Google is preparing for a significant review update, which will bring about a major change in how reviews are handled.
Google's Reviews System, the technology behind this update, is not fully disclosed, but it is likely a machine learning model with a classifier process similar to the Helpful Content System.
The Reviews System evaluates first-party standalone content designed for recommendations, opinions, or analysis, not third-party reviews found in product or service pages.
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If a website primarily consists of reviews, the system evaluates all content. Otherwise, it evaluates content on a page-by-page basis.
Google has announced that the Reviews System update will start rolling out in November.
After this initial update, Google plans to transition to regular releases of updates and improvements for the Reviews System.
This transition to regular updates suggests a shift towards a rolling update approach, where the system is improved or changed incrementally on an ongoing basis.
This change may be beneficial, as previous Reviews System updates have caused disruptions in search rankings, leaving websites in a holding pattern until the next system update.
The comparison is made with the Penguin Update, which initially rolled out once or twice a year, causing extended periods of search traffic decline for affected websites.
The transition to a rolling update for the Reviews System could lead to faster recoveries, potentially benefitting SEOs and publishers, but there is a need for further clarification regarding the details of this change.