User generated content is not only a good thing for repeat visitors and building website "trust", it is also an excellent way to improve your SEO rankings within the major search engines

Web 2.0, also referred to as the Internet world with user generated content is still very alive and flourishing. With people wanting to have their own voice, offer their own reviews and recommendations, and wanting the ability to commit on content that you have written, there is great potential to leverage other peoples time and energy, to expand your own information base.

There are several ways in which you can incorporate Web 2.0 aspects into your pages to expand your content, and increase the "freshness" in the eyes of search engines (both of which are highly beneficial for SEO). They include:

1. Adding a Forum
   Leave it wide open but require a login. This will create the best of both worlds. The users will create content for you and you will also be able to build an email list by requiring posters to sign-up.
   
   You can get more information about adding forums to your website here:
   
   PHPBB Forum (free forum)
   V Bulletin Forum (paid)
   
   
2. Having a Blog
   Attaching a blog to your site, or creating a blog is a good idea. Blogs allow you to continually update people within certain industries, offering news, ideas, opinions, and product/service reviews. Blogs allow you to keep your website content current and also allow for user submitted comments. The best blog services for adding a blog to your site are:
   
   Wordpress (free)
   Textpattern (free)
   
   
3. User Submitted Reviews
   Reviews are not only good for content, they help your visitors make a more educated purchasing decision. Often times "self reviews" or "testimonials" can be a little biased, so by having reviews on your page it will offer people a diverse set of insight into products/services.
   
   Here are some scripts that can be programmed into your pages to add the user submitted review feature:
   
   HotScripts - Review Scripts
   
   
4. Social Networking
   Ever wanted to create your own social network in a niche that interests you? There are now ways to create your own social networks (yes your very own), without needing much programming experience. Social networks are the best way for user generated content and with the new tools out there, you can now create your very own. Here are some of the best:
   
   Ning
   KickApps
   CrowdVine
   
   

**To add all of these you will need to know a certain level of programming or have access to a programmer. These are not necessary for creating quality SEO sites/blogs, however can be great additions.