In a John Mueller hangout, an SEO professional wondered about how Google considers a site a product review site in relation to the product review update.
Their main question was about the product reviews update. This is just for their own understanding and they want to learn more about the ins and outs of this algorithm.
They wanted to know how Google would identify whether a page or site is related to product reviews.
Their example: Say there are case studies that tell you there are mainly affiliate sites that write about product reviews including pros and cons, because they compare products.
For example, there’s an e-commerce site that is selling pens – fountain pens, rollerball pens, etc. They also have a blog where they review their own products.
They write about the pros and cons of their products, and they compare different products. But even though it’s an e-commerce site, the blog also talks about productivity. So if Google were to look at this site, would they say “Ok, these are also product reviews and therefore can be analyzed by the product reviews update”? The product reviews update can impact the content.
John explained that for the recommendations that Google has for product reviews, he believes they would be relevant for any kind of product review.
He would not think about the product reviews update in terms of “does Google think my site is a product review site or not, so I will just do these individual best practices.”
Instead, he would take the approach of if you think these best practices would apply to your content, then just do those good practices.
He would not take the approach of “does Google think my site fits into this category”?
This happens at approximately the 4:02 mark in the video.
John Mueller Hangout Transcript
SEO Professional 2 4:02
So my question is about product reviews update. And this is basically from my own understanding that I want to learn more about this thing. Just wanted to understand how Google identifies whether a page or site is related to product reviews. So let me give you an example.
Like there are case studies that tell you that there are mainly affiliate sites that, you know, because they write about product reviews, pros and cons, they compare products. But for example, there’s an e-commerce site, which is selling pens, fountain pens, rollerball pens, that kind of stuff. And they also have a blog, where they review their own products.
They do write about the pros and cons of their products, compare different products. But though it’s an e-commerce site, the blog is also talking about product reviews, so can Google–will Google say that, Okay, this is also product reviews and can be, you know, analyzed by product reviews update? Product reviews update can impact that content.
John 5:00
I mean, the recommendations we have for product reviews, I think they would be relevant for any kind of product review. So I wouldn’t necessarily try to see, like, does Google think my site is a product review site or not?
And then I will do these good practices. But rather, if you think these good practices would apply to your content, then like, just do those good practices. So that’s kind of how I would see it not like, does Google think I fit into this category?
Therefore, I must follow these steps. But rather, do these steps make sense for my content? And if so then, just do that, yeah.
