What you need to know
- Google is rolling out changes to the ways product reviews are surfaced and displayed in Search.
- Google says it will continue to roll out usability improvements for product reviews in Search, including bringing the changes to additional languages around the world.
- Google says it will continue to roll out usability improvements for product reviews in search, including bringing the changes to additional languages around the world.
In a March 23 post on its blog — The Keyword — Google announced that it is taking significant steps to revamp the user experience for discovering helpful product reviews through Search.
When many people look for an honest and thorough review of a device like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra or any of the best Android phones, they know they can just look to a trustworthy site like Android Central. However, often people search for products or services that they are wholly unfamiliar with, and it may be challenging to ascertain which sites are trustworthy and which reviews are legitimate. That's where Google hopes these new updates will help out.
From its own research and years of experience, Google knows what its users are looking for from product reviews, what converts for its advertisers, and what results in a good overall user experience for everyone involved.
Conversely, it also knows what kind of product reviews are not helpful, and therefore it has announced the following changes and updates.
Featured product reviews should:
- Include key benefits and drawbacks of the product
- Include changes from previous versions of the product
- Feature images and videos of the product(s) in use
- Highlight similarities and differences of competing products
- Come from reviewers who demonstrate first-hand, expert knowledge of the product
Google made its name and fortune by organizing the world's information to be easily accessible via its simple Search portal. The company has expanded into many other product categories in its relatively short history, but it remains, first and foremost, an advertising company. Of course, the majority of these ads appear in Search, so Google has every incentive to make finding good product reviews a better experience.
These changes will begin appearing across the web in English starting today, and Google said that it hopes to roll them out to additional languages soon.
