April 2023: Google’s reviews update expands to services and businesses
Covers April 2023. Part of our search timeline: a month-by-month look at the changes that shaped SEO, AI search, paid ads and social media, written in November 2026 for local businesses with the benefit of hindsight.
Quick answer: In April 2023 Google dropped the word “product” from its product reviews update, calling it simply the reviews update, and extended it to reviews of services, businesses, destinations and media as well as products. From then on, review content of every kind had to show genuine experience and helpful analysis.
This matters more to local businesses than it might seem. Comparison pages, “best options” guides and write-ups of services all count as review content.
What changed in April 2023
With the April 2023 reviews update, Google applied its standards for review quality to a much wider range of content. It favoured content that shows first-hand experience, weighs up the options and helps the reader make a decision.
What it meant for local service businesses
UK businesses with comparison pages, best-of lists or reviews of services had to prove real know-how. Shallow round-ups lost ground to thorough, honest assessments. A heating engineer comparing boiler brands, or a garage comparing tyre options, needed to show they had actually fitted or worked with what they were writing about.
How to write review content that works
- Base reviews on things you have really used or installed, and say so plainly.
- Explain which customer each option suits, rather than only naming a winner.
- Add evidence such as photos from jobs, results you have seen or specific examples.
Frequently asked questions
Do customer testimonials on my site count under the reviews update?
Its focus is content that evaluates products or services. Real customer testimonials are a separate trust signal.
Does Google still run separate reviews updates?
Google later stopped announcing them separately, as its review systems became part of its ongoing ranking improvements.
Sources and further reading
Want help with this? Our content marketing service writes comparison and review pages grounded in your real experience. Get in touch.
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