Affiliate marketing is a popular way for bloggers and content creators to make money online. Product reviews are one of the many ways that content creators can be paid for views their posts get. Google recently updated its algorithm on March 8, 2021. This time the changes have affected affiliate marketers. There was a sharp decline observed in affiliate sites all over the world.
What is special about this new update?
Google product reviews update details:
The Google product reviews update aims to promote reviewer content that is specific and high quality, and Google has stated it will promote these types of product reviews in its search results rankings.
Google is not directly punishing lower quality product reviews that have “thin content that simply summarizes a bunch of products.” According to Google, this is not a penalty against your content, Google is just rewarding sites with more insightful review content with rankings above yours. However, if you provide lower quality reviews and find your rankings demoted because other content is promoted above yours, it will definitely feel like a penalty.
There were many sites that were doing product reviews and getting top positions in Google SERP. Since it was a simple process, so many newer websites were ranking in top positions in Google search. However, since the prior Google strategy wasn’t discerning, some scam sites started using the same tactics to bump up their ratings. There are plenty of review sites ranked with unverified data and wrong information, and Google set out to fix this.
The “focus overall is on providing users with content that provides insightful analysis and original research, content written by experts or enthusiasts who know the topic well,” Google said about this update. That is similar advice to the core update recommendations mentioned above, but here is a list of “additional useful questions to consider in terms of product reviews.”
-Google
According to this update, (Source), Google will now prioritize in-depth research when ranking product reviews, so you will have a better chance in Google search results by including the following:
- Provide source references while reviewing the product or services.
- having actually used the product is recommended.
- In-depth research on what it is, how it works, and why it’s a buy, or not a buy.
- Provide pros as well as cons while reviewing any product.
- Don’t just write a review, compare the product with its competitor or competitors.
- Mention key decision-making factors to consider when choosing a particular product or service.
- Explain how the product is different from its competitors.
Still questions arise.
Is affiliate marketing over for the new marketers?
Of course affiliate marketing is not over!
It will be tougher for new reviewers, and this update will affect your site in the short term, but, if you work according to Google’s guidelines, you may find better results than before. Be specific with as much detail as you can gather on the product you’re reviewing, and be yourself. You need differentiators and to appear authentic and expert, and the best way to do that is by being genuine and writing up products that truly interest you.
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