Inside Google’s November 2023 Reviews Update

Google has officially unveiled its November 2023 reviews update, and with it comes a little surprise – this marks the final grand reveal of its kind.

The reason? Google has decided that updates to its reviews system are now set to hit the stage regularly and consistently, making announcements a thing of the past. To learn more about what’s new with this Google update – and what it means for your business – Adult Creative is here to help.

Contents

1. The Scoop on the November 2023 Reviews Update
2. What’s New with the 2023 Google Reviews Update?
3. What Makes a High-Quality Review?
4. Google’s 2023 Updates So Far

The Scoop on the November 2023 Reviews Update

As of November 8, 2023, around 12 pm ET, Google launched the latest reviews update, and as we mentioned earlier, it’s the last time Google will announce such changes. According to their announcement, “Going forward, as the reviews system is now being improved at a regular and ongoing pace, we will no longer be posting about future updates on the status dashboard.”

No more previews; instead, you and every other business owner will have to embrace Google’s real-time updates without warning. Google also hints that changes to your site, for better or worse, may now be reflected in the reviews system more promptly.

What’s New with the 2023 Google Reviews Update?

Product Reviews to Reviews Update:

Google decided to ditch the fancy titles. With the April 2023 update, they shifted gears, bidding adieu to the ‘product reviews update’ tag. Now, it’s simply the ‘reviews update,’ evaluating opinions on everything reviewable. From services and businesses to destinations and media (games, movies), if it’s review-worthy, Google’s got it covered.

Global Impact:

This update is still a global update, impacting languages far and wide. These include English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Russian, Dutch, Portuguese, and Polish.

November Core Update Overlapping

Alongside the reviews update, Google has rolled out the November 2023 core update. Brace yourselves because your site might experience the impact of both updates simultaneously, and determining which update affected your platform may be a little tricky.

We’ve already witnessed the November core update making waves immediately after its launch on November 2nd, and now the Google reviews update has joined the party.

the November 2023 reviews update is also rolling out now (as per my last email: https://t.co/xny94FOVvn)

we’ll update the ranking release history page when the rollout is finished: https://t.co/hgjEkfpbA2

— Google Search Central (@googlesearchc) November 8, 2023

What Does This Mean for Your Business?

If your website dishes out reviews like confetti, this update is your time to shine. Keep a keen eye on your rankings to see if your organic traffic changes or stays the same.

What Makes a High-Quality Review?

Hold on to your review pens because Google’s got some ground rules. According to the search giant, high-quality reviews share the following traits:

• Evaluate from a user’s perspective.
• Demonstrate expertise and knowledge about the reviewed topic.
• Provide evidence of personal experience through visuals, audio, or other links.
• Share quantitative measurements about the performance of the subject.
• Explain what sets the subject apart from competitors.
• Cover comparable options or considerations for specific uses or circumstances.
• Discuss the benefits and drawbacks based on original research.
• Describe how a product has evolved from previous models or releases.
• Focus on key decision-making factors.
• Highlight key design choices and their impact on users.
• Include links to other useful resources for decision-making.
• Consider including links to multiple sellers for reader choice.
• Provide a rationale when recommending something as the best overall or for a specific purpose.
• Ensure sufficient useful content in ranked lists.

Keep these guidelines in mind to stay in Google’s good graces!

Keeping Track of Google’s (Many) 2023 Updates

Just to keep you in the loop, here’s a quick recap of Google’s 2023 updates:

• November 2023 Reviews Update
• November 2023 Core Update
• October 2023 Core Update 
• October 2023 Spam Update
• September 2023 Helpful Content Update
• August 2023 Core Update
• April 2023 Reviews Update
• March 2023 Core Update
• February 2023 Product Reviews Update

You can find a full list of the updates so far on the Google Search Status Dashboard.

Here at Adult Creative, we always keep an eye out for future developments from Google, so be sure to keep checking our News Page for any updates.

To learn more about how to elevate your business, get in contact with Adult Creative today! We understand the unique challenges and opportunities within the adult industry, and we’re passionate about helping businesses like yours thrive.