Online shoppers want to buy from real experts. When searching for products or services, they look for sites with genuine experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness (known as E-E-A-T).
To earn user trust, ecommerce brands must move out of the shadows and focus on building strong E-E-A-T signals, both on-site and off-site. Here’s why and how.
The value of E-E-A-T beyond SEO
As an online shopper, there is nothing more frustrating than seeking expert insight or experience-based advice on products or services – only to be provided with neither.
I want to read a review from a real person who has used the item I am about to buy or who has stayed in the hotel I am about to book – one with specific details and real-life photos (or in internet parlance, receipts).
I don’t want to be persuaded by an anonymous expert that this is the best way to invest my money or time.
This is why user-generated content (UGC) has become so valuable. It looks and feels authentic to people.
It’s why journalists on the most authoritative news sites have bylines, often with a photo, and even their own personal brands that have been cultivated with social posts and podcast appearances.
On a web rife with disinformation, I am far more likely to trust the words of a journalist with proven expertise and experience in their chosen beat, especially when it comes to topics such as finance and politics.