Author hReview Plugin Pro for WordPress

What does it mean? All my product reviews are showing Google’s rich snippets in results.

And what’s it for you? Your possibility of improving your site positions in search results with – no technical headaches – and – saving time – in the process while you do it. As this is a busy era, saving time is priceless

Let’s move into the theme!

What are Rich Snippets and Why You Need them For Your Site?

Here we go, in an easy way without touching in deep the technical aspects: Rich Snippets give to the user a brief of rich-information in the search results, more those lovely stars according to the criterion of the author. Take a look below.

But really, why do you need them for your site? - let me ask you three questions:

1. Want more traffic for your blog?
2. Want to improve in SERPs results reaching higher positions for your product?
3. Want to give to the reader/prospect eye-catching results that lead to click on your site, so having better CTRs (click-through rates), instead of others?

If you answered with a YES to any of the three questions mentioned above, then you need to add rich snippets to your site, right now.

Not only appear the stars in Google rich snippets results, also in a rating box widget, a rating box in your footer or anywhere inside your post (see them in this post at top, on the sidebar and on the footer) Also a plus, you’ve a better WordPress SEO for your site.

You can do it in the hard way or the easy way. I bet you’re intelligent and you’ll choose the uncomplicated method – then you need a plugin to do the entire job!

Therefore, the Author hReview Pro plugin comes to solve all your necessities.

Hesham Zebdia of FamousBloggers developed this fantastic plugin, originally only for Thesis theme, but later he expanded to ANY theme, then I picked up for mine.

I was using for several months the lite-reduced-free version and really I loved it. You can rate a product, put on sidebar the reviews, and show those stars on Google results.

But now Hesham is going to a cutting-edge level improving, adding more superb characteristics and giving more flexibility in the Pro version.

Requirements
WordPress.org (self hosted) in your own host, with at least version 3.0.

This plugin is not for WordPress.com sites (Are you still in a WordPress.com site? You cannot install plugins there, you’re missing this one!)
On Blogger, directly you don’t have access to your core files, less to plugins, so impossible to do it there also.

Installation
The installation is like any other plugin of WordPress, add new -> upload the zip file and done. You’ll need the API key (like all the software) to activate the plugin.

Google Rich Snippets using the Author hReview plugin, for the CommentLuv Premium plugin

Author hReview Pro Plugin – Benefits and New Features

• half rating – [no doubt I was needing that halfs in some cases]
• rating box templates
• control over what elements to show on the review box (button, date, reviewer name..etc)
• ability to change button text – [you can use the default "more details", "more info", "download here", etc]
• add images to the rating box – [useful to add a particular image inside the rating box]
• add reviews on pages as well – [free plugin only works on posts]
• new widget with product images (this plugin has two widgets)
• ability to sort reviews in widgets by rating value (example: Top Rated)
• option to remove rel=”nofollow” links
• display a list of all review “posts” in one page in WP dashboard [powerful to have in place all your reviews]
• shortcode to display rating box anywhere on the post/page – [just brilliant for long posts]
• shortcode to display related reviews

I’m explaining, deeper, some of the characteristics aforementioned, below.

While I was brainstorming, I’ve done a partial list of people where the Author hReview plugin Pro is MUST for them, increasing CTRs (Click-through-rate). Hence, boosting their traffic and perhaps sales (if they sell something, plus if the product landing/sales page converts well)

• Courses and guides offline/online
• Television / movies / music / games
• Mom bloggers reviewing kid products
• Food recipes / restaurants / cooking books / kitchen gadgets
• Technology related e.g. cell-phones, tablets, laptops, e-readers, memories
• Photography: cameras, lighting accessories, tripods, batteries, filters
• Books of any kind, printed or e-books
• Software of any kind e.g. developer tools, security, business, design, educational
• Gym, fitness & health care equipments
• Services of any kind

And..I’m tired of thinking, so feel free to add more bloggers/webmasters/reviewers that should be using this plugin – in comments

Have in mind, you can give the stars (1 to 5) you want, but this plugin is only for editor/author opinions, while customers/readers are not involved in the rating of the product/service.

Author hReview Pro, Premium Plugin – Cons

Honestly, I hit against a wall thinking some cons with the plugin and I didn’t find them. All are advantages with it, implementing the reviews in a simple, quick and effective manner.

