Google has announced important updates to its review snippet documentation, introducing new recommendations for handling ratings and reviews across websites. The update focuses on improving user experience by providing more context around ratings.
Key Changes in Review Snippet Guidelines
Google now recommends websites to implement a system that only accepts ratings when accompanied by review comments and author names. This change aims to provide users with better context and understanding of the ratings they see.
Technical Requirements for Review Implementation
The updated documentation outlines several critical requirements for properly implementing review snippets:
Schema Markup Requirements
Reviews must be marked up using appropriate schema.org types. AggregateRating should be used for collective evaluations, while individual reviews need to be nested within specific schema types like schema.org/Book or schema.org/Recipe.
Content Visibility
All review content marked up with schema must be readily visible to users on the page. This includes:
- Review text
- Associated ratings
- Aggregate ratings (when applicable)
Review Management Guidelines
Google has established strict guidelines for managing reviews:
Reviews must be specific to individual items rather than categories or lists. When displaying multiple individual reviews, websites must include an aggregate rating. Importantly, review aggregation from other websites is not permitted.
Special Guidelines for Local Businesses
For local businesses and organizations, Google has implemented additional requirements:
- Entities cannot use star review features for reviews they control on their own websites
- All ratings must come directly from users
- Human editor creation or curation of ratings for local businesses is not allowed
The update reinforces Google's commitment to maintaining authentic and transparent review systems across the web, ensuring users have access to reliable and contextual rating information.
