Indexation strategy refers to the process of determining which user-generated content (UGC) should be crawled and indexed by search engines like Google. It is important to ensure that only high-quality UGC is indexed, as spammy or low-quality content can be detrimental to a brand’s reputation and SEO.

One of the main concerns in indexation strategy is thin content. Thin content refers to pages with little or no valuable information, which can dilute the overall SEO performance over time. To address this issue, it is crucial to audit UGC forms and optimize fields to collect the content that meets the desired quality level. This can be done by including required fields, asking the right questions, and enforcing character-count minimums to ensure users provide adequate information.

However, it is important to strike a balance between maximizing the quality and rate of user submissions. Requiring too many fields may discourage users from submitting, so it is important to consider the option of automatically deindexing content that does not meet the required minimums instead of disallowing users from uploading it in the first place.

Automation plays a crucial role in improving the indexation strategy. By building automation into the system used to source content, a more robust pool of high-quality UGC can be created. Since low-quality UGC can sometimes slip through, automation can help in identifying and filtering out such content.

One important tool in indexation strategy is the meta robots directive. This directive is used to tell search engines whether a page should be indexed or not. By automatically setting the meta robots tag on new UGC pages, based on quality control factors such as the number of fields filled out by the user or the character count of certain crucial fields, thin content issues can be avoided.

In conclusion, a well-executed indexation strategy is crucial for ensuring that only high-quality UGC is crawled and indexed by search engines. This involves auditing UGC forms, optimizing fields, and building automation into the process. By striking a balance between quality and rate of user submissions, brands can maximize the benefits of UGC in scaling SEO while minimizing the risks of spammy or low-quality content.