Google reviews matter. Not because some marketing guru said so, but because people actually read them before deciding where to spend their money. If you run a local business and you have a WordPress site, showing those reviews makes sense.
Here's the thing: there are about fifteen different ways to do this, and most of them are overcomplicated. Let's cut through the noise.
The Simple Way: A Plugin
WordPress has plugins for everything. Google reviews are no exception.
The most straightforward option is a plugin like Widget for Google Reviews or Jetrockets Reviews Widget. You install it, connect your Google Business Profile, and drop a widget wherever you want reviews to appear.
To set this up:
1. Go to your WordPress dashboard
2. Click Plugins, then Add New
3. Search for "Google reviews"
4. Pick one with decent ratings and recent updates
5. Install and activate it
6. Follow the plugin's setup wizard to connect your Google Business Profile
Most plugins will ask for your Google Place ID. You can find this using the Google Place ID Finder. Just search for your business and copy the ID.
The Manual Way: Embed Code
If you hate plugins (I get it, they can slow things down), you can embed reviews manually using the Google Places API. This requires some technical comfort. You will need a Google Cloud account and an API key.
Honestly? For most small business owners, the plugin route is fine. Save the custom API work for when you actually need it.
What Actually Matters
Here's what people get wrong about displaying reviews. They obsess over the widget design while ignoring the real problem: they do not have enough reviews in the first place.
A fancy reviews widget showing three stars and four reviews is not helping anyone. Before you spend an afternoon tweaking CSS, make sure you have a system for actually collecting reviews. Tools like ReviewCow help local businesses get more reviews by making it dead simple for happy customers to leave feedback. Start there.
The display part is easy. The collection part is the real work.
A Few Tips
Keep it simple. Show your five most recent reviews on your homepage. Do not create an elaborate reviews page that nobody will visit.
Make sure reviews load fast. Some plugins fetch reviews in real-time from Google's API, which can slow your page. Look for plugins that cache reviews locally.
Update regularly. Stale reviews from 2019 do not inspire confidence. If your plugin lets you filter by date, use it.
And remember: the goal is not to have the prettiest review widget. The goal is to give potential customers the confidence to pick up the phone or walk through your door.