New Google algorithm updates in 2022: What you need to know

Page Experience Update

The rollout of the Page Experience update started on 22 February and ended on 3 March 2022. According to information from Google, the ranking algorithm now takes even more account of the following three factors:

• Core Web Vitals (LCP + CLS + FID)
• Secure HTTPS connection protocol
• No intrusive cross-page ads

If your website does not meet these criteria, it will not be ranked higher in the search engine. This does not mean that the website does not meet these criteria. It is possible that the drop in ranking is due to your competitors' sites meeting them better.

Specialist advice:

• Use only HTTPS protocol.
• Eliminate any intrusive advertising on the site.
• Make sure the site meets the Core Web Vitals requirements.

Another useful tip: Ensure not only the user-friendliness of the page, but also the relevance of the content on it. Together, these components ensure a good interaction with the site, which has a positive effect on ranking.

Important: In Google Search Console you can view a special report assessing the page quality of the desktop version of your website, and see how it affects positions.

Product Reviews Update

March's Product Reviews update is the third wave of Reviews-ups launched in 2021. Its rollout on March 23, 2022 was announced on the Twitter account of Google Search:

To summarize the update as briefly as possible, the more detailed, objective and honest product reviews a web resource publishes, the higher its position in search engine rankings will be. Conversely, boilerplate, one-size-fits-all and biased reviews lower a site's ranking.

Google states that there will be no direct sanctions for sites that publish template reviews. But the search engine will do its best to provide users with objective and relevant information on their queries.

Guidelines for creating product reviews with the Product Reviews Update:

1. Point out the advantages and disadvantages of the product objectively. If possible, make comparisons with previous versions.
2. Provide information from people who have already used the product and are willing to share their personal experiences. Support this information with user photos and videos.
3. Share information about the product beyond what the manufacturer says in the advertisement or at the presentation.
4. Give users a list of similar/alternative products and indicate how the product being reviewed is better than its counterparts.

Important: When rolling out the update, Google said that it only affects English-language queries for now. But adding other languages is only a matter of time.

What should you do if your site's position has slipped since the Product Reviews Update was rolled out?

Some drop in website position after Product Reviews Update is possible. If this is the case, experts suggest reviewing the checklist to understand what triggered the pessimisation:

• Does the review contain advantages and disadvantages of the product, helping to give the user an objective view of the product?
• Did you test the quality and performance of the product, measuring its effectiveness and usefulness?
• Did you talk about improvements of the product compared to previous versions?
• Did you use pictures, videos, graphs and other materials to support your claims in the review?
• Does the review objectively compare this product with others on the market?
• Are you not excessively trying to promote one manufacturer, vendor, developer and so on?

It bears repeating that, at the time of writing, the Product Reviews update only affects English-language pages. However, we strongly recommend that you follow these recommendations now, because sooner or later the update will cover queries in other languages. You have time to prepare for this. We advise you to take advantage of the extra space that Google gives you.