In February 2023, Google introduced a significant update to its search ranking algorithm, specifically designed to improve the quality and reliability of product reviews displayed in search results. With the aim of enhancing trust and transparency in online shopping, this update focused on providing users with more accurate and helpful information about products, ultimately empowering them to make informed purchasing decisions. Google's commitment to delivering a seamless user experience and ensuring the credibility of online reviews led to the implementation of this noteworthy update. The New Update leans into E-E-A-T ( Experience-Expertise- Authoritativeness-Trustworthiness). Adding phrases such as “in my experience” or “my hands-on analysis” to reviews caused product review webpages to increase rankings in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).

The new documentation lists the following signals of experience:

• Visual evidence: Self made photos are higher ranked than stock photos
• Audio: Description if a product is noisy can be accompanied with a video demonstrating it
• Links to evidence of experience
• Quantitative measurements: Performance measurement, for example how a product works for certain conditions