An update to Google’s product review algorithm is scheduled for August 2022

The upcoming update continues Google’s efforts to display more useful, detailed feedback based on first-hand experience in its search results.

The next update of the product reviews will coincide with the completion of the useful content update just announced.

If you add the July update to the product reviews, you get three confirmed changes to Google’s algorithms in a month.

It seems that Google seeks to cleanse the front page of marginal content, paying particular attention to the content that people use to make purchasing decisions.
If you scrolled through a blog post, you could skip it because the mention was brief. The announcement reads:

“We know that product reviews can play an important role in making a purchase decision. Last year we started a series of updates to show in the search results more useful, detailed feedback based on personal experience.

We continue to improve these systems, and in the coming weeks we will release another update to make it even easier to search for high-quality, original feedback. We will continue this work to ensure that you find the most useful information when you study shopping online”.

Looks like the next update will be more like the old one.

Google’s feedback messages have not changed dramatically from one update to another. It is reasonable to expect that the Google manual will remain the same again.

Possible link to useful content update?
The next update of the Google Product Review is scheduled to start around the same time that the useful content update is completed.

The proximity of useful content updates and product reviews suggests a possible link between them.

I assume that useful content updates will allow Google to better identify product reviews that add unique value or demonstrate first-hand knowledge.

A few more details about the next update of the product reviews – all the same?
The Google message contains few details about the next update of the product review algorithm.
Both algorithms are designed to detect similarities in content. In a blog post dedicated to updating useful content, Google offers the following tips for assessing the value of the page:

“Does your content demonstrate first-hand experience and depth of knowledge (e.g., experience gained from actual use of a product or service, or visiting a place)?”.

This looks like something that is looking for an update of the product review.

When the useful content update is completed, Google can use the data and apply it to the next version of the product review update.

This can increase the number of useful product review pages that Google has missed in previous updates.
Conversely, Google can use this data to identify bad product reviews. Pages that have not been devalued since previous updates may fall in the ranking.

It is not yet known whether Google will provide additional information about the next update of product reviews before it launches.