Review Management Glossary
20 essential terms for understanding customer reviews, online reputation, and review SEO.
Review Management
Star Rating
A 1-to-5 scale visual rating system using star icons to represent customer satisfaction levels.
Aggregate Rating
A combined average rating calculated from all individual customer reviews, displayed as a single score with review count.
Review Response Management
The systematic process of monitoring, replying to, and managing customer reviews across platforms.
Review Velocity
The rate at which a business receives new customer reviews over a specific time period.
First-Party Reviews
Customer reviews collected and hosted directly on a business's own website rather than on third-party platforms.
Review Syndication
The practice of distributing reviews collected on one platform to other platforms and channels for maximum visibility.
Review Funnel
A systematic process that guides customers from purchase to leaving a review, optimizing each step for maximum review collection.
SEO & Search
Customer Experience
Technology
Review Widget
An embeddable component that displays customer reviews and ratings on a website.
JSON-LD Review Markup
Structured data format using JSON-LD to describe reviews and ratings so search engines display rich snippets.
Review Schema
Schema.org structured data vocabulary for marking up review content so search engines understand and display it.
Compliance
Review Gating
The practice of filtering customers before they leave a review, directing happy customers to review sites and unhappy ones to private feedback — now prohibited by most platforms.
Review Authenticity
The verification that reviews come from real customers with genuine experiences, not fabricated or incentivized sources.
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Social Proof
Social Proof
A psychological phenomenon where people follow the actions and opinions of others to guide their own decisions.
Trust Badge
A visual indicator displayed on a website that signals credibility, security, or quality verification to visitors.
Testimonial
A customer endorsement — typically longer and more narrative than a review — used in marketing materials to build trust.
User-Generated Content (UGC)
Content created by customers — including reviews, photos, videos, and social posts — used by businesses for marketing and social proof.