As reported on 7 October 2026, Google appears to have stopped showing review rich results (star ratings) for healthcare web pages that use review structured data, though Google has not confirmed this. If your clinic or practice pages used review markup to earn stars, expect them to be gone and do not chase them with workarounds. Keep the markup accurate, lean on visible trust signals, and measure what actually changed in your own Search Console.
Key Takeaways
- Search Engine Roundtable reported on 7 October 2026 that Google seems to have dropped review snippets for healthcare pages; it included no statement from Google.
- Schema App, which first flagged it, said it saw a drop in late May 2026 and a second drop in early August 2026 among its healthcare customers.
- Schema App's tests (alternative aggregateRating paths, multi-typing with Product) did not restore the snippets, per the report.
- Google's own policy already makes self-serving reviews on LocalBusiness and Organization pages ineligible for star results.
- Valid markup never guaranteed rich results, and Google says structured data issues do not affect ranking, only rich result eligibility.
- Treat the stars as lost, check your CTR impact in Search Console, and invest in reviews that users can actually see.
What was reported, and by whom
The lead is a Search Engine Roundtable article from 7 October 2026. According to that report, Google appears to have stopped showing review rich results for healthcare pages using review schema (Search Engine Roundtable). The article words this cautiously: it "seems" to be happening, and it contains no Google quote.
The details in the piece, as I read them:
- Who noticed: Andrea Badder of Schema App, who shared a Search Console chart filtered by search appearance.
- When: a first drop in review snippet visibility in late May 2026, and a second in early August 2026 for some organisations.
- What was tried: different ways of connecting aggregateRating, alternative property paths and multi-typing healthcare entities with Product. None restored the snippets. Many customers chose to keep their schema semantically accurate rather than bend it to chase the feature.
- Barry Schwartz's observation: he does not see review snippets for doctors or dentists outside local results and wondered whether Google turned them off for the medical space, noting Google has dropped industry-specific rich results before.
So: one vendor's customer data plus one editor's spot-checks. Reasonable evidence, not confirmation. I will label it "as reported" throughout.
What Google's documentation says today
I opened Google's review snippet documentation, which showed an update date of 8 September 2026. Three points matter for healthcare:
- Supported types. Review snippet features are documented for types such as Book, Course list, Event, Local business (only for sites reviewing other local businesses), Movie, Product, Recipe and Software App, plus other schema.org types in a secondary list (Review snippet documentation). The page I fetched does not mention medical or health content at all.
- Self-serving reviews. Businesses that control reviews of themselves are ineligible for the star review feature. The page applies this to LocalBusiness or Organization markup, including reviews displayed through embedded third-party widgets.
- Source of ratings. Ratings must come from users. Editors may not compile local business ratings, and reviews from other websites may not be aggregated.
That second point matters because most clinic sites mark up their own patient testimonials as reviews of their own business. Under the policy as written, that was never eligible for stars. Some healthcare pages may have shown stars in the past anyway, for reasons that are unclear, and the reported change may be Google tightening in practice what the documentation already said. That is my inference, not something Google has stated.
Google's general structured data guidelines add that you should not mark up fake reviews, that reviews not written by actual users may lead to a manual action, and that valid markup still does not guarantee rich results. The guidelines also say structured data issues can trigger a manual action that removes rich result eligibility without affecting web ranking (General structured data guidelines). The copy I fetched was updated 10 July 2026.
Why Google might treat healthcare differently
Google has not said. Here are plausible reasons, clearly labelled as speculation:
- Health is a YMYL area, where star ratings may imply medical quality that reviews cannot reliably measure.
- Patient reviews are often self-curated by the practice.
- Google already surfaces ratings for providers in local results via Business Profiles, so organic review stars may be redundant.
None of this is confirmed. What matters operationally is the same either way.
What to do this week
1. Confirm it in your own data
In Search Console, open the Performance report and filter by search appearance for review snippets (if your property had that appearance). Compare the last 90 days. Note the dates of any drop and compare with the late May and early August windows reported. Then check impressions and CTR for the affected pages, not just the appearance count. Schema App's chart approach is a good model.
2. Do not chase the stars
Schema App's tests reportedly found no schema workaround, and many customers kept the markup accurate. I agree with that restraint. Multi-typing a clinic as a Product to get stars is exactly the sort of mismatch Google's guidelines warn about: markup must truthfully represent the page. It also risks a manual action for misleading structured data.
