What is a Review Schema?

Structured data that displays star ratings and reviews in SERPs.

Ever notice how some search results have those little gold stars next to them? What if I told you that getting those stars on your own website is not as hard as it looks? I am going to talk about something called a Review Schema. I have been in this game for 15 years, and I am telling you, winning one of these is a major way to get more clicks and a better ranking. I am going to explain exactly what is a Review Schema and give you some simple, actionable tips to get it for your own website. You will walk away with a clear plan to make your search results stand out from the crowd and get more qualified traffic.

So, what is a Review Schema? It is a special type of code you can add to your website to tell search engines about your customer reviews and ratings. When you add this code, Google can show those star ratings in the search results, making your website look more trustworthy and appealing. This is a massive SEO advantage, as it can help you get more clicks and a higher ranking.

A Review Schema is not a direct ranking factor, but it can dramatically improve your click-through rate (CTR). A higher CTR tells Google that your page is a great match for a user’s search. This can lead to a higher ranking, which is why a Review Schema is so important for SEO. It is a way to make your website more attractive to users and show Google that you are a high-quality, trustworthy resource.

How a Review Schema Impacts Different CMS Platforms

The principles of getting a Review Schema apply to every website, no matter the CMS. Your platform is just the tool you use to add the structured data. I am going to show you how to think about this with some of the most popular platforms. The goal is to make your content as easy as possible for Google to understand.

WordPress

WordPress is a great platform for a Review Schema because of the many plugins that can help you. I recommend you use a plugin like Yoast SEO or Schema Pro. They make it super easy to add the structured data to your pages without having to touch any code. You just fill out a few fields, and the plugin does the rest. This is a massive quick win for your SEO.

Shopify

For Shopify, you can get a Review Schema for your products, which is a huge advantage. I suggest you use a review app to collect customer reviews and ratings. The app will then add the right code to your product pages so that Google can show the star ratings in the search results. This is a great way to get more clicks and more sales.

Wix

Wix has made big improvements to its SEO features, and it now supports a Review Schema for some types of content. I recommend you use their built-in tools to add structured data to your pages. A simple, clean design and a clear page structure also make it easier for Google to understand your content and give you a rich snippet.

Webflow

Webflow’s design freedom allows you to add custom structured data to your pages. You can use their CMS to add fields for things like star ratings and reviews. I would also recommend you check a page in Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool to make sure everything is working correctly and that there are no errors.

Custom CMS

With a custom CMS, you have the most control to add structured data to your pages. I recommend you build a system that automatically adds the right structured data to your pages based on your content. This can be a huge advantage for your SEO, as it ensures that every page is a perfect match for a rich snippet.

How a Review Schema Applies to Different Industries

The concept of a Review Schema is the same for every business, but the way you apply it changes depending on what you do. It is all about figuring out what kind of rich snippet is best for your audience. I am going to show you how to do this for a few key sectors.

Ecommerce

In ecommerce, a Review Schema is all about products. You should have a Review Schema for things like star ratings, price, and availability. This makes your search result a perfect match for a person who is ready to buy. You can also use a Review Schema for product reviews, which builds a lot of trust with your audience.

Local Businesses

For a local business, a Review Schema for reviews is a major advantage. I suggest you get a lot of reviews on Google and other local listing sites. You can then use a Review Schema to show the average star rating in the search results. This helps you stand out from your competition and get more clicks.

SaaS

For a SaaS company, a Review Schema for a product or service is a great way to get more qualified leads. You can use a Review Schema to show a star rating for your software or a customer’s testimonial. This helps you get a lot of traffic from people who are in the research stage.

Blogs

For a blog, a Review Schema for a recipe, a book, or a movie is a major advantage. I recommend you create a blog post with a lot of steps, ingredients, or a list of items and then use structured data to show it as a rich snippet. This helps you get a lot of traffic from people who are looking for a quick answer.

FAQ Section

Can a Review Schema help my SEO ranking?

A Review Schema is not a direct ranking factor, but it can dramatically improve your click-through rate (CTR). A high CTR is a major positive signal to Google, which can lead to a higher ranking. So, yes, it does help with ranking, but in an indirect way.

How can I check if my website has a Review Schema?

You can use Google’s Rich Results Test tool. Just type in your website’s URL, and the tool will tell you what rich snippets are on your page and if there are any errors. This is a great way to find out what you are doing right and what you need to fix.

Is there a difference between a rich snippet and a featured snippet?

Yes, there is. A rich snippet is extra information that is added to your search result from structured data. A featured snippet is a box at the top of Google that provides a direct answer to a user’s question. A featured snippet is a lot harder to get than a rich snippet.

What is “structured data” and why is it important for a Review Schema?

Structured data is a special code that you can add to your website to help Google understand your content better. It tells Google what a specific piece of information is, like a price, a star rating, or a recipe. It is what allows Google to show a rich snippet for your website.