Amanda Walls is the founder and director of Cedarwood Digital – who were recently awarded the Best Small Integrated Agency in Europe & the UK 2025. They are a sort after global agency for SEO, PPC and Digital PR.

In this episode, Amanda joins Chloe Thomas to break down the three pillars of helpful content for Google SEO. They explore how eCommerce brands can strengthen their product pages, category pages, and trust pages to improve rankings, build credibility, and convert more shoppers.

Dive in:

[06:12] SEO's Evolution: User-Centric Search

[07:01] Google's Focus on User Intent

[12:46] "Importance of Trust-Building Pages"

[15:09] "About Us vs. Contact Us"

[18:39] "Mid-Funnel Shopper Content Strategy"

[20:24] "Audit Blogs: Value Over Volume"

[24:11] Insider Tips from Amanda!

First Pillar: Product Pages

Product pages are the most important content on an eCommerce site. Many shoppers land directly on them from search when they already know what they want. Your job is to make the page answer every key question about the product. Include clear descriptions, specs, images, delivery details, and reviews. Avoid thin manufacturer copy and add helpful information your customers actually need. When product pages are detailed and trustworthy, they rank better and convert more visitors.

Second Pillar: Category Pages

Category pages help shoppers who are still exploring their options. They sit between the homepage and individual products and group related items together. These pages are perfect for broader searches such as product types, brands, or styles. Add short, helpful text that explains what the category includes and how to choose. Filters, clear navigation, and useful descriptions help users compare products easily. Well-optimised category pages capture research-stage traffic and guide shoppers deeper into your store.

Third Pillar: Trust Pages (About, Contact, and Credibility)

Trust pages prove that your business is real and reliable. Important examples include the About Us page and the Contact Us page. Many stores hide these pages in the footer, which makes them harder for users and Google to find. Instead, make them easy to access in the main navigation or header. Clearly show who you are, how customers can contact you, and why your store can be trusted. Strong trust pages improve SEO signals and increase customer confidence before they buy.

Takeaways:

• Making your About Us and Contact Us pages visible builds real trust. They're not just SEO boxes to tick. Users need to find real people behind the brand if you want them to buy. Authenticity always wins.
• Helpful content isn’t about stuffing keywords. It’s about meeting what your customer actually needs at every stage – info, reassurance, easy navigation. Good for SEO, but great for building community.
• Don’t hide your story. Even if you’re camera-shy, showing your brand’s purpose, team or process on your site helps people connect. Connection is culture. It’s what turns browsers into loyal advocates.
• Cut the fluff on your blog. Every post should add value or reinforce your expertise. Content for content’s sake confuses both search engines and customers. Precision matters.
• Conversion and SEO are inseparable – user experience is at the core of both. If your site is designed for clarity and accessibility, you’re not just optimised for search; you’re building lasting trust.

Find the notes here: https://keepopt.com/298

Liv Day is the SEO Lead at Digitaloft, where she crafts ROI-led SEO strategies that deliver a fast impact for their clients.

In this episode, Liv shares how to turn your eCommerce category pages into powerful revenue drivers – without stuffing them with endless SEO copy. We dive into practical fixes, smart internal linking strategies, and how to prepare your store for the rise of AI search and agentic commerce.

Dive in:

[06:12] "Optimizing Collection Pages Effectively"

[09:15] "eCommerce Site Structure Insights"

[10:41] SEO, UX, and Engagement Signals

[15:40] "Optimized Copy Boosts Rankings"

[18:42] "Internal Linking Pitfalls Explained"

[21:23] "AI Search Optimization for eCommerce"

[25:57] Insider Tips from Liv!

Do: Keep Category Page Copy Tight and Conversion-Focused

Write copy that helps shoppers choose. Focus on product types, benefits, and buying considerations. Keep it clear and commercially relevant. Around 300–500 words are often enough.

Avoid: Adding 2,000 words of fluff about “What is a dress?” or product history. More words do not mean more value.

Do: Build a Clear Internal Linking Structure

Link parent categories to subcategories and back again. Use descriptive anchor text like “red dresses” instead of “click here.” Make your hierarchy obvious to both users and Google. This improves crawlability and navigation.

