Instructions: Google Star Ratings in Website (WordPress)

In this simple guide we explain how to integrate Google star ratings into your WordPress website.

Incorporating Google star reviews on your website can significantly influence a visitor's decision to use your product or service. In addition to increasing trust, these reviews can also improve your search engine optimization (SEO) by providing fresh and relevant content. In this guide, we'll walk you through the process of integrating Google reviews on your website - from the necessary preparations to various integration methods and legal considerations.

Important advance information

What is the benefit of the Google star rating rich snippet?

• 13% – 35% higher click rate according to ConversionXXL
• We humans are obsessed with reviews.

When using Google star ratings, the following points should be taken into account:

• It is crucial that the ratings are authentic and displayed on your website, especially if you implement the aggregateRating scheme.
• In case structured data is integrated on a specific page without ratings being visible, it is necessary that the rating average is clearly visible and a direct link to the rating page should be provided.
• The AggregateRating schema should only be used in areas where it fits the content. Ideally, you should add this markup to pages that describe products or services.
• Even if implemented correctly, Google may not display rich snippets in search results.

Choosing a suitable plugin

1. Installing a Rich Snippets Plugin: WordPress offers various plugins that make adding schema markup to your website easy. A popular plugin is “All In One Schema Rich Snippets”. You can also use Schema Pro or WP Review if you want more advanced features.
2. Plugin Installation: In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Install and find the plugin you want. Click Install Now and then activate it.

Important information: If you use RankMath or Yoast, you can activate the schema markup feature.

Configuration of the plugin

1. Adjust settings: After installation, you can find the plugin settings in the WordPress dashboard. Depending on the plugin you choose, these can be found under a separate menu item or in the “Settings”. Configure the plugin according to your needs.
2. Set up star ratings: Many of these plugins offer special options for displaying reviews. Select “Review” or “Ratings” as the snippet type and fill in the required information such as product or service name, rating scale (e.g. 1 to 5 stars), average rating, etc.

Adding Schema Markup to Posts or Pages

1. Edit post or page: Open the post or page where you want to view the star rating.
2. Insert schema markup: If you have configured the plugin correctly, you should see an option to select the snippet type when editing a post or page. Select the star rating type you configured earlier and fill in the required details.
3. Preview and save: Check the preview to make sure everything displays correctly, then save your changes.

Example schema (code)

To add a star rating to your site, you can use the Schema.org review markup. This example shows how you might structure the data to provide a star rating for a product. This is a simple JSON-LD script that can be inserted into the header section of your website or into a specific post to make the star rating understandable to search engines.

Important additional information

Replace "Name of product", "URL_to_product_image.jpg", "Description of the product", "Brand name", and "Author of the review" with the relevant information about the product you are reviewing. Change "4.5" to the actual average rating of your product and insert this script into the HTML code of the page where the product is rated.

Don't fake reviews, as Google may punish you for doing so.

Video instructions to follow

Reasons – Why you should include the Google Schema Snippet

• Building trust: Google star reviews serve as social proof of the quality of your offering. A higher rating average signals to potential customers that your company is trustworthy and your products or services are valued by others.
• SEO benefits: Positive reviews can improve your visibility in search results. Google considers the quality and quantity of reviews as factors when determining your website's ranking.
• Customer feedback: Reviews provide valuable feedback about your products and services. You can highlight strengths and identify areas that may need improvement.
• Increasing click-through rate (CTR): Listings with high ratings attract more attention and increase the likelihood that users will click on your website.

Adding schema markup code snippets directly is an alternative method, but requires knowledge of HTML and should be used with caution. Using a plugin is safer and easier for most WordPress users.