How to Use The Power of User-Generated Content for SEO

From Reddit threads discussing the latest episode of The Last of Us to Instagram comments on product ads, UGC is everywhere. It fuels online conversations, shapes public opinions on the latest products and brands, and subtly drives audiences to make purchasing decisions.

That’s why it’s so important to understand how UGC can affect and shape your search engine optimization and brand perception. Find out how to boost your brand’s credibility and visibility with this guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes UGC effective for SEO?

The biggest power of UGC is its authenticity. UGC helps users zero in on reliable, authoritative opinions from trusted sources in a world saturated by AI-generated content. Focusing on UGC helps align your website with your target audience’s needs, making your content more likely to get featured in AI Overviews and even ChatGPT.

Can I create a user-generated content strategy myself?

Yes, technically. Creating and executing a strategy like this requires time and effort, including determining the best platform and UGC channels for your brand. However, partnering with a trusted digital marketing agency like Coalition Technologies can save you a lot of time and money while delivering faster results. 

What types of UGC work best for SEO?

There is no single best type of UGC here. Every form of UGC, whether a comment on an Instagram post or a video review, serves a unique purpose. A Reddit thread is excellent for starting a discussion on an important problem (also introducing your brand as a potential solution), while an authentic Instagram post can serve as a convincing testimonial.

What is UGC?

Before we discuss its SEO benefits and how to use user-generated content, let’s define UGC and its different forms. 

User-generated content includes virtually anything people post online (as opposed to brands). This includes social media comments, posts, threads on forums like Reddit, and videos.

What makes UGC so important for SEO? The shortest answer is: changing consumer preferences. UGC does this by providing authentic, reliable, and trusted content that can shape purchasing decisions. According to Forbes, 70% of consumers now actively avoid online advertising, choosing instead to trust authentic opinions from other consumers and technical experts. 

How UGC Affects SEO

Considering 93% of marketers believe UGC performs better than branded content, now’s the best time to understand how your user-generated content strategy could benefit your SEO.

• Keyword Diversity: By nature, UGC typically involves a wider range of keywords, as well as a more conversational tone in the content. This broadens the number of keywords and keyword variations on your site in order to help your site rank for more terms. 

• Signalling Trust: Local UGC, like a user review for a local taco stand, feels authentic and encourages first-time searchers to click and engage longer with your online presence. This trust, in turn, signals quality and reliability to search engines like Google, making your website more likely to rank better. 
  
• Freshness: Brands can use UGC for SEO to keep crafting new, fresh, crawlable content. A lengthy, detailed blog, while valuable, will eventually age and even become outdated. For example, new Reddit threads discussing product drops can be a fantastic way to incorporate long-tail keywords with fresh content.
  
• Social Proof: There’s no better endorsement of a product than an authentic review from someone who has already tried it. UGC, like Instagram posts, can serve as excellent social proof for users who haven’t yet checked out your website’s dedicated ‘Testimonials’ page.
  
• Backlinks: People creating and sharing UGC can be a great source of natural backlinks to your website. UGC can be an excellent complement to paid, potentially expensive backlinks from guest posts. 

How to Leverage UGC for SEO

Let’s take a closer look at how you can use user-generated content with some expert tips to ensure maximum impact.  

Create Incentives

Your user-generated content strategy must incentivize community members to engage with your products and brand. You can’t just make a great product and hope consumers will post about it in their own time. A little momentum goes a long way here. You could:

• Offer customers a discount if they share and review their purchase on social media. This also encourages repeat purchases and builds lasting relationships.
• Host free events (online and offline) to promote discussion and give community members a reason to interact with your brand. This could be something as simple as an online Q&A.
• Sometimes, all you have to do is just ask! Chances are, there are a few customers who really resonate with your brand/product and want to see you succeed, and if you put out a call for UGC, you’d be surprised at how many are willing to fulfill your request without getting anything in return.

Promote UGC

If you’re using UGC for SEO, you’ll need to promote that content across relevant channels. This will incentivize users to create more content and boost your visibility.

The most recent successful example of this practice is Coca-Cola’s #ShareACoke campaign, which encouraged buyers across multiple regions to share Coke bottles featuring their name online. The brand also adapted its packaging to localize names based on the target market, making its outreach even more relevant to its audience.

Engage with UGC Creators

Inviting frequent UGC content creators to contribute and collaborate is a key part of using UGC for SEO. This content, whether it’s a social media post or a blog, can be an excellent opportunity to sprinkle in relevant long-tail keywords and introduce your products to broader audiences through influencers.

Incorporate UGC in Email Marketing

Your user-generated content strategy should account for other marketing channels as well, particularly emails. Emails can be a powerful vehicle for customer testimonials, building trust with potential buyers while driving traffic to your website. 

Wellness brand Buoy frequently uses this strategy for email marketing, using a simple but bold template to showcase authentic customer reviews and encouraging readers to learn more with links to their website. If you’re learning how to use UGC, this is a great template to follow.

Create UGC Landing Pages

Consider building a dedicated landing page to aggregate UGC from different platforms, like Instagram and Facebook. You can optimize these pages with descriptive titles, headers, and meta descriptions, and encourage social media visitors to interact further with your website.

Challenges of Using UGC for SEO

If you’re planning on crafting a user-generated content strategy, you’re bound to run into a few challenges, and it helps to be prepared.

• Malicious Content: UGC platforms can be breeding grounds for negative comments posted by bots, and, rarely, negative reviews. It helps to inform users about community guidelines and encourage them to report negative posts. Some platforms, like YouTube, also allow you to filter certain keywords automatically.
  
• Low Participation: Your strategy might struggle to take off if user participation is low. That’s why occasional contests and promotional incentives can help create momentum for UGC.
  
• Over-moderation: If you’re using UGC for SEO and moderating your community with a firm hand, you could run into an overmoderation problem. This could eventually result in a downturn in user participation in the long term. Encourage diverse opinions and constructive feedback where possible.

Make UGC Your SEO Superpower

There’s no better way to build trust and brand authority than a well-planned UGC campaign. If you’re still not sure how to use user-generated content, why not work with an award-winning digital marketing agency instead? Coalition Technologies has used UGC to drive millions in revenues for hundreds of businesses, and we’d love to show you how. Contact us for a free consultation today.