Boosting SEO with EEAT for Increased Sales and Conversions

The SEO Charity podcast recently highlighted a fresh perspective on leveraging EEAT (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) to drive business growth. This approach focuses on activities that generate positive external signals, aligning with Google's emphasis on user trust and satisfaction.

Applying Aristotle's Principles to SEO

Amanda Walls, founder of Cedarwood Digital, suggests applying Aristotle's principles of persuasion – ethos (credibility), pathos (emotional appeal), and logos (logical reasoning) – to SEO strategy. This involves building credibility, connecting emotionally with the audience, and using logical arguments to persuade potential customers.

Prioritizing Conversions Over Rankings

Effective SEO prioritizes driving leads and conversions, not just improving rankings. Walls emphasizes that all SEO efforts should ultimately focus on increasing sales.

SEO is about conversion and business return. Driving traffic means nothing without conversions. We want users to engage, love the brand, and complete the conversion journey.

Reputation Management is Key

Managing online reputation is crucial. Negative reviews or brand mentions can significantly impact purchasing decisions. Walls recommends actively monitoring online sentiment and addressing any potential issues.

  • 87% of consumers abandon purchases after reading negative brand information.
  • 81% of consumers research extensively (up to 79 days) before buying.

Successful SEO requires findability, credibility, and persuasion to convince users to purchase.

SEO helps people find us. More importantly, it persuades them to buy our products.

Monitoring Off-Site and On-Site Signals

Regularly monitor off-site signals like reviews and media coverage to address negative sentiment. On-site, use the About Us page to share relatable stories and build emotional connections with users.

Leveraging User-Generated Content

Encourage user-generated content like reviews and images to build trust and authenticity. This fosters human connection and encourages conversions.

Humans buy from humans. The more human and emotional the sales process, the stronger the connection and buy-in.

Effective PR Pitching

When pitching to journalists, focus on brand exposure, not just links. Understand the journalist's audience and their motivations. Prioritize building positive stories and let the journalist decide whether to include a link.

92% of journalists say understanding their audience is crucial for considering a story pitch.

Understanding audience motivations is paramount. Focus on why readers click article titles. This approach significantly improves PR outreach success.

Key Takeaway

By focusing on credibility, emotion, and logic in content strategy, businesses can build strong EEAT signals. This approach prioritizes meaningful business outcomes like leads and sales, supported by improved search visibility.

Watch the SEO Charity episode on EEAT:

Reimagining E-E-A-T with Amanda Walls