Fresh, unique content Search engine spiders like unique content that is regularly updated, and user reviews are a great way to create more of this. When many e-commerce sites and affiliates will just use the same standard manufacturer descriptions and product specs, UGC can differentiate a product page. This is important as it makes pages more useful to customers, and also increases the chance of ranking highly in the SERPs. Improve rankings for 'product name' + review Reviews are an increasingly important part of the purchase journey for online consumers. For example, a recent survey found that 64% would read online reviews when purchasing personal technology items such as MP3 players and digital cameras. This means that more consumers will be searching for the name of the product plus the word 'review', or related words such as 'ratings'. Get the full story at Econsultancy