Name: User-Generated Content
Updated On:
Referred to as: UGC
Category: Off-page SEO
Correct Use: n/a
Description:
User Generated Content (UGC) is becoming a commonly used acronym. It is now an attribute to an anchor link on a website. rel=”ugc” is now applicable to links for identifying user-generated content.
UGC in general refers to any content that the users of a website produce and not the direct creation of the website publisher.
The sources of user-generated content include
1. Customers:
Every day, you come across millions of videos that users on Instagram share. Many of them mention tags for your brand. It can be as a response to some post that you created or organic content that the customer feels to share about the brand.
2. Brand loyalists
Fans and loyal customers of your brand can add content tagging the brand. The loyal customer base is always passionate about projecting the best side of their brands.
Therefore, you can even reach out to them and ask for specific content that will boost on-page SEO.
3. Employees:
When employees generate content related to the company, it shows the values and stories behind the brand. The behind-the-scene stories are always interesting.
It also shows the customers how the team of staff is working rigorously to fulfill the orders.
Our take:
There are many websites that keep on losing their rank on Google’s SERP just due to the lack of fresh content. UGC can actually work as the never-exhausting resource of innovative content.
Consumers, employees, and loyal customers will always share authentic contents that will resonate with the core of the brand. And this can do wonders for your ranking on the SERP. People will see videos, comments, posts, and other unique content related to the brand.
We feel that a brand will be more visible when users talk about it more than what you advertise. And nothing can be a better approach to shape up the basic SEO attributes.
Extra reading:
Do:
It’s time to dive into the steps that will help you to implement the right strategies for user-generated content use.
1. Determine the effective social media platforms
If you know where the audience lives on social media, you should also know where the potential advocates can show their maximum influence. Instagram is right now the common top option for sharing visuals.
You should consider the audience and your business goals too while detecting the right social media platform.
2. Set the content goals
Just like the standard content strategy, why don’t you place specific goals for the users for generating the content? UGC is basically casual and also of-the-cuff. But you can surely capitalize on it to make up a better business strategy.
- Encourage the users to write on specific topics.
- Throw challenges associated with the product to create hype.
Once the contents pour in, you will see the change in the ranking on the SERP.
Don’t:
With so many things to do on your agenda, you should also keep in mind the things that you should not do, if you want to use the user-generated content to the best of your abilities.
Don’t refrain from sharing the topic of contents
It may come as a surprise, but consumers always wish that the brand will tell the users what type of content they can create and share. If you are not telling them what you expect, how do you plan to utilize the UGC for branding?
For instance, if you sell beauty products, tell the loyal customer to flaunt pictures with one memorable experience related to the product. It will show the world how so many customers have interesting experiences with using the product.
- Don’t stop interacting
If the customer feels that there is none to respond to their emotional content on the other side, they may develop a negative impression of the brand. And that can be devastating for the SEO.
If you want to stay on top of the trends, you need to engage the customers further and interact with their posts and videos to make them feel that you acknowledge their relationship with the brand.
Tip:
But some tips are necessary to continue on the path of progress.
1. Request for permission always
You should always request for consent of the customer before sharing the content. many people can use branded hashtags without even knowing that they are tied to the tagged entity.
Re-sharing the contents without permission can kill your goodwill and unnecessarily irritate users.
2. Give credits
Who created the original content? don’t forget to give the credit as the users feel good when you praise them on public forums for such content.
But in the end, you need to use your practical sense and logic to determine eh best ways to handle UGC. If you can utilize the users content to keep your brand in the top visible list, you don’t have to spend much on online marketing either.
It’s a natural and believable method to boost the rank of the company on the search engine’s result page.
Introduced:
What Google Says:
What experts say: