# User-generated content (UGC)

> User-generated content is any content about a business created by its customers rather than by the business — reviews, photos, tips, and social posts.

_Category: Practice · Updated 2026-08-15 · By Elizabeth Davis_

Source: https://happyreplies.com/glossary/ugc

Reviews are the highest-value form because they are indexed, attributed, and read at the decision point. Customer photos on a Google profile are the second, and often outnumber owner photos on active listings.

UGC is also the training data AI assistants draw on when summarising a business, which makes its accuracy a distribution issue rather than only a reputation one.

## In practice

Encourage photos as well as text, and reply to photo reviews specifically — they get outsized impressions on Maps.

## FAQ

### Can I use customer reviews on my website?

Yes, with attribution and without editing the substance. If you display them as testimonials, FTC rules on truthful representation apply.

## Related terms

- https://happyreplies.com/glossary/review-solicitation
- https://happyreplies.com/glossary/ai-overviews