Displaying positive customer reviews is one of the most effective ways to promote your business’s reputation and increase conversions. However, simply copying and pasting this feedback on your site can reduce its legitimacy and even make it look fake.
Fortunately, it’s straightforward to embed Google reviews on your WordPress site. You can use review plugins or edit your website’s HTML to display feedback that automatically updates as it rolls in.
In this guide, we’ll discuss the benefits of displaying Google reviews on your site and where you should place them. Then, we’ll explain a couple of different ways to embed them on your WordPress website.
Let’s get started!
Why Displaying Google Reviews Can Be Beneficial
Google reviews are part of the Google My Business platform. They enable your customers to share their experiences and leave star ratings for your service. These testimonials are public, and you can respond to them from your Google My Business account.
Google reviews are essential because they can increase the credibility of your business. Approximately 86 percent of buyers use ratings to inform their buying decisions. As such, positive testimonials could boost your overall ecommerce sales.
Displaying Google reviews on your site could also improve your Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This is the process of making your website rank higher on search engine results. Google evaluates your site according to various factors. Reviews and ratings can account for up to 15 percent of the algorithm.
Finally, testimonials can prompt users to spend more time on your site. If they get caught up in reading reviews, they may stay longer on your website. This can decrease your bounce rate and provide a better User Experience (UX) for your readers.
Where You Should Display Google Reviews
You have a few different placement options with embedded Google reviews. Ideally, you want them to be easy to find and read, but not obstructive to the rest of your site’s content.
Your first option is to display Google reviews on your website’s homepage. For example, Embed Social displays testimonials on its front page.
You could place them at the bottom of your page or in the widgets section. By doing this, potential customers can see your testimonials almost immediately after landing on your site. As such, they may instantly have more trust in your business.
Alternatively, you can embed Google reviews on your “About” page or create a dedicated “Reviews” page. Users generally visit this page to learn more about your business’s history, values, and other details. Displaying testimonials here can show potential customers your reputation as well.
For example, the Icelandic campervan rental company Happy Campers has embedded Google reviews on a dedicated page.
Finally, you might like to display testimonials on the product pages of your ecommerce store.
Alternatively, you could embed Google reviews of your overall company. Using this method, you could convince undecided customers to commit to their purchases and choose your business.
How to Embed Google Reviews on Your WordPress Site (2 Methods)
Now you know how important it is to display Google reviews on your WordPress site. You should also have a good idea of where you want to embed them.
You can add these reviews to your website using a plugin or by editing your site’s HTML. Let’s take a look at each method in more detail.
1. Use the Widget for Google Reviews Plugin
One of the easiest ways to embed customer testimonials is by using the Widget for Google Reviews plugin.
This add-on can display Google reviews in the widget section of your site. As such, it could be a good option if you want to show testimonials on all your posts and pages.
To get started, head to your WordPress dashboard and install the plugin.
Click on Activate to finish the process. Then, head to the plugin’s Settings. You can navigate across to the Full Installation Guide tab for detailed setup instructions.
First, you’ll need to get your Google Place ID. You can find it by heading to the Google Place ID Finder and typing in the name of your business.
Next, you’ll need a Google Places API. To get one, you’ll need to log into your Google Console account dashboard. Then, click on Select a project and choose NEW PROJECT.
Name and save your project. Then, select ENABLE APIS AND SERVICES > Places API > ENABLE.
Next, head to the Navigation menu and select APIS & Services > Credentials. This will bring you to the following page.
Then, click on + CREATE CREDENTIALS > API Key. This will generate a code that you’ll need to copy for later.
To complete the process in Google Console, open the Navigation menu again and select Billing > LINK A BILLING ACCOUNT > CREATE BILLING ACCOUNT. You’ll then be prompted to sign up for a free trial.
Follow the prompts to finish the signup process. Then, head back to your WordPress dashboard and the plugin’s Settings. Here, paste the API key and click on Save.
Next, navigate to the Shortcode tab and enter your Google Place ID. You can also customize a few settings, such as how the reviews will display.
The plugin will automatically generate your shortcode. You can now embed Google reviews in any post or page by adding a Shortcode block and pasting your unique code.
2. Edit Your Site’s HTML With JavaScript
Alternatively, you can directly embed Google reviews on your WordPress site by editing the HTML. HTML controls how different elements — such as text and images — display on your website.
This strategy will use JavaScript, a popular scripting language that can interact with your site’s HTML. If you choose this method, you can show Google reviews on any part of your site. They will also update automatically as new testimonials come in.
Before you proceed, you may want to create a child theme. That way, if you make any mistakes in the following steps, they won’t damage the functionality of your overall site.
First, you’ll need your Google Places ID and an API key. If you don’t know how to access them, you can check the detailed instructions in the previous section of this tutorial.
Next, you’ll need the Google Places script. You can follow the Maps Javascript API documentation to learn how to obtain it from scratch.
Now, you’re going to paste a script into your site’s head section. To do this, you’ll need to edit your site’s header.php file.
In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Appearance > Theme Editor and look for the file called header.php:
Then, paste this scripting code into your file:
<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.2.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
<script src="/js/google-places.js "></script>
<script src="https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?v=3.exp&libraries=places&key=[(API_KEY)]"></script>Instead of (API_KEY), you’re going to type in your Google Places API. Next, add the following function to the file:
<script>
jQuery(document).ready(function() {
$("#google-reviews").googlePlaces({
placeId: '[PLACES_ID]',
render: ['reviews'],
min_rating: 5,
max_rows: 0
});
});
</script>However, instead of [PLACES_ID], you’re going to put your business’s Google Places ID. When you’re ready, save your changes.
Next, go to the post or page where you want to display your embedded Google reviews. Switch to the code editor and paste the following line where you want the testimonials to show:
<div id="google-reviews"></div>Finally, save your changes. Your Google reviews should now show up on your post or page!
Summary
Displaying customer reviews on your website can help increase your business’s credibility and conversions. It can also improve your search engine rankings. Fortunately, there are a couple of easy ways to make this feedback visible to your customers.
To recap, you can embed Google reviews on your WordPress site by:
- Using the Widget for Google Reviews plugin to display them in posts and pages.
- Directly edit your site’s HTML with JavaScript.
Do you have any questions about how to embed Google reviews on your site? Let us know in the comments section below!
Head of Content at Kinsta and Content Marketing Consultant for WordPress plugin developers. Connect with Matteo on Twitter.
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