How to Avoid Organic Revenue Swings by Being User-Obsessed, not Google-Obsessed w/ Eli Schwartz, SEO Consultant and Growth Advisor
Every marketer has felt it—that sinking feeling when organic traffic takes a sudden hit. Maybe it’s an algorithm update, increased competition, or just Google being Google. But what if you didn’t have to live in fear of these swings? In this episode, we’re joined by **Eli Schwartz**, SEO expert, consultant, and author of *Product-Led SEO*. With over a decade of experience helping companies like WordPress, Shutterstock, Quora, and Zendesk scale their organic visibility, Eli knows what it takes to build SEO strategies that don’t just survive algorithm changes—but thrive despite them. We’ll dive into why traditional SEO tactics are losing their effectiveness, how AI is shifting search behavior, and why focusing on users—not search engines—is the key to long-term organic growth. If you’re tired of reactive SEO and want a strategy that stands the test of time, this episode is for you. What You’ll Learn: Why optimizing for search engines alone sets you up for failure How to make your product and content work *for* search, not just for rankings The mindset shift that helps you avoid revenue-killing SEO surprises Resources: https://97thfloor.com/articles/podcasts/how-to-avoid-organic-revenue-swings-by-being-user-obsessed-not-google-obsessed/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwartze "They don't want content. They want to solve maybe pain, maybe curiosity, but they want to solve something and you solve it with an asset... you're creating for the user, not creating for the search engine." - Eli Schwartz Timestamps: 03:02 - Product-led SEO vs traditional keyword-driven approach 07:00 - GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) vs SEO debate 12:50 - Moving from deliverable-focused to value-driven SEO 16:22 - Why understanding users is crucial for future SEO success 18:43 - How to develop customer empathy beyond personas 23:45 - Balancing expectations while transitioning SEO strategy
The Campaign | A Marketing Podcast by 97th Floor
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Show Notes
Every marketer has felt it—that sinking feeling when organic traffic takes a sudden hit. Maybe it’s an algorithm update, increased competition, or just Google being Google. But what if you didn’t have to live in fear of these swings?
In this episode, we’re joined by **Eli Schwartz**, SEO expert, consultant, and author of *Product-Led SEO*. With over a decade of experience helping companies like WordPress, Shutterstock, Quora, and Zendesk scale their organic visibility, Eli knows what it takes to build SEO strategies that don’t just survive algorithm changes—but thrive despite them.
We’ll dive into why traditional SEO tactics are losing their effectiveness, how AI is shifting search behavior, and why focusing on users—not search engines—is the key to long-term organic growth.
If you’re tired of reactive SEO and want a strategy that stands the test of time, this episode is for you.
What You’ll Learn:
- Why optimizing for search engines alone sets you up for failure
- How to make your product and content work *for* search, not just for rankings
- The mindset shift that helps you avoid revenue-killing SEO surprises
Resources:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwartze
"They don't want content. They want to solve maybe pain, maybe curiosity, but they want to solve something and you solve it with an asset... you're creating for the user, not creating for the search engine." - Eli Schwartz
Timestamps:
03:02 - Product-led SEO vs traditional keyword-driven approach
07:00 - GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) vs SEO debate
12:50 - Moving from deliverable-focused to value-driven SEO
16:22 - Why understanding users is crucial for future SEO success
18:43 - How to develop customer empathy beyond personas
23:45 - Balancing expectations while transitioning SEO strategy