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No more review stars for /local business & /organization markup

No more review stars for /local business & /organization markup
by
October 4, 2019
in Local SEO, OFF-PAGE SEO
194

In a recent development, Google has decided to restrict businesses from adding review markup for themselves. On September 16th, Google announced that review stars appearing in search results would now be managed algorithmically, without including reviews from the /LocalBusiness and /Organization markup.

Here’s everything you need to know about this new development, and how it affects your business.

The Idea Behind This New Development

According to Google, the reason behind this move is to ensure that reviews remain unbiased. When businesses or organizations add markup and control their own reviews, the reviews become “self-serving”. Therefore, in an effort to maintain objectivity, only certain markups will now qualify for review stars.

Markups That Qualify for Review Stars

Only the following markups will qualify for review stars going forward:

How This Affects Your Business

This new development is likely to affect many businesses that have been relying on the review stars to attract customers. It’s now more important than ever to ensure that your customers are specific about the product or service they’re reviewing. By mentioning the specific product or service name, you’ll be able to use the review within the /Product markup and still get those valuable review stars.

It’s also worth noting that aggregate review markup should be used within all the relevant markup types mentioned above. This will help to ensure that your reviews are seen by potential customers and that your business continues to thrive.

Conclusion

The recent development by Google to restrict businesses from adding review markup for themselves is a move towards ensuring unbiased reviews. Going forward, only certain markups will qualify for review stars. As a business owner, it’s important to stay informed about these changes and adapt accordingly. Remember to encourage your customers to be specific in their reviews, and to use aggregate review markup within relevant markup types.

FAQs

Can businesses still get review stars in search results?

Yes, businesses can still get review stars in search results. However, only certain markups will now qualify for review stars.

What are the markups that qualify for review stars?

The markups that qualify for review stars include schema.org/Book, schema.org/Course, schema.org/CreativeWorkSeason, schema.org/CreativeWorkSeries, schema.org/Episode, schema.org/Event, schema.org/Game, schema.org/HowTo, schema.org/MediaObject, schema.org/Movie, schema.org/MusicPlaylist, schema.org/MusicRecording, schema.org/Product, schema.org/Recipe, and schema.org/SoftwareApplication.

Why did Google make this change?

Google made this change to ensure that reviews remain unbiased. When businesses or organizations control their own reviews, the reviews become “self-serving”.

How can businesses ensure that their reviews are seen by potential customers?

Businesses can ensure that their reviews are seen by potential customers by using aggregate review markup within all the relevant markup types mentioned above.

What should customers do to ensure their reviews are counted towards review stars?

Customers should be specific about the product or service they’re reviewing to ensure that their review is counted towards review stars.

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