It’s always been a good idea to have social proof on your website – reviews or testimonials from happy customers and past clients. But now it’s more important than ever in order to help AI recommend you.

AI wants to give the right answer – and it doesn’t know if you’re any good! So that’s why it needs to rely on reviews (and awards, and you sounding like an expert).

SUMMARY

AI wants to give the best answers, so showcasing reviews and testimonials helps reassure LLMs that you’re a good recommendation. Avoid JavaScript widgets but do use Structured Data to mark up your reviews where possible (use AIProfiles.co.uk if you don’t have structured data on your site). Don’t wait for the perfect photo and logo as the text is the most important bit, and use star icons rather than numbers to convey a rating.

In my “One thing to do on your website this week” email recently, I suggested you create a free Google Business listing and ask people to leave you some 5 star reviews there. The reason this is so good is because those reviews will be coded in such a way that robots KNOW they are reviews – robots as in AI, but also of course Google.

Your next step though, needs to be showing those reviews on your website, and there are a few notes as to how you can get the best from this:

Don’t worry about photos of the person leaving the review

Yes it looks lovely when testimonials have a little photo of the person who said it and their company logo, and that makes them more “real” and eye catching and believable – but if that’s going to be time consuming to get, leave it – the most important thing is the words. Don’t wait for the perfect scenario at the expense of not publishing the review.

Show stars for reviews, rather than numbers

Do show “stars” if possible (that’s why Google reviews are handy). The ​science says​ ★★★★☆ makes more of an impact with potential consumers than numbers (e.g. just saying “4/5”).

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Social validation

Don’t forget, once you’ve got some reviews, to also shout about them on your socials and newsletters. Each one could be it’s own post. Not only might new customers see them, it’s nice validation for your existing customers too. They’ll be thinking “yeah, I was right to go with this company – look what everyone else is saying”. And that can encourage repeat custom, which, if you’re doing your job well, should be easier to get than new custom.

Structured data over widgets

Ideally, when you add them to your site, add them with structured data behind the scenes so that robots are very clear in knowing “this is a review”. If you’re not sure what structured data is, read this post.

And don’t forget to add them to your ​structured data profile​ if you’ve got one of those (£24 per year with code TWEB if you haven’t yet over at ​AIProfiles​). If you don’t have structured data on your website and don’t have a way of a developer adding it for you very cheaply, then head over to AIProfiles and create a listing there. AIProfiles will also give you a LLMS.txt file – this is why you need one.

Beware of JavaScript… Whilst widgets and plugins which can pull in your reviews automatically and put them in a cute little scrolling carousel or similar can look nice, Google and AI can’t always read them as easily as just plain ol’ text on your website, so that’s honestly the best way (with structured data behind the scenes).

And if getting found by AI – and generally doing well in SEO – is on your priority list, run a free scan of your site with our tool here to check that you’re ticking all the key boxes.