Avoid: Weak anchor text and Shopify non-canonical product URLs that dilute ranking signals.

Do: Optimise for AI Search with Better Product Data

Prepare for AI-driven shopping now. Keep your product feeds clean and complete. Add structured data and FAQs that answer real buying questions. Optimise for long-tail and comparison queries.

Avoid: Ignoring product feeds and Merchant Center setup while competitors prepare for agentic commerce.

Takeaways:

• SEO isn’t just spreadsheets and keywords. It’s about understanding people. Liv reminds us: Don’t create content for Google. Create for real humans. When you serve users first, search engines will reward you.
• The secret sauce for category pages: Internal linking! Liv Day shares how connecting relevant pages not only helps Google but guides buyers. Conversion and SEO go hand in hand.
• Copy on category pages shouldn’t be endless. Too much information can confuse users and hurt your rankings. Keep content clear, concise, and focused on helping shoppers decide.
• We’re about to enter the world of agentic commerce. Soon, purchasing straight from Google and ChatGPT will be the norm. Liv urges brands to optimize product data now to stay visible.
• SEO is a journey, not a destination. Testing, learning, and iterating help you keep up with change. What worked yesterday may need a tweak tomorrow.

Find the notes here: https://keepopt.com/297

Sam Wright is the Managing Director at specialist eCommerce agency Blink, the Shopify marketing agency for large catalogue stores. Sam’s been in SEO since 2007, and in eCommerce since 2002.

In this episode, returning guest Sam breaks down how large Shopify brands should be structuring their product data and taxonomy to succeed in both SEO and the fast-evolving world of AI search. He talks about practical fixes that can improve visibility, customer experience, and organic growth — and why getting your data foundations right now will pay off across every channel.

Dive in:

[05:39] AI Strategies for Shopify Brands

[07:51] Store Success Depends on Structure

[12:31] Optimizing Shopify Data for AI

[16:38] "Shopify's AI-Powered FAQ Tool"

[19:44] AI Search and Shopify Shipping

[20:44] "AI, Shopping, and SEO Challenges"

[22:27] Insider Tips from Sam!

Clean, structured product data is now your biggest growth lever

AI search and SEO both rely on clear, structured product data. If your data is messy, incomplete, or spread across systems, you will lose visibility. Treat Shopify as your single source of truth. Fill in standard fields like product type, category, materials, and key attributes. Avoid storing important details only in images, PDFs, or documents. Clean data flows into AI tools, Google, ads, and your site, so one fix improves many channels.

Go deeper with taxonomy and attributes to win more traffic

Basic categories are no longer enough. You need deeper product structure that matches how customers search. Create more specific categories and filters where it makes sense. Then add richer attributes such as size details, materials, ingredients, or performance data. AI tools use this depth to decide which products to show. Better structure also improves on-site navigation and conversion. When customers can find the right product faster, revenue follows.

Start preparing for AI now by enriching real customer knowledge

AI cannot invent accurate product information if it does not exist. The advantage comes from turning internal knowledge into structured content. Capture insights from customer service, product teams, and suppliers. Turn common questions into FAQs and detailed product information. Add shipping, returns, and usage details in text format, not just policies or images. The brands that document what they know today will be the ones AI recommends tomorrow.

Takeaways:

• Shopify’s secret to success? Turning technical headaches into easy wins for everyone, not just devs – and now, they're doing the same for AI. The future belongs to brands with quality data and clear structures behind the scenes.
• Want to futureproof your online store for AI search? Start with the basics: organize your product data, nail your taxonomy, and focus on making your brand message portable so it shines through, even when customers never visit your site.
• Shopify’s new tools make catalog mapping and data plumbing simpler than ever—but it’s what you feed the system that counts. Clean, detailed product info is your edge as AI-driven discovery takes off.
• Richer, deeper product data isn’t just for better SEO—it powers AI tools, improves UX, and sets your brand apart. If your specs are buried in PDFs or blurry images, now’s the time to transform them into structured, searchable content.
• This Q4 could be the turning point for AI-driven shopping. The work you put into fixing your taxonomy and data flows now will pay off in organic growth, smoother user journeys, and readiness for whatever AI brings next.

Find the notes here: https://keepopt.com/296