How to Show Star Ratings in Google Search Using Review Schema Markup
Ever wondered how some websites get those shiny yellow stars and extra review details right on Google’s search results? It’s not magic—it’s called Review Schema Markup.
If you’re writing reviews, collecting testimonials, or simply want to boost your SEO, adding a review schema is one of the simplest ways to stand out. In this post, I’ll show you what the review schema is, why it matters, and exactly how to add it to your site—even if you’re not a developer.
What Is Review Schema?
Let’s break it down.
Schema markups are a type of code added to a website’s HTML that helps search engines understand what your content is about. When you use Review Schema (a type of markup), you’re basically telling Google: “Hey, this is a review of a product, service, or business—here’s the rating, who wrote it, and what they said.”
With the right markup, your page becomes eligible for something called a rich result (previously known as a rich snippet). A Review schema markup makes you eligible to appear in the SERPs with star ratings, reviewer names, and more.
It looks something like this:
Author’s Note: Schema markups are a great way to improve engagement and visibility on the SERPs. It can be tricky to apply on your own – so I’ve started a series of how-to’s to help you out. Check out my previous posts on how to add AggregateRatings, Organization, VideoObject, and Event schema to your pages.
Why Use Review Schema?
Enriching your pages with review schema has a ton of benefits for your SEO:
- Stand out in search results – Rich snippets are eye-catching.
- Build trust – Reviews act as social proof, increasing credibility.
- Improve CTR (Click-Through Rates) – More people click listings with stars and reviews.
- Help Google understand your content – More context = better rankings.
If you’re already showcasing real reviews of your website pages, then adding this extra layer of code to display them on the SERPs just makes sense.
Where You Can Use Review Schemas
Review schema isn’t just for product pages. You can also use it on:
- Blog posts that include a personal review
- Local business pages (e.g., restaurants, clinics, salons)
- Service pages with customer feedback
- Book, movie, or course reviews
- Testimonials from actual customers
Just make sure the reviews themselves are visible on the pages where you add your review markups. If it only “exists” in your code, Google won’t display it.
Let’s Set Up Your Review Schema: Step-by-Step
Now, onto the fun part—adding the markup!
1. Choose the Schema Type
Before writing your code, you’ll want to wrap your review inside the correct schema container.
For example:
- Product – physical or digital items
- Service – services you offer
- LocalBusiness – for your actual business
- CreativeWork – like books, movies, etc.
Properties You Should Include in Your Review Schema Markup
| Property | Description | Required? |
| @context | Always set to “https://schema.org” | Yes |
| @type | Defines the item being reviewed (Product, Service, LocalBusiness, etc.) | Yes |
| name | Name of the product, service, or business being reviewed | Yes |
| review | Main review container holding rating, author, and review content | Yes |
| review.reviewRating | Numeric rating given in the review (includes ratingValue and bestRating) | Yes |
| review.author | Person or organization who wrote the review | Yes |
| review.reviewBody | The actual written review content, must be visible on the page | Yes |
| image | (If applicable) Image of the reviewed product or service | No, but recommended |
| brand | The brand associated with the product/service | No, but recommended |
| datePublished | Date the review was posted | No, but recommended |
| publisher | If applicable, the publisher of the review (e.g., blog or company name) | No, but recommended |
2. Write Your JSON-LD Code
First, let’s quickly talk about JSON-LD. It stands for JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data. It’s a simple (and the most common format) used to add structured data to a webpage.
Search engines love it because it clearly tells them what the content is about. Whether it’s a review, product info, event details, or FAQs, JSON-LD helps search engines pull the right data and display rich results.
To show you how to create structured data markups, I’ll use Product as our example. Here’s a simple template you can modify:
<script type=”application/ld+json“>
{
“@context”: “https://schema.org/”,
“@type”: “Product”,
“name”: “bacopa monnieri”,
“image”: “https://example.com/photos/bacopa-monnieri.jpg”,
“description”: “Fresh Bacopa Monnieri.”,
“brand”: {
“@type”: “Brand”,
“name”: “Bacopa Monnieri”
},
“review”: {
“@type”: “Review”,
“reviewRating”: {
“@type”: “Rating”,
“ratingValue”: “5”,
“bestRating”: “5”
},
“author”: {
“@type”: “Person”,
“name”: “Jane Doe”
},
“reviewBody”: “Very Fresh and cheap!”
}
}
</script>
Feel free to replace the values with your own review content, product name, images, etc.
3. Add the Markup to Your Site
You can paste this script into your HTML—either in the <head> section or right before the closing </body> tag. If you’re using WordPress, there are plugins like Rank Math or Schema & Structured Data for WP that let you add a review schema without touching any code.
Whichever method you use, make sure the review is clearly visible on the page.
4. Test Your Code
Before you go live, run your page through Google’s Rich Results Test. This tool will show you if your markup is valid and eligible for rich results.
If it passes, great! If not, the test will show what needs fixing—usually a missing field or formatting issue.
5. Monitor It in Google Search Console
Once your page is indexed, head to the Enhancements section of your Google Search Console. If Google picks up your Review Schema, you’ll see it listed there—along with any errors or issues.
This is also where you’ll find useful performance data, like how many times your review-rich result appeared in search.
Pro Tips for Using Review Schema
Before you start marking everything up, here are a few pointers:
- Use real, visible reviews—don’t hide them
- Avoid fake or self-generated reviews (Google will catch on)
- Don’t overdo it—only use schema where it makes sense
- Stick to Google’s structured data guidelines
Basically: be honest, be clear, and make sure the content reflects what’s in the markup.
Key Takeaway
If you’re already adding reviews or testimonials to your site, Review Schema is a no-brainer. It gives your content a better chance to shine in Google’s search results and brings more attention to your brand.
It’s a small technical tweak with a potentially big payoff. And the best part? You only need to set it up once per page. Just follow the steps, validate it, and let your stars do the talking.
