Untapped Resources: How to Use Wikipedia to Improve Your SEO

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Feb 14, 2025 / by
Untapped Resources: How to Use Wikipedia to Improve Your SEO

With over 6 million English articles and millions of daily visitors, Wikipedia’s influence on the internet is enormous. Did you also know, however, that it was a wildly underused resource for SEO? Even though Wikipedia links are typically “nofollow,” so you can’t rely on direct link juice, there are many ways to tap into its authority and visibility to improve your own site’s SEO.

Understand Wikipedia’s Influence

Search engines often prioritise Wikipedia entries in their top results because these pages are viewed as reliable resources (thanks to the site’s extensive editorial guidelines and community oversight). Even if inbound links from Wikipedia won’t directly boost your PageRank, being mentioned or cited on a Wikipedia page can seriously boost your brand visibility. Interested users can also still click through a nofollow link to learn more about you.

Use Wikipedia as a Research Tool

By producing thorough, well-researched content, you naturally improve your website’s quality and SEO performance while also positioning yourself to possibly earn a Wikipedia mention in the future.

Identify Content Gaps: look for topics that haven’t been thoroughly covered or those flagged with “citation needed.” These gaps highlight areas where you can develop blog posts, infographics, or videos to fill the void and become a go-to resource.

Discover Authoritative Sources: articles from Wikipedia often contain citations to high-quality external resources and academic journals. Use these sources to guide your own research, ensuring your content is similarly well-sourced and credible.

Spot Trends and Subtopics: Reading Wikipedia entries and their “Talk” pages can reveal subtopics or evolving discussions that your audience might find valuable.

Earn a Legitimate Mention or Citation

Wikipedia has strict guidelines put in place to maintain article neutrality and quality. Simply inserting promotional links is not only frowned upon but could also get your edits removed or your account banned.

Contribute Valuable Information

If you notice a Wikipedia article that could benefit from additional, factual content about your brand, consider adding it as long as you know it to be 100% factually accurate. This could be anything from statistics to historical information, or expert insight supported by reliable sources.

Cite Reputable References (Including Your Own, If Relevant)

Wikipedia thrives on citations from authoritative publications. If your company has produced a noteworthy report or research piece that’s well-regarded in your industry, you can suggest it as a citation, provided it genuinely supports the content in the Wikipedia article.

Maintain Objectivity

When proposing an edit, keep a neutral tone. Wikipedia is not a platform for self-promotion. Overly promotional language or self-serving links will likely be removed.

Build Your Brand’s Authority

Securing a mention or citation in a Wikipedia article can help bolster your brand’s authority in the eyes of both users and search engines. Google recognises brand mentions and factors them into search results. An authoritative presence on external sites like Wikipedia demonstrates your expertise and can indirectly improve your search performance.

If you or your business meets Wikipedia’s notability guidelines you might even qualify for an entire Wikipedia entry of your very own! Having a well-referenced page dedicated to your organisation can further elevate your authority, though creating such pages requires careful adherence to Wikipedia’s guidelines to avoid conflicts of interest.

Monitor Wikipedia for Brand Mentions

If your brand or products are frequently discussed in niche forums, blogs, or news outlets, there’s a chance that someone may have included references to your work on Wikipedia.

Identify Errors or Inaccuracies: spot incorrect information and correct it with credible sources.

Engage With the Community: build rapport by politely discussing potential edits on the “Talk” pages, collaborating with other editors, and ensuring that your brand is represented accurately.

Discover Outreach Opportunities: if people are already talking about you on Wikipedia, they might also be discussing you in other forums or publications. Use these leads to build relationships and earn more press or external links.

Follow the Rules

Wikipedia’s community guidelines stress neutrality and verifiability. As a marketer, it’s crucial to respect these rules.

Disclose Conflicts of Interest: if you’re editing an article directly related to your brand, mention your affiliation.

Use the “Talk” Page: before adding any content that could be perceived as promotional, propose your suggestion on the article’s Talk page. Let community members weigh in to maintain transparency.

Avoid Spammy Tactics: mass edits or blatant link promotions won’t stick on Wikipedia and could harm your brand’s reputation.

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