TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction


Welcome to the Feefo Knowledge Base article on Google's star ratings in search engine results. Google offers two types of stars that can enhance your online presence and reputation: Seller ratings alongside Google AdWords and Organic stars generated from marked-up content. In this article, we will explore the requirements and benefits of both types of stars, as well as resources to help you optimise your search engine results with rich snippets.


Seller Ratings Alongside Google AdWords


Seller ratings are a valuable automated Google extension that showcases highly-rated advertisers to search engine users. If your business runs a Google AdWords campaign, Feefo can directly send your reviews to Google for inclusion in search results. Assuming your Feefo account is correctly configured, we regularly send Google any reviews received in the previous 24 hours, and a comprehensive update of all reviews is submitted every quarter.


To display a star rating in your Google Shopping ads, your business must meet the following criteria:


  • Collect a minimum of 100 unique and verified reviews per country within the last 12 months.
  • Achieve a combined rating of 3.5 or higher.
  • Receive reviews within 90 days from the original transaction.
  • Avoid offering any financial incentives in exchange for reviews, such as gift cards, discounts, or free samples.


Please refer to Google's full Seller Ratings Partner Requirements for more information

Once these criteria are met, Google will start displaying a star rating alongside the search results in the ad at the top of the search engine results page (SERP). However, it may take up to 8 weeks after reaching the threshold for Google to show the stars.



Google Shopping ads are displayed in the following countries: 


Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Belgium, Belize, Bhutan, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Czechia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, France, Gabon, Germany, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, State of Palestine, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam


The reviews sent by Feefo are tied to the originating site domain name. For example, if you have three sites subscribed to Feefo as sub-brands, reviews will only be applied to the originating site. For more information of Google’s policy on domains and sub-domains, see https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/2375474

To check which of your website reviews Google has already received, head to


https://www.google.com/shopping/ratings/account/lookup?q={yourwebsite}. 


You will need to change {yourwebsite} to your website’s URL (for example, feefo.com).


Organic Stars Generated from Marked-up Content


Organic stars, also known as gold star ratings, appear as rich snippets in the SERP when the Product Schema mark-up is applied to individual product or service pages. These stars can only be achieved for individual product pages that collect reviews and ratings. Organic stars are independent of the stars associated with Shopping Ads. If you collect reviews through Feefo's on-page integration, the Feefo widget will automatically insert the necessary Product Schema mark-up, making your pages eligible for gold star ratings in the SERP.


The website will need to be fully indexed by Google before the stars appear, and the page must have at least one review (and rating) for the gold star rating rich snippets to appear.

Rich Snippet Resources


To learn more about rich snippets and how to optimise your search engine results with stars, you can explore these additional resources:


How to Increase Your Google Rich Snippets Star Rating

SEO: How Do I Get Organic Stars 

SEO: How Can I Check My Schema Markup

Conclusion


Google's star ratings in search engine results offer excellent opportunities to enhance your online visibility and credibility. Seller ratings alongside Google AdWords and Organic stars generated from marked-up content provide valuable information to potential customers, leading to increased click-through rates and conversions. By following the requirements for each type of star and optimising your website with rich snippets, you can make the most of Google's star ratings and improve your overall search engine presence. For further guidance and support, don't hesitate to contact our expert support team at Feefo.