to be a partner for your business and get you a jumpstart on your Marketing Strategy in 2022 with all the changes it brings. Send us a message!