Improve SEO and Google's E-E-A-T with Real World Data
What is SEO and What is EEAT?
How to improve SEO and EEAT with Real World Data (RWD)
Before we get started, I gotta be honest. I’m not an SEO expert. I’ve read a few articles (more than once) so that I can have a base level conversation about the topic.
So, after drafting this article I asked Efrain Sanchez, who is an SEO expert, to give it a review and make sure I’m not saying anything really crazy. He added a few comments throughout the article.
Thanks again Efrain for feedback! Anyone who needs a real SEO expert should reach out to him or his company: Growth Logiq
With that said.
What is SEO?
SEO (technically) stands for Search Engine Optimization, and is the process of improving your website to increase its visibility in Google, Microsoft, Bing, and other search engines whenever people search for:
Products you sell.
Services you provide.
Information on topics in which you have deep expertise and/or experience.
AKA, it’s the voodoo that Google does behind the scenes to decide who gets more traffic via top ranked search results.
What is EEAT?
More voodoo magic? (Kinda)
It stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. This is the result of a December 2022 update from Google.
The brass tax: (per SemRush), EEAT is a set of guidelines that Google uses to judge a page and it’s author to determine how creditable the page, website, and author are. The results impact how Google ranks the page and the website, and therefore how much traffic it receives.
If you’re evaluating how to differentiate your SEO strategy and content by appeasing Google’s EEAT signals, it comes back to Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
All of which can also improve user trust and lead to more conversions on your site.
The article from SemRush linked above (and again here) provides tips and suggestions on how to improve your site’s EEAT. Most of the recommendations are focused on creating high quality content, wrapped around first-hand experience, and having it published or reviewed by an “expert”.
If the steps are that simple and broad, how can one site stand out from the rest?
We (at MoreBetter) believe it can be done by backing your site content with Real World Data on your products (or services).
For this article we’ll focus on direct-to-consumer CPG brands. With even more of a focus on those in the health and wellness space.
However, the concept and strategy can be applied in many other products and services (which we’re happy to talk about).
Using Real World Data to improve SEO and EEAT.
In our opinion, and many others, Real World Data is of the most realistic and authentic data to collect. It’s coming directly from an individual in their regular day-to-day. It’s their first hand experience, just collected in a more structured manner.
As mentioned above, improving your EEAT starts with creating quality content generated from first-hand experience.
One of the biggest players in the content game, Healthline, wrapped their entire content strategy around collecting better data and using that as the backbone of all their content.
Before doing this their company was in decline. Now it’s arguably the most reputable health and wellness resource.
Using data to create quality content will help SEO and EEAT. As shown in the Healthline example, it will also help position you/your site as someone with authority.
In addition to being viewed as someone with authority, including Real World Data on product use and performance will increase the level of trust your audience has in you/your site.
This is also clear in the Healthline example. Healthline readers clearly have a lot of trust what Healthline says in their content.
Where we see an opportunity.
Healthline, and most other publishers, are covering data that’s publicly available in academic research publications. These very rarely cover specific products. It’s mostly ingredients that are found in products. And a lot of times the data is coming from rodents, not human reported outcomes.
Collecting your own proprietary Real World Data, the right way, on your specific products enables you to create hyper focused and unique content.
How to differentiate in a crowded digital environment?
In today’s world, almost anyone can make it look like they’re an “expert” at something.
Usually, most first hand experience content consists of some type of review or testimonial. A one-off snap shot from that exact moment in time. Or, you some times get a before and after picture with a big gap of nothing between. There’s never any content that shows first hand experience over time.
Enter: Real World Data.
Real World Data is first-hand experience to the nth degree. Collecting Real World Data the right way you can get first hand user experience on a regular basis, for days, weeks, months, or even years. In a more structured form that increases the credibility of the content.
Which speaking of content. There’s endless opportunities to create original, quality, content with Real World Data compared to a one off review or testimonial. It’s also content that no one else can create because the data is specific to you and your product(s).
Rather than being a brand with another review that says your product was great at helping someone sleep. You can have data that shows just how great that product was by showing:
How many more hours people were sleeping night by night after using your product.
How their Quality of Life improved.
How their Sleep Distriburance score went down.
And so on.
As long as you don’t turn off the your Real World Data stream, new data and insights will continue to flow. Allowing you to regularly update your site and content.
Which, updating content is a valuable strategy when it comes to SEO.
Data is your Differentiator. Data is your competitive advantage.
Think about it. If you went to one site and they had a few reviews of people saying their product was great.
Then went to another site, selling the same product, but this site had content highlighting data collected from customers on their use and experience with the product over time.
Which brand are you buying from?
I’m buying from the one who is providing more transparency.
This is a way to stand out in a crowded space.
Boost your Authoritativeness
We’ve covered the impact of including Real World Data in your content strategy to improve experience, expertise, and trust.
To improve your Authoritativeness, the SemRush article offers a strategy of adding a “Scientifically Reviewed” stamp on your content. Very common nowadays.
Now imagine, content backed by data plus a “Scientifically Reviewed” stamp. This is close to what a peer reviewed published study is. But it doesn’t have to be limited to such a formal, scientific audience.
Healthline implemented this strategy in their revamp. Per the article above, in 2019 they hired a team of 150 clinicians to review their content and cite academic research.
When asked about Real World Data and it’s impact on a site’s authority, Efrain stated:
“RWD can enhance a website’s authority. When a site consistently provides reliable and valuable data that others in the field reference or link to making it more authoritative in the yes of Search engines.
It’s important that the data is accurate, up to date, and from reputable sources in order for it to have a positive effect.”
Real World Data and User Generated Content (UCG)
User Generated Content (UGC) is any type of content created by consumers or website users rather than brands. Step 5 in the SemRush article states that UGC can act as a trust signal and establish brand loyalty.
Real World Data can amplify your UGC content strategy. In the original content created using Real World Data (that’s coming direct from users), you can insert reviews or testimonials from those individuals as a nice complement. It adds a nice personal touch to a data heavy piece of content.
A 2021 survey from Stackla reports that 79% of online shoppers say UGC highly impacts their purchasing decisions. Imagine the influence your content has when you add RWD to UGC.
According the Stackla report, UGC has more of an impact on consumers than what an influencer does.
Closing Thoughts on SEO and Real World Data
We’re bullish on the use of Real World Data in general. Even more so related to SEO since the most recent Google update.
Efrain, who is less biased on the subject, stated: “RWD can benefit SEO in a few ways. If a website can provide accurate and up-to-date data that is relevant to a specific topic, it can signal to Google that the website is knowledgeable and authoritative in that area.”
That said, there’s no one clear or right answer for SEO. Or marketing in general.
How have you and your company been approaching SEO and/or Google’s EEAT signals?
What type of first hand experience, or User Generated Content have you been prioritizing? How has it been performing?
Have you thought about how can Real World Data improve your marketing strategy and performance?