Google Reviews have been a staple within search engines for years. When customers leave a review on a Business Google Plus page, Google has been known to show these ratings within their local results. While these reviews don’t affect search engines, they surely alter how users look at a business. With two local results next to each other, a business may have a higher click through rate if they are seen as a highly rated company.
Earlier this week, it was reported that review stars started to drop off Google Search Results. Just as soon as we noticed this, 24 hours later, the stars started to reappear.
Within a Google Webmasters hangout, it was confirmed that this drop off was just a bug. Google’s John Mueller stated that the bug has been fixed, and all reviews should be back on search results soon.
Google Plus & Google local listings are always changing. From the local pack shrinking down to 3 businesses to Google Plus changing their whole layout, it’s important to stay on top of their changes.