Review schema markup explained
What it is, which type to use, and the 2019 rule that decides whether your stars can appear in search at all.
Google Customer Reviews vs Google reviews
Google reviews are the reviews people leave on your Google Business Profile — the stars next to your business in Search and Maps.
The short answer
Google reviews are the reviews people leave on your Google Business Profile — the stars next to your business in Search and Maps. Google Customer Reviews is a separate Merchant Center programme that surveys buyers after an order and feeds seller ratings into Shopping ads.
Most people asking about one mean the other. The widget shows Business Profile reviews.
Google reviews
Left voluntarily by anyone with a Google account, about a place. They drive local search, appear in Maps, and are what a customer sees when they search your name. Anyone can leave one whether or not they were a customer.
Google Customer Reviews
Opt-in, ecommerce only, and runs through Merchant Center. After an order, Google emails the buyer a survey; responses build a seller rating that can appear in Shopping ads and as a badge on your site. Tied to actual transactions, so harder to game and lower in volume.
Which one you want
| Google reviews | Google Customer Reviews | |
|---|---|---|
| Where they live | Business Profile, Maps, Search | Merchant Center |
| Who can leave one | Anyone with a Google account | Buyers who opted into the survey |
| Best for | Local businesses, anyone with a physical or service presence | Ecommerce running Shopping ads |
| Shows in | Maps, local pack, search results | Shopping ads, seller rating badge |
| In this widget | Yes, automatically | No — manual entry only |
What most people get wrong
Installing the Google Customer Reviews badge and expecting their Google Business Profile reviews to appear in it. They are separate systems with separate data and no connection between them.
The second confusion is Shopify-specific: searches for “google customer reviews shopify” are split roughly evenly between people wanting the seller-rating programme and people wanting their Business Profile reviews on the storefront. They need different answers.
What the widget does
It reads Google Business Profile reviews. Google Customer Reviews cannot be collected automatically — if you need those on your site, they have to be added by hand.
Questions
More from Learn
How AI assistants decide which business to recommend
Use of AI tools for local business recommendations went from 6% to 45% of consumers in a single year, according to BrightLocal’s 2026 survey.
Do reviews affect local SEO?
Yes, for local search.
How to remove a fake or defamatory review
You cannot delete a Google review.