Your Google reviews already persuade people on Maps. On your website, they do the same job at the moment visitors decide whether to call. That makes a review section some of the strongest social proof a local business can show, and it helps conversion on every page. BrightLocal's 2026 survey found that nearly every consumer, 97%, reads reviews for local businesses before choosing one. Showing them where people book makes sense.
The method you choose affects page speed, upkeep and what Google allows. Here are the options, and the rules that apply to each. More reviews also help local SEO, so a site section that prompts new ones pays off twice.
Four ways to show Google reviews
| Method | Setup | Page speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google reviews widget | Paste the embed code, minutes | Adds third-party script | Quick setup on any site |
| Google Places API | A developer, a few hours | Light if built well | Custom sites with a developer |
| WordPress plugin | Install and connect, an hour | Depends on the plugin | WordPress sites |
| Reviews built into the page | A developer, then automatic | Fastest, plain HTML | Sites that care about speed |
A Google reviews widget
Services like Elfsight and Trustindex give you an embed code to paste on your site. The widget loads your reviews from their servers, updates them automatically and displays them in a carousel or grid you can customize. It's the quickest route, and most have a free tier with limits. You pay for it in page load time, since every widget adds scripts that run on each visit.
The Google Places API
A developer can pull your reviews straight from Google with the Places API. Google returns a maximum of five reviews per place, sorted by relevance. Usage costs money past Google's free monthly limits, and the API terms limit how you store the content.
A WordPress plugin
Plugins connect to the Places API or a review service and add a block or shortcode you place on any page. Pick one that loads its script only on pages that show reviews. Test your page speed before and after you install it.
Reviews built into the page
If you own the Google Business Profile, Google's Business Profile API can pull every review for your own locations. Google has to approve your API access first. A developer can then render the reviews as plain text on the page. That's how our own site works. Reviews arrive through our CRM and become part of the page at build time, so they add no script. It takes a developer to set up, then it runs on its own.
Two free options with no widget
If you only want a quick start, two free options need no developer and no third-party script.
- A "Review us on Google" button that opens your review link, under your phone number or in the footer.
- An embedded Google Map of your listing, from Share and then Embed a map in Google Maps.
The map shows your pin with your rating, and visitors can open your reviews from it. Neither option shows review text on your page, so they work best next to a few quoted testimonials.
How to add the embed code on your platform
Every widget gives you an embed code to embed Google reviews on any page. Where it goes depends on which platform your site runs on.
| Platform | Where to paste the code | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress | A Custom HTML block on the page | WordPress.com strips scripts on lower plans |
| Squarespace | A Code block in the page section | The Basic plan won't run scripts or iframes |
| Wix | Add, then Embed code, then Embed HTML | Some custom code needs a paid plan |
| Plain HTML site | The page section where reviews should appear | Some widgets also want a script before the closing body tag |
After you publish, open the page on a phone, check that the reviews load and run PageSpeed Insights again. Pick a widget layout that matches your brand, such as a slim carousel, so it doesn't crowd the page. If the score drops a lot, move the widget lower on the page or load it on fewer pages.
Rules Google requires
Displaying Google content comes with conditions. If you use the Places API, Google's policies ask for these.
- Credit each reviewer with their name and avatar, or at least the avatar if space is tight.
- Show Google Maps attribution with the Google Maps logo, or the text where space is limited.
- Link each review back to the original review on Google Maps.
- Explain the order and any filter, such as "most relevant," in a clear notice.
- Mark translated reviews as translations, with a way to see the original.
Widget services and plugins should handle these for you. Check that they do before you publish. On top of Google's list, never edit a review's wording or pass off a shortened review as the full one.
Showing only five-star reviews
Most widgets let you filter out anything under four or five stars. If you do, don't present the section as all of your reviews. Show your overall Google rating and review count next to it, and label it as selected reviews.
The FTC's review rule covers this on review sections a business runs. It bans implying that the reviews shown are most or all of them while low ratings stay hidden. Even where it doesn't strictly apply, a wall of perfect scores looks hand-picked, and visitors trust it less.
Review stars in search results
Many owners hope their review widget will add stars to their listing in Google Search. It won't. Google's guidelines say a business that controls the reviews about itself can't get star results for its own LocalBusiness or Organization pages. The same guidelines also say not to aggregate reviews or ratings from other websites in your markup.
So don't add review markup just to chase stars.
Where to place reviews on your site
Reviews work best next to the decision, not on a page nobody visits. Our landing page design places reviews, licenses and real photos beside the call button.
- Near your phone number and booking button on the homepage.
- On each service page, with reviews that mention that service.
- On location pages, with reviews from customers in that area.
- On your contact page, right above the form.
Reviews are one of several trust signals a site needs, along with real photos and clear prices.
Keep the reviews coming
A review section with the newest review from two years ago works against you. Keep fresh ones arriving with a weekly routine. A printed review QR code helps too. And never fill the section with bought reviews, which break federal rules.
We build review sections into the sites we make, with light pages that load fast. Our small business web design includes a CMS your team can edit, and WordPress development adds custom plugin code to WordPress sites.
Common questions about Google reviews on websites
Can I copy and paste Google reviews onto my website?
You can quote your own reviews as testimonials, with the reviewer's name and a link to Google. Copy them word for word and keep them current.
Is there a free way to embed Google reviews?
Yes. A "Review us on Google" button and an embedded map cost nothing. Most widget services also offer a free plan with a review limit.
Do new Google reviews show up on my site automatically?
With a widget, a plugin or an API setup, yes, usually within a day. Pasted testimonials don't update, so refresh them every few months.
Will a review widget slow down my site?
It can. Load it only where you show reviews, place it lower on the page, and test with PageSpeed Insights before and after.