Short answer: You can feature favorite reviews on your website if you copy them word for word, label the section "Featured reviews", and link to all your Google reviews. Don't suggest the hand-picked ones are all you have, don't show a star average from only those, and never write, edit or buy a review.
Good reviews are some of the best sales copy a small shop has, and it's natural to want them on your website. The question owners ask is: can I just show the good ones? The honest answer is yes, with a few rules. Here's what the federal rule says, what Google says, and a simple way to do it right.
*This article is general information, not legal advice.*
What the FTC rule says
In 2024 the Federal Trade Commission adopted a rule on consumer reviews and testimonials, found at 16 CFR Part 465. Four parts matter most for a local shop.
No fake reviews. A business can't write or create a review that misrepresents whether the reviewer exists, whether they actually used the service, or what their experience was.
No buying reviews of a certain kind. A business can't offer money or other incentives in exchange for reviews that express a particular sentiment, positive or negative. Google goes further, as you'll see below.
Insiders must be disclosed. If an owner, manager or employee writes a review or testimonial, the rule requires a clear disclosure of their connection to the business in many cases. The simplest policy: staff and family don't review the business.
No misleading review sections. The rule bars a business from misrepresenting that the reviews shown in a part of its website for displaying reviews represent most or all of the reviews submitted, when reviews are being held back because of their ratings or negative sentiment. The rule does let you withhold reviews for reasons applied equally to every review, such as content that is defamatory, harassing or obscene, shares someone's personal information, is clearly false, is reasonably believed to be fake, or has nothing to do with your business.
In plain words: picking favorites is fine as long as you don't pretend they're the whole story.
What Google says
About asking for reviews. Google's Maps policy bans offering incentives such as payment, discounts or free goods or services in exchange for any review. That's stricter than the FTC rule: on Google, no reward is allowed for any review, even a neutral one.
About sharing reviews. Google encourages sharing good reviews. It explains how to copy a direct link to a specific customer review from Google Maps. Linking each featured review to its original lets anyone check that it's real.
About stars in search results. Many owners hope that putting reviews on their site will put gold stars next to it in Google. It won't. Google's documentation says that when a business controls the reviews about itself, its pages with local business or organization structured data aren't eligible for the star review feature. That includes reviews pulled in through an embedded widget, such as Google reviews. So skip review markup on your own reviews. It won't earn stars.
A simple, honest setup
1. Label it. Call the section "Featured reviews" or "A few of our favorite reviews." Don't call it "What all our customers say."
2. Link to everything. Right under the section, add a clear link: "Read all our reviews on Google." This one link does more for your honesty than anything else on the page.
3. Copy word for word. Don't fix grammar, trim a complaint out of the middle, or translate without saying so. If a review is too long, pick a different one.
4. Name the source. Show where each review came from, for example "Google review", and link it to the original.
5. Use names the way the reviewer did. Show the reviewer's name as it appears on the original public review, or just a first name and last initial.
6. Don't make your own star average. If you show a rating, use your overall Google rating and review count, with the link, not an average of your featured reviews only.
7. Refresh it. Swap in recent reviews every few months so the section doesn't look frozen.
Mistakes to avoid
- Writing "sample" reviews to fill the section until real ones come in
- Asking employees, friends or family to post reviews
- Offering a discount, gift card or entry in a drawing for a review on Google
- Showing only five-star reviews under a heading like "Our reviews" with no link to the rest
- Editing a real review to make it sound better
How AP Visible does it
On AP Visible websites, the owner chooses which reviews to feature. Featured reviews come from Google, and from CARFAX for auto shops. Each is copied word for word and labeled with its source. The section is always labeled "Featured reviews" and always links to the shop's full Google reviews. We ask for reviews the honest way: every customer, no rewards. Call (331) 298-2109 for a free audit of how your reviews show up today.
Frequently asked questions
Can I show only my five-star reviews on my website?
You can feature reviews you choose, but don't present them as all or most of your reviews. Label the section "Featured reviews" and link to all your Google reviews.
Can I fix typos in a review before I post it on my site?
It's safest not to. Copy reviews word for word, and choose a different review if one doesn't read well. Edits can change what the customer actually said.
Will reviews on my website give me stars in Google search?
No. Google says a business's own pages with local business or organization structured data aren't eligible for review stars when the business controls the reviews, including embedded Google reviews.
Can my employees leave reviews for our business?
The FTC rule requires clear disclosure when owners, managers or employees give reviews or testimonials in many cases. The simplest policy is no reviews from staff or family.
Related: How to get more Google reviews · How to reply to a bad Google review · Make your review link →
Sources
- eCFR, 16 CFR Part 465, "Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials" (sections 465.2, 465.4, 465.5, 465.7): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-16/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-465
- Google Maps User Generated Content Policy, "Prohibited & restricted content" (Fake engagement): https://support.google.com/contributionpolicy/answer/7400114
- Google Business Profile Help, "Manage customer reviews": https://support.google.com/business/answer/3474050
- Google Search Central, "Review snippet (Review, AggregateRating) structured data": https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/review-snippet