Did you know that user-​generated content can work wonders for your search engine optimization (SEO)? A report by Digital Marketing Depot says your clients can leverage ratings and reviews to improve SEO and conversions.

Sure, you can optimize the content on your client’s websites to improve SEO. But who do you think the client’s target audiences trust more? A company whose primary goal is to sell their products and the words of satisfied customers? Or a company’s dissatisfied customers? Including ratings and reviews in the SEO process improves the outcome by leveraging social proof. Also, it means less content generation on your client’s and/​or your part. Benefits all around!

“Your Seller Ratings, Product Reviews, Video Reviews and Product Q&A should all appear on your website in strategic locations to drive engagement and conversions at the optimal time,” says Digital Marketing Depot. “They also provide both deep internal linking opportunities, and additional page content, recent content and content diversity.”

Improve SEO using Social Proof

Written Reviews

Finding and highlighting written customer reviews that are rich in keywords is an excellent way to improve SEO. “Each touch point that is enhanced with product answers, details and reviews improves consumer trust and drives further engagement and conversions,” say Digital Marketing Depot. The report recommends that marketers leverage customer reviews in their SEO strategy in various locations. Reviews should be displayed in widgets (such as text boxes) and as featured elements throughout your client’s website. Review widgets can be placed strategically on the site. Locations can include along the top of a webpage or on product pages close to the "Add to Cart" button.

Video Reviews

If you can obtain them, video reviews can also work to improve SEO. Video content is usually easier to absorb than written content and the visual element can be more stimulating to the customer. In addition, “customers often see them as the most helpful, authentic and trustworthy type of recommendations and product info online,” says Digital Marketing Depot. Not only that, the study also found that, “It’s 50x easier to achieve a page 1 ranking on Google with video.” Additionally, “Video attracts 2 to 3x as many monthly visitors, doubles their time spent on the site, and has a 157% increase in organic traffic from search engines.”

The best part is that video reviews don’t even have to be on your client’s website to improve SEO. If the video is posted on YouTube, it will usually end up displayed in a prominent manner on the first page of results when a consumer searches for a keyword the video description includes. When that video is added to your client’s YouTube channel or website as well, you’ll notice a significant improvement in both search results and conversions. You can also use video reviews in your client’s emails and on their social media pages.

Further Convincing

If your client is having their doubts about the importance of reviews, especially when attempting to improve SEO, remind them of some data from AudienceSCAN on AdMall by SalesFuel:

• Only 15.2% of U.S. adults don’t read online reviews
• 26.7% of U.S. adults trust positive reviews of a business and it influences their decision in the business' favor
• 15.9% of U.S. adults believe that businesses should have at least 15 recent reviews in order to influence their decision