A recent study reveals Google is favoring eCommerce sites and user-generated content in its search rankings while reducing the visibility of product review and affiliate marketing sites.
eCommerce Sites Dominate
For many commercial queries, eCommerce sites are now appearing more frequently in the top search positions:
- “Bird feeders”: eCommerce stores dominate the top 10, replacing several product review sites.
- “Laptops”: The top 10 results are now exclusively eCommerce websites, some appearing multiple times.
- “Towel warmer”: Amazon and Walmart listings have replaced affiliate websites in the top results.
User-Generated Content on the Rise
User-generated content platforms like Reddit, Quora, and YouTube now frequently appear in top search positions, especially for longer queries like “toys for 2-year-old boys,” where they were previously absent or ranked lower.
Challenges for Product Review & Affiliate Sites
This shift reduces the visibility of product reviews and affiliate websites for many commercial queries.
To adapt, these sites will now need to diversify traffic sources by focusing on digital media and PR, creating video content for platforms like YouTube Shorts and TikTok, and actively participating in relevant online forums.
eCommerce sites have an opportunity to capitalize on this shift by encouraging more customer reviews and user-generated content. This will support higher ranking with search results and provide an all in one outlet to both highlight products, while also providing the reviews necessary for purchasing confidence.
Read More: Search Engine Journal
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