Note: This feature requires an API key, which is only available to users with an Agency plan.
The default embeddable “Review Stream” widget is a Javascript widget loaded asynchronously. It is not indexed and has no SEO impact.
If you use our WordPress plugin (or Joomla or Drupal modules), the content is presented in structured data markup and is indexed by Google. This is a legitimate SEO practice. We have not seen it penalized and in fact it can often yield benefits like rich-snippet stars in the SERPs. There are a number of reasons why this works and is white-hat:
- The stream assembles genuinely original content, re-publishing only snippets of each review pulled from disparate sources
- Each review is shown with attribution and links back to the original source per Google’s guidelines
- Our approach respects the interests of the client (we only show the reviews you want to show), the original publisher (with snippeting and links), and the consumer (with proper attribution of reviews and not allowing the client to manipulate the ratings).
All of these practices reflect good Internet citizenship and a long-term view towards building marketing value in the “voice of the customer”.
Latest release: Version 1.1
This update addresses Google’s August 2016 schema markup guideline updates. We’ve added the option to apply schema markup only to your directly collected reviews, or to disable it entirely (both of these changes can be applies in the Plugin settings, explained below).
While plugin users may need to adhere to these new schema guidelines in the future, there is no current evidence that Google is enforcing them. And in the worst-case scenario, compliance is as simple as turning the schema off using the settings mentioned above.
- Install the SEO-friendly Review Stream plugin on your WordPress website
If your business website is built on WordPress, you can install our Review Stream plugin for easy integration. Your reviews are displayed with SEO-friendly rich-snippet markup.
Note: Use of the Review Stream WordPress plugin requires an API token . Contact us to see if your account is eligible and request an API token.
Once you’ve received your API token, you can install the Review Stream plugin directly within the WordPress dashboard by clicking Plugins > Add New.
You can either search the plugin directory for “Review Stream” or download the plugin directly, save the .zip file to your computer, and choose the Upload Plugin option.
If you’re uploading the plugin, select the .zip file you’ve just downloaded, then click Install Now.
On the Installed Plugins page, find your Review Stream plugin and click Settings.
Select your entity (Local Business or Product) and the schema you’d like to use for rich-snippet markup, or No Schema to turn off schema markup entirely.
If you want to exercise extra caution in regards to Google’s most recent schema markup guidelines, check the Use schema only on reviews collected directly? box. This will only display the aggregated rating for reviews collected directly through the platform in your search results and remove any third-party ratings from your search results.
Add your API token, URL shortname, desired default review count, and what you’d like to show.
Be sure to save your changes. Now you can add your review stream into your desired location on your website using the shortcode