Search engine optimisation (SEO) can be a difficult nut to crack.
User-generated content is an excellent tool for improving SEO through trust, community, and so much more.
With so much technical information and confusing ideas out there, it can be challenging for the uninitiated to know what’s right, what’s wrong, and who to trust.
If you’re looking to rank higher, get more leads, and grow your brand, user-generated content should be a crucial part of your overall SEO strategy.
But where do you start?
Does user-generated content boost SEO?
Did you know that more than 25% of search results for the 20 largest brands in the world are linked to user-generated content?
UGC boosts SEO because potential customers and clients are looking for it. People want to trust a brand before making a purchase decision, and user-generated content helps put people’s minds at ease.
What is user-generated content?
We’ve already taken a deep dive into what user-generated content is, but here’s a quick explanation: put simply, user-generated content (UGC) is any form of content created by people, not brands. This content can include videos, photos, blogs, reviews, testimonials, and so much more.
Four ways user-generated content improves SEO
1. Google loves reviews
Perhaps the best piece of user-generated content you can get is a positive review. Prospective customers and clients trust positive reviews from real people far more than any piece of advertising you can throw at them. Roughly 89% of customers read reviews before making a purchase.
When you receive positive reviews, Google considers these when your site is ranked. Positive reviews will help you rank higher; the higher you rank, the more likely people will find you online.
Because Google wants to serve people with accurate, helpful information, the more trustworthy your site appears, the better your SEO ranking.
2. Crawling and indexing
When Google crawls the internet, the platform prioritises three things: popular pages that are linked to often, high-quality content, and update frequency. So, how does user-generated content play into this?
If you create online content—whether it’s blog posts, videos, images, and more—you’ll know just how difficult and time-consuming coming up with new content can be.
UGC allows you to tick all three boxes that Google is looking for when crawling and indexing your website, and you don’t have to spend time creating everything from scratch.
Your community is your most vital asset. Lean on the people in your community and embrace the content they create for you. Your SEO will love you for it.
3. User-generated content helps with keyword research
We’ve already touched on the benefits of positive reviews for SEO; however, they’re also helpful for keyword research. When a customer leaves a review, they’re often likely to use language you can leverage for your marketing purposes—using specific keywords as the basis for a blog post or adding a few keywords to your web copy.
4. Build community through user-generated content
We already know how difficult creating content is for social media. Additionally, if you’re outsourcing content creation to professionals, things can get expensive fast. User-generated content not only helps fill holes in your content calendar but also helps you build a sense of community around your brand.
Sharing UGC helps your followers and customers feel seen and valued, and they’re more likely to share things organically that they feel invested in. More shares, comments, and likes typically lead to more website traffic, as new people discover your brand through trustworthy sources.Â
Discover how SEO can help you rank higher, increase traffic, find quality customers, and more.
Enjoyed this article? Enter your email below for social media tips & tricks delivered to your inbox every Monday morning.