3. Audit the markup you have
Use this checklist per page:
| Check | Keep | Remove or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews visible on the page | Mark up only what users can see | Hidden or off-page reviews |
| Source of reviews | Real patients, collected and displayed honestly | Staff-written or paid reviews |
| Item reviewed | Accurate type and name | Mismatched type (e.g. a clinic as a Product) |
| Aggregate rating | Matches visible count and average | Inflated or stale numbers |
| Third-party widget | Consistent with visible content | Widgets that inject ratings not shown to users |
Remember that legitimate medical privacy and advertising rules apply to patient testimonials in many jurisdictions; check your local regulator's rules before publishing or marking up patient reviews. This is general information, not legal or medical advice.
4. Move trust into visible content
Stars were a small trust shortcut. Replace them with substance that raters, patients and AI systems can see:
- Named, credentialed clinician bylines with licence details that can be verified.
- A "medically reviewed by" line with date and reviewer role, where it is real.
- Clear sources for medical claims, linked to authoritative bodies.
- Visible patient feedback summaries with date ranges and how they were collected.
- Prominent contact, location and appointment information.
My earlier note on healthcare marketing and AI search covers the YMYL content standards in more depth, and my post on fake author bios shows what to avoid when you add clinician profiles.
5. Invest where reviews still show
Google's local results appear to still show ratings, based on the observation in the Roundtable piece that review snippets were missing for doctors and dentists outside local results. So the Business Profile is where review quantity and quality still pay off. Ask patients for honest reviews through compliant, non-incentivised channels, and respond professionally without disclosing private health information.
6. Update CTR expectations and reports
If a page lost stars, its CTR may dip while rankings hold. Annotate your reporting so the team does not misdiagnose a rich-result change as a content or ranking problem. See my CTR testing workflow for how I isolate title and snippet effects.
Should you remove review schema entirely?
My rule: keep it if it is accurate, visible and low-maintenance; remove it if it is inaccurate, self-serving or hard to keep current. Schema App's own guidance on review markup remains general: add Review or AggregateRating markup with required properties where you have review content, validate with the Rich Results Test, and mark up multiple reviews with AggregateRating (Schema App). That page, as I read it, does not discuss the healthcare change. Remember that Google's AI features guidance says to keep structured data consistent with visible content (AI features and your website), and that no special markup is needed for those features.
Older coverage of Google's self-serving review policy gives useful background, for example Practical Ecommerce's explainer and Foster Web Marketing's note; I saw both in search results and did not read them in full.
Verified as of 14 October 2026 against the sources linked above, not legal or medical advice. The healthcare change is reported but unconfirmed by Google.
A simple decision table
| Your situation | Suggested action |
|---|---|
| Clinic with self-collected testimonials marked up on its own pages | Expect no stars; keep markup only if accurate, or remove |
| Directory reviewing many providers with real user reviews | Check eligibility under the review snippet guidelines; monitor Search Console |
| Healthcare product or software with genuine user reviews | Check supported types (Product, Software App) and your own data |
| Hospital group relying on aggregate ratings in branding | Move proof to visible content and Business Profiles |
FAQ
Did Google officially remove review snippets for healthcare?
Not that I could find. The 7 October 2026 Search Engine Roundtable report says it appears to have happened and includes no Google statement. Treat it as an observed change, not an announcement.
When did the change start?
According to Schema App as cited in that report, a first drop appeared in late May 2026 and a second in early August 2026 for some of its customers. Your own data may show different timing.
Will losing stars hurt my rankings?
Google's guidelines say structured data issues affect rich result eligibility, not ranking in web search. Your clicks may still change if stars were boosting CTR, so check CTR in Search Console.
Can I trick Google into showing stars again?
I would not try. Schema App reportedly tested several variations without success, and misrepresenting the entity type conflicts with Google's guidelines on relevance and truthfulness.
Are self-serving reviews allowed in schema?
You can add markup, but Google's review snippet documentation says businesses controlling reviews of themselves are ineligible for the star review feature on LocalBusiness or Organization markup. Do not expect stars from it.
Do Google Business Profile stars still show?
The report suggests review snippets are still visible in local results, and I have no evidence that Business Profile ratings changed. Verify for your own locations.
Should I still collect patient reviews?
Yes, through compliant, honest channels, mainly for your Business Profile and for patient trust. Follow your local medical advertising and privacy rules.
Does this affect AI Overviews or AI Mode?
Google says no special schema is needed for AI features and that structured data should match visible content. I have seen no evidence that the review snippet change affects AI citations.
What is the best replacement for stars?
Visible credentials, medical review lines, sourced claims, clear contact details and genuine patient feedback summaries. They help users even when search features change.
Work With Me
If you manage healthcare or other YMYL pages and want a schema and trust audit, I am happy to help. I bring 4+ years of marketing experience across SEO, AEO and content strategy, and I will focus on what you can verify. See my work and contact me through the form at https://younusfardeen.in.