Displaying your Google reviews on your website means embedding in your own pages the ratings that customers have published on your business's Google Business Profile, in order to reassure visitors at the precise moment they hesitate. So the question is not just "should we display them?" but "where should we place them so that they influence the decision?" A review read in the right place removes an objection; the same review tucked away in the footer goes unnoticed.
Why does the placement of reviews matter so much?
Visitors do not read a website from top to bottom like a book. They arrive on a specific page, look for a piece of information, then decide whether to take action: call, request a quote, book, buy. At each stage, they ask themselves a different question:
- "Is this business reliable?" when arriving on the home page;
- "Is this service right for me?" on a service page;
- "Is the price justified?" on the pricing page;
- "Am I taking a risk by leaving my details?" when faced with a form.
Social proof works when it answers the question of the moment. Research by the Spiegel Research Center (Northwestern University, 2017) showed that a product with five reviews was around 270% more likely to be purchased than a product with no reviews: most of the effect comes from moving from "no reviews" to "a few visible reviews". But those reviews still need to be seen.
Should you display Google reviews on your home page?
Yes, and preferably above the fold, in other words in the part of the page that is visible without scrolling. Visitors discovering your brand are looking for an immediate signal of trust. An average rating together with the total number of reviews, placed close to your main headline, does that job in a second.
The most suitable format here is the badge: being compact, it shows the rating and the volume of reviews without stealing the limelight from your message. Further down the page, a dedicated section with a carousel then lets visitors read a few complete reviews.
Example: a roofer places a "4.8 out of 5 – Google reviews" badge under the headline "Roof renovation in Hampshire", then a review carousel just before the "Our projects" section.
Where should you place reviews on service or product pages?
Service pages are where visitors compare options and picture themselves as customers. Reviews are all the more effective here when they talk specifically about the service described. Place them:
- just after the service description, before the call to action;
- or alongside your key selling points, to illustrate them in your customers' own words.
A grid works well on a wide page: it shows several reviews at once and gives an impression of volume. On a more editorial page, a list fits more naturally into the flow of the text.
Examples: a wedding photographer displays a review grid on their "Wedding photography" page; an accountancy firm places a list of three or four reviews on its "Starting a business" page.
Do reviews belong on the pricing page?
This is one of the most underrated placements. On a pricing page, visitors weigh up what they pay against what they get. Reviews that mention the quality of the work, meeting deadlines or availability justify the price better than any sales pitch.
Place a badge or a short list directly under the plans table, close to the sign-up buttons. Avoid an overly animated carousel here: it would draw attention away from comparing the plans.
Why display reviews next to a contact or quote form?
The form is the point of maximum friction: visitors have to give their name and phone number, and sometimes describe their project. This is where they hesitate and most often give up. A reminder of your Google rating and two or three recent reviews, placed in an adjacent column or just above the submit button, reassure them about what happens next: you will call them back, the quote will be clear, the work will get done.
Example: an interior renovation company displays, to the right of its quote form, a short list of reviews mentioning its responsiveness and clear pricing.
And on a booking page?
For a restaurant, a hotel, a beauty salon or a healthcare practice, online booking is the conversion step. Finding on your website the reviews they read on Google confirms the visitor's choice and stops them going off to compare elsewhere.
- Restaurant: a badge near the booking widget, and a carousel on the "Menu" page.
- Hotel: a review grid on the rooms page, a badge in the header of the booking engine.
- Practice (physiotherapist, osteopath, lawyer): an understated list under the practical information, before the appointment booking link.
The floating button: useful or intrusive?
The floating button stays visible in a corner of the screen throughout the visit and opens the list of reviews when clicked. Its benefit is simple: social proof accompanies visitors on every page, including those where you have not planned a dedicated section (blog, practical information, gallery).
To keep it useful without getting in the way:
- check that it does not cover a chat button, a cookie banner or a call button on mobile;
- choose a colour consistent with your brand guidelines;
- do not combine it with an identical badge on the same page, which would be redundant.
