# How should your website use customer reviews? > Publish customer reviews as proof only when they are attributable, without inventing, editing, or relocating claims beyond what the source supports. Source: https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/publish-customer-reviews-responsibly/ ![Person sitting on an outdoor ledge, looking down at their smartphone.](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/sg-resources-146824-hero.webp) Publish customer reviews only when each comes from a real customer, reflects their experience accurately, and has the permission and context it needs. [Talk to a Specialist](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/talk-to-a-specialist/?form=book) [Every resource](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/) **Format** [Guide](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/type/guide/) **In this format** 92 ## Verify the source before writing around it. Keep the customer’s words intact except for clearly handled minor edits. A stronger-sounding quote that the customer never gave is not proof. Record where the review appeared, who wrote it, the service or location involved, and whether you have permission to display it. Do not assume a public review can be reused in every marketing format without checking platform terms and the customer’s privacy expectations. A sentence praising a team’s communication supports a claim about the customer’s reported experience. It does not prove a traffic increase, revenue lift, or ranking result. Keep the surrounding copy within what the review actually says. ## Keep location and service context honest. A review for one branch should not appear as local proof for another branch unless the relationship is explained. A testimonial about logo design does not substantiate website development performance. If the review mentions a named employee or project, confirm whether those details may remain public. The [FTC guidance on consumer reviews and testimonials](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/consumer-reviews-testimonials-rule-questions-answers) addresses fake or false reviews and misleading practices. Platform policies may also apply. Treat these as reasons to preserve source accuracy and get appropriate review, not as a license to make legal conclusions in copy. ## Decide where to publish customer reviews. Place a relevant quote near the decision it informs. A review about responsive support might help on a website care page. A review about a design process may fit a process or portfolio page. Do not scatter the same quote across every location page. Repetition makes proof feel decorative and can confuse who the work served. If you have no permissioned quote, explain the process and deliverables instead. A clear service explanation is better than a fabricated star count or anonymous praise. ## Avoid selective distortion. Do not remove qualifying context that changes the meaning of a review. Do not rewrite a customer’s uncertainty into certainty. If a customer describes a result, check whether the attribution, measurement period, and other conditions are verified before building a claim around it. Also consider whether a review is current. A quote about a tool or service no longer offered can mislead even if it was authentic when written. Assign an owner to review published proof when offerings change. ## Keep an editorial evidence trail. For each approved review, store a source link or record, the exact wording, the date captured, the permission decision, and the pages allowed to use it. Give the public page a straightforward attribution that the customer approved. When a quote is shortened, preserve its meaning and check the edit with the source. If a location or service page changes, review whether the quote still fits. This small record prevents a well-intended editor from turning authentic praise into a misleading claim later. ## Audit every review the site uses today. Audit every review currently used on the site. Match each one to its source, consent record, service, location, and exact claim supported. Remove or hold any item that cannot be verified. For service pages, [brand messaging](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/services/copywriting/brand-messaging/) can help surround real proof with clear, restrained copy. [Talk to a Specialist](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/talk-to-a-specialist/). [Explore the search and content decision guides](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/). Guides ## Guides beside How should your website use customer reviews?. 1. ### [Which page should answer a search question?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/choose-a-page-for-a-search-question/) Search and content decisions · 3 min read 2. ### [Does this topic need a service page or a guide?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/service-page-or-guide/) 3. ### [Can a low-volume question deserve its own page?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/when-a-low-volume-question-deserves-a-page/) 4. ### [Which internal links actually help people?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/plan-contextual-internal-links/) 5. ### [Technical SEO or content: which comes first?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/technical-seo-or-content-first/) 6. ### [Does this location need its own page?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/does-a-local-page-deserve-a-url/) 7. ### [Turn sales questions into content briefs](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/turn-sales-questions-into-content-briefs/) 8. ### [Should this idea become an article or a download?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/article-or-downloadable-resource/) 9. ### [When should you refresh an evergreen page?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/when-to-refresh-evergreen-content/) 10. ### [What firsthand evidence can strengthen your content?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/collect-firsthand-content-evidence/) 11. ### [How do you build a service-led editorial calendar?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/build-a-service-led-editorial-calendar/) 12. ### [How can you tell whether content is useful?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/measure-content-usefulness/) 13. ### [Do you need a service-area or location page?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/service-area-or-physical-location-page/) 14. ### [What evidence should a location page show?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/what-location-evidence-to-show/) 15. ### [How do your Business Profile and site fit?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/align-business-profile-and-website/) 16. ### [How should a site organize multiple locations?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/structure-multiple-business-locations/) 17. ### [How can local questions improve your website copy?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/use-local-customer-questions/) 18. ### [How do you write a useful answer-first section?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/write-answer-first-sections/) 19. ### [How can you audit visibility in AI answers?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/audit-ai-answer-visibility/) 20. ### [What structured data should a page use?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/choose-structured-data-honestly/) 21. ### [Is this content source good enough?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/evaluate-content-source-quality/) 22. ### [What should a human check in AI-assisted content?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/review-ai-assisted-content/) 23. ### [Do search and AI questions need separate pages?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/one-page-for-search-and-ai-questions/) 24. ### [Do paid and organic visitors need separate pages?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/paid-or-organic-landing-page/) 25. ### [What should happen after someone downloads a guide?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/follow-up-after-a-guide-download/) 26. ### [Where should a social post send someone next?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/connect-social-content-to-services/) 27. ### [Campaign link tracking without messy reports](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/track-campaign-links-cleanly/) 28. ### [Which website actions count as real progress?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/choose-business-conversion-goals/) 29. ### [How should you report search progress to owners?](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/search-content-decisions/report-search-progress-to-owners/) No other guides in this group yet. Keep reading ## Read after How should your website use customer reviews?. The rest of the resources, newest first. - [2 July 2026 Customer Persona Worksheet](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/customer-persona-worksheet/) - [2 July 2026 The Social Content Sprint Playbook](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/the-social-content-sprint-playbook/) - [2 July 2026 AI Prompt Pack for Blog Post Outlines](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/ai-prompt-pack-for-blog-post-outlines/) - [2 July 2026 Email Welcome Sequence Template](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/email-welcome-sequence-template/) - [2 July 2026 Website Pre Handoff QA Checklist](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/website-pre-handoff-qa-checklist/) - [2 July 2026 The SEO Content Audit Guide](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/the-seo-content-audit-guide/) - [2 July 2026 Positioning Statement Worksheet](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/positioning-statement-worksheet/) - [2 July 2026 The Client Onboarding Playbook](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/the-client-onboarding-playbook/) - [2 July 2026 AI Prompt Pack for Ad Headline Variations](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/ai-prompt-pack-for-ad-headline-variations/) - [2 July 2026 The One Page Creative Brief Template](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/the-one-page-creative-brief-template/) - [2 July 2026 Brand Launch Readiness Checklist](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/brand-launch-readiness-checklist/) - [2 July 2026 The Landing Page Teardown Guide](https://scayverstaging.1wp.site/resources/the-landing-page-teardown-guide/)