March 2022 product reviews update

What changed

Google ran a product reviews update from 23 March to 6 April 2022, again targeting English-language review content. Alongside it Google reiterated its guidance that useful reviews show evidence of the product being used, cover how it compares with alternatives and explain what it does less well. Affiliate-heavy sites reported some of the largest swings of the year.

Timing

Rollout began 23 March 2022. Google declared it complete on 6 April 2022, 14 days later. Rankings typically remain unstable for the whole rollout window, so measurements taken inside it are not a reliable read on the outcome.

What it affected