Also, I experienced the support with a problem having a warning message with certain parameters that Hesham solved, in few minutes, after contacting him

There is no other plugin that I can compare with, at least in my portfolio, and if they are something related, have very complicated settings. I don’t know you, but in my case, less code and no-complex settings, is much better
The only drawback is not having available the plugin long time ago!

Author hReview Plugin Pro – Settings and Tabs

While you’re writing a post in the Pro dashboard below the WordPress post editor, there are four tabs: Main, Details, Display and Link. (In the free-lite version is much simpler, without any tabs and less options).

Main

If you’re in a hurry and don’t want to enter in many details, just fill the fields:

• Rate (1 to 5) – I like the possibility of half stars in Pro!
• Name
• Summary Review

Publish your post and you’re done.
The plugin is so easy to use!

Want to add more information to your review? Then go to the extra optional tabs – for me they are necessary some of them.

Details

• Type: useful to specify deeper about the company name, etc.
• Author Name: vital to assure the quality of the product you’re reviewing.
• Version: On the case of software or related, this is paramount to know if it’s new or pretty old.
• Price: if it’s applicable, is a good option.

Display

• Rating box template: control what type of rating box template you want; even choose individually on every single review. By the moment, I’m using the default.
• Hide Rating box: if for some motive, you don’t want to put it or this is not showing appropriately you can hide it.
• Display Rating box with shortcode: ideal if you’ve long posts – thousands of words – and you can embed these rating boxes anywhere of your posts, adding more possibility of clicks. You need only to use the shortcode ratingbox inside the article where you like.
• Uploading Image: insert an image to make the review catchier; the same will appear inside the rating box.
• Set Image alignment to: self-explanatory.

Link

• URL: if you sell some product, insert here your affiliate links.
• Button Text: see it in action at the top or end of this article – “more details”, “download now”, “get it here”, etc. – use the text-flavor of your choice, for better call to actions
• Enable Button: Yes for me.
• Dofollow links: The default is =”nofollow” and for SEO purposes, I recommend sticking to it, but you’ve the ability of changing it for any motive.

Widgets on Blog Sidebar or any other Widgetized Area

Show your reviews on your blog sidebar for example – see it in mine on the right. Play around with settings, according to your needs.

Check Your Review in Google Rich Snippets

In one page in WP dashboard you see all the list of post-reviews, plus giving you an approximate preview directly in Google rich snippets tool, with just a push of button!

Author hReview Plugin Pro – Prices

The Pro plugin is in launch-time-status with a 30% off price. The discount will be decreasing constantly, till reaching the final higher price in several days with the end of the launch period (I’ll need to update this post – often – with higher prices)

The plugin Pro has two licenses and, today, the structure of prices is:

One site costs $67 – during launch time is $47
Multi-site costs $97 – during launch time is $67

I think that You as a blogger / webmaster, a plugin that can helps in terms of traffic, boosting clicks and eventually sales, certainly worth the investment as an important asset for you.

But there is more to consider…

Special Bonus During Launch Time

Would you like having Testimonials on your site? Testimonials (of course honest, sincere and unbiased ones) are great as social proof of a product/service, and as you know, this concept applies online and offline also.

Hesham, is giving as bonus – free – the WordPress Customer Testimonials plugin during launch time, if you purchase some of the Pro version licenses. After getting the Author hReview plugin, in the member’s area, you’ve access also to a copy free of this Testimonials plugin.

Once the launch time expires, this premium Testimonials plugin will be sold for $49. There is full documentation of its works and you can see the Testimonial plugin in action, directly checking the Author hReview site; each of the testimonials there were done with that plugin.

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At the Author hReview site, a question that can appears is the support for six months. The answer is simple, once you purchase the Author hReview Pro plugin, it belongs to you forever. But, if you want to get new updates after that period, you need to renew it; in general on most of the cases, you won’t need it.

Always, you can try the reduced & limited free version like I did to see it in action, but at the end, positively you’d try the Pro version.

Note: the links of above are affiliate links, where I’ll get paid a commission if you like and buy the plugin after reading my extensive review. You don’t get charged anything extra, of course, and I appreciate greatly if you choose to purchase through me!

I’d like to know your experience, if you’re already using the lite-free version or the Pro version; express your voice in the comments area!

Take a look of my slideshow about Author hReview Pro: