The need for and low caliber of marketing-driven material are mentioned by Google’s Search Liaison in their discussion on the growth of user-generated content in search results.
Google Search Liaison Danny Sullivan talked about the growing importance of user-generated content (UGC) in search results in a recent interview with Aleyda Solis.
Sullivan explains the change by pointing to the rise of “terrible” material produced by marketers as well as the growing need for user-generated content (UGC).
Sullivan clarified that Google hopes to offer firsthand viewpoints to supplement standard webpages by surfacing user-generated content (UGC).
He said:
“It really is something that people are craving, and also part of the reason people are craving is because there’s just a lot of terrible content out there, and there’s a lot of terrible content out there that’s been generated through content marketing.”
Sullivan goes on to discuss Google’s decision to show more user-generated content (UGC) in search results.
UGC’s Ascent in Search Results
Google’s search results have shown an increase in forum conversations, Reddit posts, and other forms of user-generated content (UGC) within the past year.
Frequently rating highly, this content occasionally even surpasses well-known websites and companies in rankings.
Sullivan claims that Google is changing to satisfy the demands and expectations of users:
“People are looking for more genuine information; they value hearing from others who have lived through similar experiences. We want to present information only when it makes sense, when we genuinely believe it to be of high quality, or when it will be beneficial.”
Sullivan recognized the difficulties in putting this UGC-forward strategy into practice:
“We’ll display user-generated content (UGC), and while it’s not always flawless and can be embarrassing at times, there are plenty of people who have shared examples with us, and I have no doubt that this will go on.”
According to Sullivan, the difficulty is in evaluating user-generated content’s quality and relevancy on a large scale.
Why Niche Forums Are Important
Sullivan used a personal story to highlight the importance of user-generated content in search results.
He came upon a specialist community for folks who have the same car as him. Sullivan desired to attach a hitch to the vehicle.
Sullivan narrated:
“I ended up filling out a form specifically for carpoolers, and when someone shared an entire piece explaining how they did it, I thought, ‘This is amazing, and this is amazing content.'” I’m not sure if you want to argue that it wasn’t expert information, but it was undoubtedly experiential content that I found to be very beneficial. I don’t believe I’m alone, and it wasn’t from a massive forum either.
UGC in Searches for Medicine
Sullivan mentioned the issues surrounding UGC in searches linked to medicine, a topic that has generated a lot of discussion.
He said:
“People with similar conditions can connect with each other and learn from each other about their experiences undergoing treatment, coping with illness, or dealing with other life challenges.” This is especially helpful for those who have actually suffered from a medical condition.
Sullivan disagrees that UGC should be excluded from a particular search category.
He went on:
“In my opinion, you don’t truly rule out the possibility that UGC could never be shown for anything. You attempt to determine where the signals can be used and how to work with the system to display the content when it appears to be pertinent, helpful, or a component of a larger set of search resources that you can make available to users.
Optimizing The Signs
According to Sullivan, Google will keep enhancing its signals and algorithms to fix problems and raise the caliber of user-generated content in search results.
He said:
As is the case with anything in search, you should just never stop trying to make it better, tweak it, and figure out how to obtain better signals and information to display.
UGC inclusion in search results, according to Sullivan, has nothing to do with giving certain material priority.
Instead, he presents it as giving each question the most pertinent and useful information.
According to Sullivan:
“The question really should be if we can improve our ability to present the best content overall—it doesn’t matter if it comes from a large or small website.”
Explanation of Previous Claims
Sullivan clarified—a comment he believes has been misquoted—that incorporating user-generated content (UGC) in search results is about more than just “giving people what they want.”
He explained:
“I go back to nuance because even though you try to explain things to people and share them with them, sometimes they will take one small thing and turn it against you,” the speaker said. Like, “It’s what people want,” and I keep hearing that. I appreciate everyone who shared, and you are welcome to do so again, but it wasn’t everything I stated.
As I mentioned earlier, individuals are attempting to obtain more real information. They are interested in hearing from other experienced individuals. They appreciate that kind of content, so we want to display it when it makes sense, when we genuinely believe it to be high-quality, or when we think it will be beneficial.
Gazing Forward
Even though Google is already supporting user-generated content, Sullivan described it as a “evolutionary process” that will go on.
This focus on user-generated content (UGC) highlights the importance of building active communities and promoting conversations about your business and sector for websites and content producers.