The September 24 HCU (Google's "Helpful Content Update") changed the SEO world forever. Sites that had thrived for years experienced dramatic drops in rankings - and with them, a steep decline in organic traffic. We're also seeing an increase in user-generated content in the SERPs. While some attribute this to Google’s February 2024 agreement with Reddit, Similarweb's data suggests otherwise. Quora content, for instance, is also surfacing frequently. As Danny Sullivan points out, user-generated content often delivers significant value to searchers. And the cherry on top is AI Overviews. Google’s data shows that AI Overview users tend to return to the search engine more often. If users love it, Google is likely to invest even more in this feature. For insights into these findings, and much more, get your copy of the Blueprint now.