Every marketing and business professional knows that Google page algorithm updates can change the entire eCommerce SEO game in a short span of time. 2022 is no exception to this rule, with new updates recently rolled out and past ones starting to show their effects on search results. It’s important to stay alert for any updates and always update your eCommerce store according to Google ranking factors.
As eCommerce development specialists, we have helped many of our clients to update their sites in the past and we continue to do so with every Google page experience algorithm update. That’s why we decided to put together a comprehensive summary of the key 2022 eCommerce SEO Google updates. These changes are already in place and could be negatively impacting your rankings if you allow them to slip past your radar. Here are the Google algorithm updates eCommerce business owners should pay attention to!
MUM or Multitask Unified Model is a brand new AI technology developed by Google to improve the query experience of Google Search users. It aims to help users when there isn’t a simple or straightforward answer to their questions. It can also learn from multilingual sources, no matter the language of your query, so users get a well-rounded response despite any linguistic barriers they might have. The AI translates the information and promptly gives it to the user. Though the MUM information is not limited to just written information, this AI is meant to better process images and video content to gather relevant information. It can detect the most important moments of a product video, link an eCommerce image with a search query, and even includes a new ‘Things to know’ section regarding the question.
Make sure to keep this MUM technology in mind when creating content for your site. Make videos, images’ alt text, and all product content as comprehensive for the AI as possible. This will help your store appear in more search queries as this technology expands.
Google completed its latest Page Experience algorithm update in September 2021, and now we get to see the impact on eCommerce SEO rankings. The Page Experience changes encompassed a brand new score that’s visible through Google Search Console and any site registered on the analytics platform can access it. This score is an eCommerce ranking factor and one of the key Google page algorithms for 2022. It measures the Core Web Vitals (UX design), Mobile Usability, Security Issues, HTTPS usage, and Ad Experience of your site. The better the overall Page Experience score, the higher your eCommerce store can rank on search results.
Put a lot of work and care into your customer’s user experience. Your site needs to comply with every one of the Page Experience elements to be competitive in search results. Head over to Google’s official guide to this update to understand how to upgrade your store accordingly.
Google page algorithm updates for 2022 didn’t stop at Page Experience metrics. Linking was also affected by the changes and this was an update with significant results for those impacted by it, as Google forecasted back in July 2021. The Link Spam update regulates all content that appears on search queries in hopes of preventing spammy results or pages from conducting linking spam. It affects the way links need to be tagged on all content and the different link schemes that are allowed and recommended by Google. When it comes to both promoting and monetizing your store, it is now essential to properly tag your links to avoid coming off as spammy to the algorithm.
All sponsored links featured in product reviews or different roundups will now need to be tagged in the following manner: rel=” sponsored”. As for excessive link exchanges to promote the products of your eCommerce store, these might also negatively impact your site’s rankings if they come across as unnatural or disproportionate. Limit your product reviews and sponsored posts coming from other sites to only those who add real value to your potential customers and to your link scheme.
Though we’ve already mentioned the Google Page Experience algorithm update, the Core Web Vitals are still being updated. Google has also hinted the three Core Web Vitals could become a more significant eCommerce SEO factor of their own in the future. The three elements of this update are Loading (the loading times of your store, measured by Largest Contentful Paint), Interactivity (the responsiveness of all clickable elements analyzed by the new standard, First Input Delay), and Visual Stability (measures if there’s any instability of the page’s elements according to Cumulative Layout Shift). They’re all equally important and form the Core Web Vitals that affects Google’s overall Page Experience score.
Core Web Vitals are now a significant eCommerce SEO factor. These three elements can be tough to master, especially for online stores with multiple clickable elements on one page. Learn more about responsive design here to improve your store’s Web Core Vitals.
The Product Reviews update was different from the rest of the Google page algorithm updates for 2022. This wasn’t another web core change, instead, it was a deliberate update to target product reviews and their Google rankings. It fights against thin content, especially vague product reviews that feel more like a roundup of sponsored products than a detailed insight into a specific service or purchase. Google stated product reviewers should now offer detailed explanations about all reviewed items and show expert knowledge in that market. This will prevent thin product reviews from getting to the top of the rankings, prioritizing valuable and in-depth experiences with useful products.
Ask your product reviewers to provide a rich insight into the item and show how it competes against similar products in the market. They should give as much information as possible to avoid your product being deemed as part of a thin content review.
Now that you’re familiar with the five key Google page algorithm updates that will affect eCommerce SEO in 2022, it’s time to take action. Your eCommerce store should adapt to Google ranking factors as soon as possible in order to maintain the health of your search results. If the site doesn’t follow Google’s best practices, its eCommerce Google rankings can be affected and its domain authority devalued. For these reasons, it’s always important to stay well-versed in Google page algorithm updates and eCommerce SEO guidelines. Feel free to check out the 2022 eCommerce SEO checklist our team has carefully put together to help you achieve better search results.
At Resolve Digital, we handle all Google page algorithm updates with extreme care. We know eCommerce SEO is ever-changing and have the experience necessary to help online retailers thrive under a regularly updated site. Our services include both front and back-end technical store design and maintenance to achieve optimal eCommerce SEO results and a top-notch user experience. Contact us today to learn more about our services!
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