Reviews System (Product Reviews Update)

Google’s reviews system is a ranking system that aims to reward in-depth, first-hand reviews over thin summaries of other people’s opinions. It began as the Product Reviews Update in April 2021 and was later widened to cover reviews of services, businesses, destinations and media as well as products.

Written by Paul Hoda, SEO consultant since 2005. Last updated 8 November 2026.

What the reviews system is

The reviews system looks at content that recommends, compares or gives an opinion on something people might buy or use. Its job is to surface reviews that show real expertise and hands-on testing, and to push down pages that simply rewrite manufacturer specs or list products with little insight. It sits alongside Google’s other ranking factors rather than replacing them.

Google ran several named Product Reviews Updates from 2021 onwards. In 2023 it dropped the word “product” because the system now covered reviews of almost anything. Later that year Google said it would improve the system on a regular, ongoing basis and would no longer announce each change, so drops can now happen without a named update.

What Google says it rewards

Google’s published guidance on writing high-quality reviews asks whether a review:

  • Evaluates the product from a user’s point of view and shows the reviewer actually used it.
  • Gives evidence such as original photos, audio, video or test measurements.
  • Explains what sets a product apart from competitors and covers both benefits and drawbacks.
  • Compares it with earlier models or alternatives and helps the reader choose.
  • For “best of” lists, says why each pick is right for a particular need.

These themes overlap heavily with E-E-A-T, especially the “experience” part: proof that a real person has handled the thing being reviewed.

Page level or site level?

Google has said the reviews system mainly evaluates review content page by page. However, for sites with a large amount of review content, any content on the site may be evaluated. In practice this means a site built mostly on thin affiliate reviews can see wider losses, not just on the weakest pages.

How to make reviews that hold up

  1. Test the product yourself and record what you did: how long, in what conditions, against what.
  2. Use your own photos and data rather than stock images or copied specs.
  3. State the downsides honestly and say who the product is not for.
  4. Add clear author bylines showing who wrote it and why they are qualified.
  5. Structure comparison pages and roundups around real use cases.
  6. Keep reviews updated when new models arrive or prices change.

Common mistakes

  • Publishing dozens of “best X” lists without having tested any of the products.
  • Relying on review snippets and star ratings to carry a page that has no substance.
  • Confusing editorial reviews with customer reviews: the reviews system is about editorial review content, not star ratings left by customers.
  • Treating it as a one-off penalty. There is no manual fix; recovery comes from improving the content and waiting for Google to reassess it.

Key Takeaways

  • The reviews system rewards first-hand, in-depth review content.
  • It started as the Product Reviews Update in April 2021 and now covers all kinds of reviews.
  • Google no longer announces each reviews system update.
  • Evidence of real testing, such as original photos and measurements, matters.
  • Sites dominated by thin reviews can be affected site-wide.
  • Recovery comes from improving content, not from a quick technical fix.

Related Terms

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