December 2021 product reviews update: dates and what to do

What Google changed#

Google announced the December 2021 product reviews update on 1 December 2021 in its Search Central post, calling it “the first major update since April, that may change how your product reviews rank in search results.” Google said sites that had improved their review content may see that reflected in this release.

Google explained that “users have told us that they trust reviews with evidence of products actually being tested,” and introduced two new best practices, to take effect in a future update:

• Provide evidence such as visuals, audio or other links of your own experience with the product.
• Consider linking to multiple sellers so the reader can buy from their merchant of choice.

Google merged these with its April 2021 advice into a single documentation page, Write high quality product reviews.

When it rolled out#

The Search Status Dashboard records the rollout from 1 December 2021 to 21 December 2021, a total of 20 days, all times US/Pacific. The dashboard entry and its completion note were added on 22 March 2023.

No other confirmed update overlapped it. The November 2021 core update finished on 30 November, the day before this one began, so a change in early December may trace back to either.

What is known about its impact#

Google did not publish impact figures. It noted that its “automated assessment of product review content is only one of many factors used in ranking content,” so rankings can change at any time for other reasons. Treat any percentage you see attributed to this update as a third-party estimate.

What site owners should do#

Google’s review guidance lists what high quality reviews do:

• Evaluate from a user’s perspective and show you know what you are reviewing.
• Provide evidence of your own experience, such as original photos, audio or test results.
• Share quantitative measurements and explain what sets a product apart from its competitors.
• Discuss benefits and drawbacks based on your own original research.
• Consider links to multiple sellers, and focus on quality and originality rather than length.

How to check whether it affected you#

In Search Console, filter the Performance report to your review pages and compare clicks for a week in mid-November 2021, before the core update began on 17 November, with the week starting 29 December 2021. The Google Algorithm Updates timeline lists every confirmed update with its dates, so you can rule out overlapping rollouts before attributing a change to this one.

Related updates#

• The April 2021 product reviews update was the first product reviews update.
• The November 2021 core update ended the day before it began.
• The March 2022 product reviews update was the next product reviews update.