Google has announced a modification in its policy regarding rich snippets. Let’s speak about rich snippets, how they impact your business, and what this development implies for you. So, our experts from AZ Citation Services explored what to know about the new changes to Rich Snippets for Google Reviews.
How did rich snippets work before?
Previously, Google enabled companies to utilize review schema to display their overall star rating in a rich snippet in their search results. The Rich snippets helped firms stand out in search results when compared to their competition.
Rich snippets are certainly something you’ve seen previously on Google search. Google, on the other hand, has indicated that many of these rich snippets will be phased down shortly. Here’s all you need to know about the new changes to Rich Snippets for Google Reviews.
What did change?
The star rating for Google reviews, also known as the Review Rich Result, shows alongside organic results on Google search sites. Smaller businesses used this to measure SEO performance and results, and the overall image of their business. But, corporations could use their whole website to show organization-level rating markups. However, the material presented on the page did not always match the reviews.
Google employed structured data penalties to combat these mistakes. But enforcing such laws on a large scale proved impossible. Google is now leveraging this upgrade to retain a harsher rule.
The Google reviews snippet change now allows Google to select when structured data from ratings will be respected or not. As a result, the Schema.org attribute that triggers these search results has also changed. You can no longer utilize a rating plugin to show reviews on your website, for instance. Hardcoded and Trustpilot are two of these widgets.
Self-serving reviews are now banned
Google has outlawed what it refers to as “self-serving reviews.” “Reviews of a company on the business’s site,” according to Google. Rich snippets will no longer be displayed in search results for websites with the schema “LocalBusiness” or “Organization.”
You may be wondering how this adjustment can influence your company’s visibility in search results. Let’s take a look at some of the concerns we’ve received about the future of SEO after these changes.
Do the new changes to Rich Snippets for Google Reviews impact all search results?
No, rich snippets will appear in a large number of search results. Rich snippets may still be found in books, movies, and recipes. The definition of “self-serving” given by Google is confined to corporations and organizations.
Google search results will continue to provide reviews with product schema. While company reviews will not appear in search results, product reviews will. The new changes to Rich Snippets for Google reviews won’t roll out all at once so there is time to adjust your SEO.
Are reviews still safe on my website?
Don’t delete any reviews from your website. Reviews are a terrific kind of social validation, and displaying a review feature on your website is a simple method to show your website guests how much your customers appreciate your brand.
When your reviews are shown, you will not suffer a penalty in search ranking. They will simply no longer be presented in rich snippets. So make sure to configure your Google Analytics to fit these changes.
How do the new changes to Rich Snippets for Google Reviews affect SEO?
Expect little to no effect on your search ranking. Rich snippets can enhance clickthrough rates, but they have no direct effect on SEO. Because the update affects all of your rivals in the same manner, you shouldn’t see any significant changes in your search ranking.
Why did Google implement these new rules?
The major objective of Google is to increase the functioning of Google rich snippets for searchers. This update places restrictions on where and when rich results are displayed. As a result, Google schema can now prohibit the usage and execution of these erroneous reviews.
Previously, the usage of Google reviews on corporate websites was seen to be deceptive. The review didn’t correctly represent the product or service presented on the page when the rating on the page didn’t match the content. Companies may communicate directly with potential consumers using structured data.
Google makes it easier for consumers to locate the information they’re seeking by upgrading the Google reviews rich snippets. Improved user experience may assist businesses in attracting new clients. When information is readily available, searchers are more likely to make a buying choice.
What should I do about the new changes to Rich Snippets for Google Reviews?
This upgrade was just recently disclosed by Google. Changes to the algorithm, on the other hand, might start to take impact as early as next week. So, what should you do to get ready?
Take a peek at your site’s Google reviews star ratings firstly. There’s a chance you’ll lose your star ratings if they’re local business or Organization schemas. However, it’s unclear how the update will affect these reviews at this time. If the schema type affects current Google reviews, it will also affect your rivals. This will allow you to make the necessary changes. However, if your schema is up to the current, you’re already set to go!
If you’re running a plugin or platform, you might want to double-check. Check to see whether everything has been updated to reflect Google’s change. Meanwhile, don’t take down Google reviews from your site. Reviews give social evidence to your website, which may assist buyers to learn to trust your company. Although reviews are still vital, this move may affect the star ratings that display in organic search engine result pages.
This upgrade should similarly not affect your Google search engine rankings or result in any fines. However, you may notice that the star rating no longer appears alongside your search results. Meanwhile, we’re currently waiting for additional information on how the new changes to Rich Snippets for Google Reviews may affect Product schemas.
So, what to expect?
The new changes to Rich Snippets for Google Reviews will affect many things, but not too terribly. Moreover, since they are rolling it out gradually, you will have time to configure your SEO strategy to comply with the changes.
