Aggregate-rating schema and Google rich snippets
Those review stars under a search result are not automatic, they come from structured data. Here is how aggregate-rating schema works, and how to keep the stars.
A product result in Google with a row of stars and a review count under it gets noticed and clicked. Those stars are not a reward for having reviews, they are a rendering of structured data the page emitted. No schema, no stars, however many reviews you have.
What rich snippets are
A rich snippet is an enhanced search result: for products, that often means star rating, review count and price shown directly in the listing. It lifts click-through because it carries proof and information before the click. It is one of the highest-value SEO surfaces available, and it is entirely schema-driven.
The schema behind the stars
Two structured-data types do the work. AggregateRating carries the overall score and the count. Review carries individual reviews: author, rating, date. Both must attach to the Product entity, be valid against the schema, and, critically, match what is actually visible on the page. A rating in the markup that the shopper cannot find on the page is a mismatch search engines penalise.
Earning and keeping the stars
- 1Emit valid AggregateRating and Review schema on product pages.
- 2Source it only from real, attributable reviews with real dates.
- 3Make sure the markup matches the visible reviews exactly.
- 4Validate with a structured-data testing tool, and re-check after any template change.
- 5Monitor Search Console for review-snippet issues or manual actions.
Sources & notes
- 1Google Search Central, review snippet structured data · Implementation and policy for review snippets.
- 2Schema.org, AggregateRating & Review · The structured-data types.
+18%
Median PDP CVR lift from UGC
Idukki page-level
+22%
Median AOV lift
Same cohort
+44%
Compound RPV lift
CVR x AOV
+31%
Median dwell-time lift
Idukki dataset
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