Organic SEO

Why Your Stars Aren't (Yet) Appearing on Google

Learn how to showcase your client reviews with star ratings in Google results. A simple guide plus advanced tips to boost your visibility in 2025.

May 10, 2025

Displaying stars in Google results is one of the most powerful ways to grab attention, improve your click-through rate (CTR), and instantly build trust. But it's not automatic.

Here’s what you’ll see when it works:

⭐ 5.0 – (14 reviews)
Right below your title in Google.
And that’s a huge visibility boost. But Google only shows them under certain specific conditions.

Step by step: how to make your reviews appear in Google

1. Have visible reviews on your site

This seems logical… but many forget it:

  • Your customer reviews must be displayed on the page you want to rank.

  • They must look like genuine reviews (name, rating, text, date…).

2. Add JSON-LD markup (structured reviews)

You need to add an invisible script in the HTML code of the page.

Here’s an example for a service:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Service",
  "name": "Développement de sites web à Montreux",
  "aggregateRating": {
    "@type": "AggregateRating",
    "ratingValue": "5.0",
    "reviewCount": "14"
  }
}
</script>

🔧 Where to place it?
In the <head> of your site, or just before </body>.

3. Ensure Google understands your data

➡️ Test your page here:
👉 Google Rich Results Test

❗ Mistakes to avoid

  • Not having visible real reviews.

  • Using an incorrect schema type (Article instead of Service, Product, etc.).

  • Having reviews only in image form.

  • Giving a 5.0 rating on all pages without justification (Google hates that).

🧠 Advanced section: boost trust and your chances of display

1. Show your reviews in an actual readable HTML block (not just in JSON)

Google wants what's declared in JSON-LD to be visible to visitors.

Example of a review block:

<div class="avis">
  <p><strong>⭐️ 5/5</strong> – Super expérience, très professionnel ! – <em>Julie M.</em></p>
</div>

2. Add additional (rich) fields

Enrich your markup with:

  • review: to detail each review.

  • author: to name the customer.

  • datePublished: to prove authenticity.

Advanced example:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Service",
  "name": "Création de sites web à Montreux",
  "aggregateRating": {
    "@type": "AggregateRating",
    "ratingValue": "4.9",
    "reviewCount": "23"
  },
  "review": [
    {
      "@type": "Review",
      "reviewRating": {
        "@type": "Rating",
        "ratingValue": "5"
      },
      "author": {
        "@type": "Person",
        "name": "Nicolas"
      },
      "reviewBody": "Excellent service, rapide et très professionnel.",
      "datePublished": "2024-11-05"
    }
  ]
}

3. Use appropriate @type:

Type of siteRecommended Schema TypeFreelance / providerService or LocalBusinessE-commerce productProductTraining / ebookCourse or Product

4. Add verified reviews with trust badge

Use solutions like:

5. Create a "review wall" on a dedicated page

The more transparent and precise you are, the more Google will want to display the stars.

⚙️ Bonus: example of configuration I set up for my clients

✅ Page with review wall sorted by service
✅ Dynamic JSON-LD script per page
✅ Custom widget displaying live average
✅ Automatic schema.org compliance test
✅ Synchronization with Google Business Profile
✅ Anti-spam & anti-fake review script (to avoid Google penalties)

🧑‍💼 Do you want stars in Google? Let’s talk.

I am Justin Cappelle, a web developer & SEO consultant based in Switzerland.
I help my clients make their sites more visible, more credible, and more efficient on Google.

🎯 If you want me to:

  • Install stars in your Google results

  • Optimize your site for local, mobile, and technical SEO

  • Deploy advanced strategies to double your traffic without paying for Ads

📩 Contact me, and I’ll show you SEO methods that few agencies master (yes, even the most expensive ones).

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Sharp insights, actionable advice, and zero fluff. If you want a website that attracts, engages, and sells, this is the place to be.

Client Testimonials

The blog that captivates and converts

Sharp insights, actionable advice, and zero fluff. If you want a website that attracts, engages, and sells, this is the place to be.

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