Which widget layout should you choose for which placement?
| Layout | Strengths | Recommended placements |
|---|---|---|
| Carousel | Scrolls through several reviews in a small space | Home page, "About" page, bottom of a service page |
| Grid | Gives an impression of volume, quick to read | Wide service or product pages, dedicated "Customer reviews" page |
| List | Understated, fits into a text or a column | Next to a form, pricing page, practice page |
| Badge | Rating and number of reviews at a glance | Above the fold, header, near an action button |
| Floating button | Present on every page without page-by-page embedding | Whole website, especially the blog and secondary pages |
In practice, two well-placed formats are better than five scattered ones: a badge at the top of the page and a carousel or grid further down cover most needs. With WidgetStars, each placement can have its own layout, all fed by the same Google Business Profile.
What mistakes should you avoid when displaying your Google reviews?
Relegating reviews to the footer
Few visitors scroll all the way down to the footer. A widget placed only there plays almost no part in the decision.
Filtering reviews to show only the best ones
Hiding negative reviews or selecting reviews to give a misleading impression must be avoided. European law (the Omnibus Directive) and national consumer law regulate how online reviews are presented and require fair information on how they are collected and displayed. Always display the real average rating and total number of reviews, and let your reviews speak for themselves as they are.
Copying and pasting reviews by hand
Screenshots or copied quotes date quickly, cannot be verified and no longer reflect your current rating. A widget synchronised with your Google Business Profile stays up to date without any intervention.
Weighing down the page or breaking the design
A poorly designed widget can slow down page loading or become distorted by inheriting the website's styles. Opt for a lightweight solution that is visually isolated.
Buying or rewarding reviews
Google prohibits offering anything in return (a discount, a gift, entry into a prize draw) in exchange for a review. To obtain new reviews, the sound approach is still simply to ask your satisfied customers to share their experience, and to make it easy for them.
How can you set this up easily?
WidgetStars was designed for exactly this purpose: you connect your business by searching for it or using its Google Maps URL, the reviews are retrieved via the official Google Places API and synchronised automatically, then you paste a line of code wherever you want them to appear. The five layouts described above (carousel, grid, list, badge, floating button) are available, with a light or dark theme, customisable colour, corner radius and text length, as well as a "Leave a review" button that links to your Google Business Profile.
The widget works on WordPress, Wix, Shopify, Webflow, Squarespace or an HTML site, displays in 12 languages depending on the visitor and remains isolated from your styles thanks to the Shadow DOM. In the interest of honesty: the Google API only returns a limited number of recent reviews, the most relevant ones; the average rating and the total number of reviews are always displayed. You can see the different layouts on the demo page and check the pricing, with a 14-day free trial and no commitment.
In summary
Place your Google reviews where visitors have doubts: at the top of the home page, on every service page, near your prices, next to forms and booking widgets. Choose the format according to the page, display your reviews without misleading filters and keep them up to date. It is the combination of authenticity and the right placement that turns a hesitant visitor into a customer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best place to display Google reviews on a website?
The home page, above the fold, is the priority placement, ideally with a badge showing your rating and number of reviews. Next come service pages, the pricing page and the areas around contact or booking forms, where visitors hesitate before taking action.
Should you display Google reviews on every page of your website?
Not necessarily with a full section on every page. A floating button makes reviews accessible everywhere, while dedicated sections (carousel, grid or list) are reserved for the pages where the decision is made.
Can you display only 5-star reviews?
Selecting reviews to give a misleading impression goes against the spirit of the regulations on online reviews (the Omnibus Directive and national consumer law) and undermines trust. It is better to display the real average rating and total number of reviews, and to reply publicly to criticism.
Does a Google reviews widget slow down a website?
It depends on the solution used. A lightweight widget, loaded in isolation (for example via the Shadow DOM), limits the impact on loading speed and does not interfere with your pages' styling.