Another Thread about Reviews Stack, this time with something different

Stacks
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I have a client eager to feature her Google reviews on her website. Recognizing a solution for this need, I quickly purchased the Reviews Stack, which functions exceptionally well. However, my client operates without a physical address and instead uses a PO box, which has prevented me from utilizing the stack since it requires a Place ID.

My question is: Is there a way to display her Google reviews on her website using the Reviews Stack without a physical address? Alternatively, do you know of any other stacks that could accomplish this? My backup plan is the Stackreviews from Stackappstacks, which allows visitors to submit reviews directly on the site, but I’m concerned this won’t meet my client’s preference for showcasing existing Google reviews. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

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You could look at using the elfsight widget Google Reviews Widget for your Website | No-code solution which I believe does not need a physical address.

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Actually, all businesses that collect Google Reviews have a Place ID — even those that operate without displaying a physical address. The challenge is that Google doesn’t make it easy to find.

I know this firsthand. When I moved my side business, Google stopped showing my address and migrated me from the old Places API to Places API (New). Around the same time, I had to move a client off the Reviews Stack you mentioned. I love that stack, but I couldn’t get it to work with the new API — and review sections across my client sites have been failing one by one.

I reached out to RWPro to see if an update was coming (or if it was user error), but haven’t heard back. So I turned to ChatGPT and together we built a hand-coded reviews integration instead. You can see it in action here (scroll down):

https://www.MediaPressions.com

One client of mine has nearly 250 five-star reviews. Since Google hasn’t moved him to the new API yet, his Reviews Stack still works. But the beauty of the hand-coded setup is that I can pull in all his reviews for free (there’s only a cost if you exceed Google’s API quota). I plan to transition him on Monday.

How I got my new Place ID after moving

The easiest fix was simply adding my address back to my profile. Google required a verification video showing my mailbox, workspace, a new utility bill, etc. Once approved, they listed my business without showing the address publicly.

From there, I logged into Google Business Profile Manager, added my address, and within seconds my new Place ID appeared (it changed when they made it invisible…my old Place ID no longer worked). I could hide the address again if I wanted — but for SEO, I prefer to display it.

Another quick way to find the Place ID

  1. Log in to Google Business Profile Manager with the account managing the listing.
  2. Select the business.
  3. In the menu, look for “Ask for reviews” or “Get more reviews” (location varies in the new interface).
  4. Click it — you’ll get a popup with a shareable link for customers.
  5. That link will look like:
    https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=ChIJ31VjYYeY9YgRlCOMu66PBBI/review
  6. The string after placeid= is the Place ID.

Note: If your client’s site is still using the legacy Places API, the current Reviews Stack may stop working once Google migrates them to the new API. That’s what happened with mine.

Screenshot from a client of mine who hides their street address - but still has a valid Place ID…

PlacesID
PlacesID743Ă—367 62.5 KB

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Most impressive!

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