When it comes to eCommerce, user reviews are extremely valuable because they aid in increasing conversion rates. However, in today’s age when search engines often update algorithms for search engine optimization purposes, user reviews and user-generated content are not for the sole purpose of increasing eCommerce sales anymore. From Distilled comes a review of how UGC can increase search engine optimization rankings in SERPs. Here are some of the benefits revealed in the report:
Fresh, unique content – Fresh content is one of the key factors to increase search engine optimization rankings. Search engine crawlers constantly look for regularly updated SEO content and with user reviews, a different kind of fresh content is being produced. For eCommerce purposes, user-generated content creates new product description pages which can prove to be useful not only to fellow consumers but for the brands themselves as this gives them a chance to rank higher in SERPs.
Improved rankings for “product name” + review – Numerous studies showed how important peer reviews are to consumers as they often research feedback on products first before actually making a purchase. When it comes to search engine optimization, UGC proves beneficial because they create more search results for product names plus the word “review” or other related words such as “ratings” or “feedback”.
Increased click through rate – CTR also increases with UGC because properly formatted review content can make rich snippets stand out in search results pages. The report reveals as much as a 10-20% CTR increase when done correctly.
Increased conversion rates – Not only do click through rates increase, but conversion rates tend to rise as well. With high peer reviews, the chance of a click turning into a sale increases. Search engine rankings help with this process because it drives consumers to trustworthy websites that provide helpful answers while at the same time, removing any doubts. Essentially, with more reviews come more conversions as users begin to have a reliable source and broader range of product information available as reviewed by fellow consumers.
Long tail targeting – Rankings for long tail searches actually become possible because the content produced by user reviews use the same keywords and phrases that search engines use.
While user-generated content continues to play an important role in search engine optimization, it is likewise advisable to consider a few key aspects of SEO that should be practiced. Some additional thoughts offered by the report include having an HTML version of the UGC for indexation purposes, providing a full page and URL for the user review, and offering as many pages possible for peer reviews to gain higher rankings.
