Google Now Showing Reviews from the Web in Search Results

Reviews from other sources on the web, like Facebook and YellowPages, have begun to appear in the local Knowledge Panel in Google search results on both desktop and mobile. When searching for a specific business, Google is showing anywhere from 1-3 review sites in addition to Google reviews.

The Variations

Depending on your search term, you may see variations in the amount of review sources shown for the same business.

When searching for our full name “PaperStreet Web Design” it shows three review sources: Facebook, Clutch and YellowPages.

Google search results page for "paperstreet web design," showing various links to web design services, including Paperstreet. An arrow points to a section displaying customer reviews with ratings from different sources.

However, when searching for just “PaperStreet” only one review source, Facebook, is shown. We have noticed this for other companies as well.

Google search results for "Paperstreet," showing links to the company's website, Facebook page, and other online profiles. A sidebar displays Paperstreet's Google reviews, location, and images. An arrow points to the reviews.

Below is an example of where these reviews show up on mobile. Currently there is also a “new” label directly next to it. Just like on desktop, the amount of review sources shown vary depending on the search term used.

Screenshot of a Google business listing for Paperstreet, a website designer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, showing contact information, hours of operation, and links to various social media profiles.

What Does This Mean for My Business?

This new update helps prove a few things:

Reviews are powerful. Having positive reviews is more important than ever, now that they will be displayed more prominently.
Obtaining reviews from multiple sources is critical. If you only have Google reviews, you should start accumulating reviews elsewhere like Facebook and YellowPages.
Don’t delay if you have negative reviews. The best way to handle them is by responding to try to resolve the issue and by accumulating more positive reviews. A few negative reviews can be overlooked if you have an abundance of positive reviews to outweigh them.

We will continue to keep an eye on this as Google is constantly changing things up. In the mean time, we encourage you to continue to collect positive reviews on various platforms.