4 Types of User Generated Content For Optimized Visibility

Published by Algorithmic Global on January 25, 2021January 25, 2021

With consumers having an ever-increasing number of options, user generated content is now more important than ever. 

The job of an SEO Professional is to develop an SEO strategy that drives customers to a website. SEO experts agree that search engines (like Google) have algorithms that favor new and unique content. 

When a search engine crawls a website, they are looking to see how the content has been updated since the last crawl. Your website must have a consistently updated review section because search engines will show websites with recently updated content higher on their search results page!  

What is user generated content? 

User-generated content needs to be implemented in every SEO strategy because it can boost a site’s search rankings and enhance the current content. 

Typical forms of user-generated content include:

• Ratings 
• Reviews 
• Q&A sections
• User-submitted images

A Google My Business (GMB) page is an excellent example of a place where you can find user generated content. Every brick and mortar business needs to have a GMB. It helps with local SEO, but it also will enhance your companies’ visibility through search terms submitted from a customer. Customers are known to use common search terms when they leave a review. Common search terms will increase visibility for a business around valuable keywords. 

Advantages of user generated content 

User-generated content is just like word of mouth marketing. In the present day, user-generated content is more important than ever when consumers face a choice, and it is a known fact that consumers trust word-of-mouth more than advertising. 

A typical website used amongst college students is Rate My Professor. Rate My Professor is a site where students leave a review on how they liked a class; it’s tailored solely to getting user-generated content submitted to their website. A student can give their honest feedback on a professor’s lectures, grades, and tests. With this feedback, students can choose to take a class with a specific professor over another. 

Rate My Professor is just one example of how user generated content is the new form of word of mouth marketing—customers are allowed to place reviews and ratings for the benefit of those coming after them. A similar website model like Rate My Professor would be an e-commerce website.

A shopper on an e-commerce website is usually looking at reviews before making a purchase. Think of the last time you were purchasing a book or product off of Amazon. It is not a stretch to assume that you looked at the reviews before making the purchase. 

User generated content like reviews is similar to when individuals get a product and brand recommendation from someone in their social circle. Like a recommendation from a friend, user-generated content builds trust to make the same purchase.

Disadvantages of user generated content 

There is only one issue regarding user-generated content, and that is the need to monitor content submissions. Avoiding many controversial ideas and sayings will keep potential customers from being discouraged from doing business with you. Your website also needs to prevent lawsuits for plagiarism. 

For all user-generated content, you will need to hire someone to monitor all submitted on behalf of your company to ensure it is original and not spam. Not everyone has your best interest in mind, and people can be nasty. A healthy discussion on your blog can quickly go in the wrong direction. 

Contact Algorithmic Global for a user generated content strategy

Search engine crawlers are looking to see how a website’s content has been updated since the last crawl. When a customer leaves a review, there will most likely be keywords included in that review that will boost your website’s presence.

Take advantage of this user generated content, so you have the social proof necessary to make the sale.
If you haven’t already, contact a digital marketing agency to implement reviews on your website. Algorithmic Global always includes a review slider for SEO purposes on all websites we build.