How to Add Rating Schema on the Website (Beginner-Friendly Guide)

Want your website to stand out in Google search results? One smart and simple way to do it is by adding rating schema. You might’ve seen search results that show stars under the title. That’s rating schema at work!

If you’re a business owner, blogger, or website manager, this guide will walk you through how to show rating schema on your website—no coding degree required!

We’ll also show you how using tools like a Google Reviews Widget can help boost your website’s trust, visibility, and SEO.

What is Rating Schema?

Rating Schema is a type of structured data or “schema markup” that tells search engines that your content includes a rating—usually shown in stars (⭐️).

This data helps Google and other search engines display rich snippets, which are enhanced listings that include things like star ratings, reviews, product prices, and more.

Example:

vbnetCopyEditTitle: Best Coffee Shops in New York  
★★★★☆ (4.6 rating from 320 reviews)

Why Add Rating Schema?

Here are the benefits of adding rating schema to your website:

Increased visibility in search results
Higher click-through rates (CTR)
Builds trust and credibility
Provides valuable information to users
Boosts your overall SEO performance

If you’re already displaying customer ratings using a Google Reviews Widget, adding schema markup helps pass that data to search engines.

Types of Rating Schema You Can Use

There are several types of rating schema, depending on what kind of content or business you have:

Product – For eCommerce sites selling products.
Local Business – For restaurants, salons, clinics, etc.
Service – For professionals like lawyers, consultants, or tutors.
Software Application – For SaaS platforms or apps.
Course, Book, Movie – For content reviews.

We’ll focus on LocalBusiness and Product, as these are most common.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Add Rating Schema

Step 1: Collect Ratings and Reviews

First, make sure your business has real customer reviews. If you’re using a Google Reviews Widget, you’re already on the right track. These widgets help display Google reviews directly on your website in a clean and interactive way.

You can use tools like:

Taggbox or Tagembed (both offer Google Reviews Widgets)
EmbedSocial
Elfsight

These tools not only make your website look better, but they also allow you to collect and showcase reviews that can be marked up with rating schema.

Step 2: Choose Your Markup Type

You can implement rating schema using:

JSON-LD (recommended by Google)
Microdata
RDFa

JSON-LD is the easiest and cleanest to use. You can paste it in the <head> section or directly before the closing </body> tag of your page.

Step 3: Generate the JSON-LD Code

Let’s say you own a bakery. Here’s a basic JSON-LD code you can customize:

jsonCopyEdit<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org/",
  "@type": "LocalBusiness",
  "name": "Sweet Treats Bakery",
  "image": "https://example.com/logo.jpg",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "123 Cake Lane",
    "addressLocality": "Dessertville",
    "addressRegion": "NY",
    "postalCode": "10001",
    "addressCountry": "US"
  },
  "aggregateRating": {
    "@type": "AggregateRating",
    "ratingValue": "4.8",
    "reviewCount": "234"
  }
}
</script>

Fields Explained:

@type: Defines the kind of content (e.g., LocalBusiness, Product)
name: Your business or product name
ratingValue: The average rating
reviewCount: Total number of reviews
image & address: Additional details for local SEO

Step 4: Add the Code to Your Website

Depending on how your website is built:

WordPress: Use a plugin like “Insert Headers and Footers” or add it to your theme’s header.php file.
Shopify: Use the theme editor to add the code in theme.liquid or via an app.
HTML Site: Just paste it directly before the closing </body> tag.

You can also insert it via tag managers like Google Tag Manager, but that’s optional for basic use.

Step 5: Validate Your Schema

Use the Rich Results Test by Google:
https://search.google.com/test/rich-results

Just paste your page URL or code snippet and it’ll show if Google can read your rating schema correctly.

You can also try the Schema Markup Validator by Schema.org:

Bonus Tip: Use a Google Reviews Widget with Schema Support

Some Google Reviews Widget tools automatically include schema markup when you embed them. This makes the process even easier.

Look for these features when choosing a widget tool:

Easy integration (WordPress, Shopify, Wix, etc.)
Supports AggregateRating schema
Auto-updates with new reviews
Allows customization (design, layout, filters)

Taggbox, for example, allows you to embed your Google reviews and includes schema-ready code. This gives your website both visual appeal and SEO advantages.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Fake Reviews: Never use made-up ratings. It violates Google’s policies.
❌ Missing Fields: Always include both ratingValue and reviewCount.
❌ Wrong Placement: Don’t add the code on irrelevant pages (e.g., About Us)
❌ Duplicate Markup: Avoid using different schema formats on the same page (stick to JSON-LD).

How It Helps Your Website

Let’s say you run a local service business and embed your client reviews using a Google Reviews Widget. When you combine that with rating schema, Google is more likely to show rich results with your:

⭐️ Star ratings
📍 Local address
💬 Review count

This leads to:

More clicks from search engines
Higher trust from visitors
Better engagement and conversions

Final Thoughts

Adding rating schema is one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve your website’s presence on Google. You don’t need to be a developer or SEO expert to get it done.

Just follow these steps:

Collect real reviews
Use a Google Reviews Widget
Add JSON-LD schema
Validate your markup
Monitor results

It’s a small effort that can bring big results!