Welcome back to our January Google Update series. In this edition, we will take a closer look at the latest changes from Google. We will discuss updates regarding review snippets, site reputation abuse policies, and breadcrumb markup. Let’s dive into this update! Additionally, be sure to check out our Google Core Updates for November 2024 and December 2024.
January 15
This update is about Adding a recommendation about accepting ratings and reviews.
Google has introduced a new recommendation to review snippet documentation.
Why It Matters:
Google has recommended setting up a system that only accepts ratings and reviews with review comments and the author’s name. As per Google, this approach will help your users understand the context of a rating.
To clarify it more, here are some pointers:
Ratings must come directly from users, not from editors..
When marking up reviews, it’s important to use schema.org/AggregateRating for ratings from multiple people. Google might show these ratings as rich snippets or answers in search results.
Ensure the review is linked to a specific product or service, like schema.org/Book or schema.org/Recipe.
The review content should be visible on the page, with the review text and rating clearly.
It is suggested only to accept ratings that include a comment and the author’s name for better context.
Reviews should be about specific items, not categories, and include an aggregate rating if multiple reviews exist.
It’s best to avoid using ratings from other websites.
Local businesses can’t use the star review feature in structured data if they control their reviews.
January 21
This update talks about Clarifying the site’s reputation abuse policy.
Google has updated the site reputation abuse policy to include guidance from the blog post’s FAQ on-site reputation abuse for better understanding.
Why It Matters:
These updates aim to make it easier for everyone to access and understand the information on reputation abuse. But don’t worry, these changes are just editorial and won’t affect how it enforces the policies. Google is simply trying to make the information clearer, more visible, and easier to find.
Here is what we need to know about site reputation:
Site reputation abuse occurs when third-party content is posted on a website to exploit the site’s established ranking signals. This strategy boosts the ranking of third-party content beyond what it would achieve. The issue arises when the content is added primarily to benefit from the site’s ranking power.
Examples of site reputation abuse include:
- A website hosting sponsored reviews of payday loans to improve its rankings.
- A medical website displays unrelated ads, such as best casinos, to exploit its reputation.
- A movie review site featuring irrelevant content, like how to buy followers.
- A news site posting third-party coupons to profit from its reputation.
Activities that are not considered abuse include:
- News sites syndicating content from other sources.
- User-generated content or opinion pieces.
- Third-party content is intended for direct sharing with readers, such as in advertorials.
Affiliate links or third-party ads are used appropriately
January 22
This update is about Updating the feature availability of breadcrumb markup.
Google has recently updated its documentation on breadcrumbs, which will now only appear in desktop search results, not on mobile. This means that while you will still see breadcrumbs on your computer, you won’t see them on your phone.
Why it matters:
This update was made because breadcrumbs can get cut off on smaller screens, making them useless for mobile users. Since they work better on desktops with more room to show the full breadcrumb trail, Google has decided to keep them limited to desktop search results.
Wrapping Up
The January updates highlight changes like review snippets, site reputation, and breadcrumb functionality. These updates aim to make it easier for users to understand the actions they need to take. The overall focus is enhancing the user experience, allowing individuals to find what they need easily.
