Most ecommerce brands treat Google like a slot machine.
They pull the lever and publish content, tweak keywords, pray for rankings and hope something hits.
When it doesn’t work, they blame the algorithm. When it does work, well, they have no idea why.
Google isn’t random. It’s not secretive. And it’s not out to suppress your content.
Google has one job: connect searchers with the best possible answer to their query. Whether that be through conventional rankings or where you sit on top of the page within the AI overview… Google’s answer engine.
If you understand that (and I mean REALLY understand it) you stop playing guessing games and start designing content that earns visibility.
Let me walk you through what Google is actually looking for, why most brands miss it and how you build organic reach that compounds over time. Sound good?
Is the real problem that brands optimise for Google, not for people?
Most ecommerce content is written backward.
It starts with keywords. Then features those keywords in titles, headings, meta descriptions. Then wraps some thin content (probably sourced by a generic ChatGPT prompt) around them and hits publish.
The intent isn’t to serve the reader. It’s to trick the algorithm. Yeah… and Google knows it.
Google doesn’t rank content. It ranks usefulness.
Every algorithmic update over the past decade has moved towards rewarding content that genuinely helps people and away from content that exists purely to rank.
EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) isn’t a checklist. It’s a reflection of whether your content actually delivers value or just occupies space.
Is your SEO strategy is built on keyword density, backlink schemes, or content that exists only because a tool told you to write it? Good luck with that.
What Google Is Really Looking For
Let’s strip this back to fundamentals.
Google’s algorithm is designed to answer three core questions about every piece of content:
1. Does this answer the searcher’s intent?
Intent is everything.
Someone searching “best running shoes” isn’t looking for a product page. They’re looking for comparison, guidance, context.
Someone searching “Nike Pegasus 41 mens road runner review” is much closer to a decision. They want depth, real-world experience and honest trade-offs.
If your content doesn’t match the type of answer the searcher is looking for, it doesn’t matter how well-written it is. Google won’t rank it highly because it doesn’t serve the user.
Most ecommerce marketers (and SEO agencies!) fail here because they create content for their need to push products, drive conversions, tick SEO boxes… rather than for the person searching.
2. Is this the best version of this answer available?
Google doesn’t reward you for publishing something. It rewards you for publishing something better than what already exists.
That means:
- More comprehensive
- More clearly structured
- More genuinely useful
- Backed by real expertise or experience
If your article is a rewritten version of the top 10 results you found on page one, you’re not adding value. You’re adding noise. And Google is very very good (perhaps too good) at filtering out noise.
3. Can we trust this source?
This is where most ecommerce brands completely miss the mark.
Google doesn’t just evaluate individual pieces of content. It evaluates your entire site as a source of authority.
That means:
- Do you have a track record of publishing quality content in this niche?
- Are other reputable sites linking to you?
- Do people engage with your content or bounce immediately?
- Is your site technically sound, fast and well-structured?
You can’t fake authority with one optimised blog post. You build it over time through consistent, valuable contributions to your niche. Google has you siloed. So, optimise for the topic that’s going to win you access to your best customers. This may mean looking at alternative niches, niching down or simply focusing content around 1 particular product with 1 particular outcome (in 1 particular market) at a time.
Why “Doing SEO” Doesn’t Work Anymore (and this goes back a long long way…)
Most ecommerce brands treat SEO as a separate function.
There’s the “SEO content” that are blog posts written to rank. And then there’s the “real content” which sits in product pages, emails and social posts.
The two rarely connect.
The blog content is generic, written by freelancers who don’t understand the customer, optimised around keyword volume rather than customer needs. If your agency is coming to you each month with a list of keywords (and search volumes… don’t get me started on that one) they’re working towards either sack them or give me a call to discuss how you can control the relationship better.
It’s content that ranks poorly (if at all), drives little traffic, and converts even less. Then the brand concludes: “SEO doesn’t work for us.” … and then moves back to full focus on ads because, well…. there’s little other option (wrong… beyond just ads)
What we’re outlining here is not an SEO problem. It’s a content strategy problem.
Google? They don’t care about your SEO content. They care about whether you’re a legitimate authority in your space. And authority isn’t built through keyword-stuffed blog posts. It’s built through deep, differentiated expertise that runs through everything you publish.
