{"id":117359,"date":"2022-06-30T20:45:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-01T01:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dacgroup.com\/google-updates-its-algorithm-and-meta-fights-fake-reviews\/"},"modified":"2024-12-31T05:45:18","modified_gmt":"2024-12-31T10:45:18","slug":"google-updates-its-algorithm-and-meta-fights-fake-reviews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dacgroup.com\/en-ca\/insights\/blog\/local-search\/google-updates-its-algorithm-and-meta-fights-fake-reviews\/","title":{"rendered":"Google updates its algorithm and Meta fights fake reviews"},"content":{"rendered":"

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and there’s lots to catch up on from the world of local search. These are all the changes, updates, and announcements you need to know.<\/p>\n

Google releases broad core update<\/h2>\n

Google’s latest core algorithm update on May 25 has started to take effect, though it will not intentionally focus on specific industries\u2014such as the previous November update<\/a>\u2014and will not target spam like the July 2021 update<\/a>. Instead, this broader update intends to make incremental improvements to Google’s search rankings. Users will likely not notice any sudden changes, but webmasters may well see ranking fluctuations starting in the last week of May.<\/p>\n

Knowing when Google releases algorithm updates helps you understand if ranking changes are due to your own efforts<\/a> or beyond your control. Whether or not an algorithm is the culprit, the best plan is always the same: Follow SEO best practices to maintain an organic ranking that is less prone to algorithm volatility.<\/p>\n

Google Business Profile benchmarks by industry<\/h2>\n

In a follow-up to our customer review Benchmarks blog<\/a>, we will soon release a similar study for Google Business Profile<\/a> (GBP, formerly known as Google My Business). Lead generation via Google listings is an increasingly important strategy, but it’s difficult to know if your business is doing well not only by its own standards but compared to others in your industry. In fact, only an agency with access to a critical mass of data can offer insights across organizations. This is exactly what we’ve done after crunching the numbers across hundreds of our clients. Now you can finally see how you measure up against your competitors in the fast-moving world of local listings.<\/p>\n

Meta unveils new policy to fight fake reviews<\/h2>\n

Google fights continuously against fake reviews and it now appears that Facebook is seeing value in doing the same. Fraudulent reviews\u2014from the unfairly purchased to those which are obvious spam\u2014can be a headache for businesses. While Google realized the value in proper reputation management<\/a> long ago, Meta is now trying to catch up in that department for its Marketplace and Shops. After all, most online users trust online reviews as much as recommendations from friends, and if Facebook reviews begin to feel less reliable than those on Google, many users will steer clear of Facebook to research businesses.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

So, with retention a priority for any online platform, Meta has unveiled a new community feedback policy including a list of five criteria for reviews to be flagged:<\/p>\n

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  1. Manipulation:<\/strong> Community Feedback must not be used to misrepresent, deceive, defraud or exploit others for a financial or personal benefit.<\/li>\n
  2. Incentivization:<\/strong> Community Feedback must not be directly or indirectly incentivized, unless otherwise disclosed compliant with Meta’s policies on Branded Content. We define incentivization as a business partner or seller providing something of value, such as a monetary payment, free gift, or refund, in exchange for Community Feedback ratings, reviews, or answers.<\/li>\n
  3. Irrelevance:<\/strong> Community Feedback must be based on a reviewer\u2019s direct experience with a product, business, or seller. Additionally, the feedback must be related to the intended use of the product and\/or business.<\/li>\n
  4. Graphic or Inappropriate Content:<\/strong> Community Feedback must not include any content or media that is excessively graphic, inflammatory, violent, discriminatory, or threatening to any person or group.<\/li>\n
  5. Spam:<\/strong> Community Feedback must comply with Meta\u2019s policies on Spam. Including, but not limited to engagement bating, high frequency content posting, sharing, or promoting is not allowed.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Those who violate Meta’s Community Feedback Policy could lose access to all of Meta’s products or features temporarily or permanently. Check out the policy in its entirety here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Google adds “LGBTQ+ owned business” attribute<\/h2>\n

    After adding new GBP attributes such as veteran-owned, black-owned, and women-led, Google has now rolled out a descriptor for LGBTQ+ owned businesses. Any verified profile may include this attribute on their listings.<\/p>\n

    \"LGBTQ-owned<\/p>\n

    Image: Google<\/a><\/p>\n

    Remember that any icon or label you can add to your Google listings will improve click-through rates and drive additional traffic for queries that include that attribute. Indeed, a Google listing that contains every available feature appears more professional and trustworthy than those that do not. Whenever your listing can deploy a feature, it should\u2014both to improve rankings and to drive better click-through rates.<\/p>\n

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