The Shift: From Keywords to Authority
If you want to reach more people through organic search, you need to stop thinking like an SEO and start thinking like a publisher.
Here’s what that looks like:
Build Content That Compounds
The vast majority of ecommerce content is disposable.
“5 Tips for Better Sleep.” “How to Choose the Right Skincare Routine.” “Top 10 Gifts for Him.”
None of it has staying power. None of it builds authority. None of it earns links or shares.
Start creating content that becomes a reference point in your category.
- Comprehensive guides that cover a topic better than anyone else
- Original research or data that other sites want to cite
- Strong points of view that challenge industry norms
- Frameworks or systems that help people think differently
This is content that earns traffic not because you optimised for a keywor but because it’s genuinely the best answer available.
Demonstrate Real Expertise
Google’s EEAT framework exists because generic, surface-level content has flooded the internet.
If your content could have been written by anyone, it won’t rank.
But if it reflects:
- Real-world experience with the products or problems you’re discussing
- Depth of knowledge that only comes from being in the space
- Original insight that goes beyond regurgitating what others have said
That’s when Google starts to see you as a credible source.
This doesn’t mean every article needs to be 5,000 words. It means every article needs to reflect genuine understanding.
Create Topic Clusters, Not Random Posts
Google doesn’t rank sites based on individual posts. It ranks based on topical authority how comprehensively you cover a subject area. There are tools out there that help you do this… KeywordInsights.ai
That means instead of writing scattered blog posts on random topics your keyword tool suggested, you start building clusters of interconnected content around core themes.
For example:
- A pillar guide on “Sleep Science and Optimisation”
- Supporting articles on specific sleep issues, product comparisons, routine design
- Internal linking that connects these pieces into a coherent knowledge base
This signals to Google: we’re not just writing about sleep because it’s a keyword. We’re a legitimate authority on the subject.
Make Your Site Technically Sound
Content is critical. But if your site is slow, broken, or poorly structured, even great content won’t rank.
Google evaluates:
- Page speed and Core Web Vitals
- Mobile experience
- Site structure and internal linking
- Security (HTTPS)
- Accessibility
These aren’t “nice to haves.” They’re baseline requirements.
If your site fails here, you’re not competing no matter how good your content is.
The Long Game: Organic Reach That Compounds
Organic growth doesn’t work on a campaign timeline.
You can’t publish 10 blog posts and expect to rank next month.
If you consistently publish valuable, expert-led content? content that genuinely serves your audience and builds topical authority? the compounding effect is extraordinary.
Unlike paid ads:
- Organic traffic doesn’t stop when you stop spending
- Authority builds over time rather than resetting each month
- High-quality content continues to earn links, shares, and rankings years after publication
This is what it means to grow beyond just ads.
Not replacing paid media. Instead, building a growth system that doesn’t require you to spend more every month just to maintain the same results.
What This Looks Like in Practice
If you’re an ecommerce brand selling nutritional supplements, here’s the difference:
The old approach:
- Publish blog posts targeting high-volume keywords like “best protein powder”
- Write generic, surface-level content optimised for search
- Hope for rankings
The new approach:
- Become a genuine authority on nutrition science, training optimisation and performance
- Publish deep, research-backed content that athletes and coaches actually reference
- Build topic clusters around specific areas (recovery science, muscle synthesis, nutrient timing)
- Demonstrate real expertise through original insights, not regurgitated advice
- Earn links from fitness sites, health publications, and training communities because your content is worth linking to
- As you progress you’ll work with experts who WANT to publish unique content for you because it raises their profile and builds their audience
The first approach might get you some traffic. The second approach builds an asset that compounds for years.
Stop Trying to Game the System
Google’s algorithm isn’t your enemy.
It’s trying to do the same thing you should be trying to do: connect people with the best possible answer to their question.
If your content strategy is built on that principle (genuinely serving your audience with expertise and depth) visibility follows naturally.
Not overnight. But inevitably. The brands that understand what Google actually wants aren’t playing SEO games. They’re building systems more like publishers and media houses than ecommerce brands. It’s what I help brands to do.
We’re building authority. And authority always wins in the long run.
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