Bridging the Gap Between UX and SEO: Lessons from Thorne Reverse Case Study

Why this works:

• • Makes long-form content instantly scannable.
    
    
  • Users can skip to what they care about (e.g., caffeine or naps).
    
    
  • Google may display sitelinks in SERPs, boosting CTR.
    
    
  • Improves time on page, since users don’t bounce out looking for specific info.

Issue: “Take 5 Daily” Header on Every Blog Post

• Thorne places the “Take 5 Daily” category header above every blog post.
  
  
• This creates visual clutter and distracts from the main article title.
  
  
• From a UX standpoint:
  
  
  • It looks repetitive. Users already know they’re on the blog.
    
    
  • It pushes the actual content further down the page, reducing immediate engagement.
    
    
  • On mobile, it’s even worse because it takes up valuable above-the-fold space.
    
    
• From an SEO standpoint:
  
  
  • Google prioritizes content above the fold. By pushing the H1 lower, they risk diluting relevance signals.
    
    
  • It also weakens branding of individual blog posts, since “Take 5 Daily” becomes more prominent than the actual topic.

Actionable Fixes:

1. Reduce the Header’s Weight
   
   
   • Keep “Take 5 Daily” as a small breadcrumb (already there: Home > Take 5 Daily > Article).
     
     
   • Remove the oversized “Take 5 Daily” heading.
     
     
2. Move Tabs (Articles, Videos, Podcasts)
   
   
   • Shift them to the sidebar so they don’t dominate the top.
     
     
3. Focus Above-the-Fold on the Blog Title
   
   
   • The first thing users should see is:
     
     
     • H1 (Article Title).
       
       
     • Author & Date.
       
       
     • Optional read-time estimate.

EEAT Signals on Blog Posts

What’s Done Wrong/Needs Improvement:

• Lack of Author Bio or Author Page:
  • Issue: The absence of an author box with a brief bio or a link to a dedicated author page limits the depth of Expertise and Authoritativeness signals. Simply listing “Sheena Smith, MS, MA” without additional context (e.g., a bio or link to a profile) misses an opportunity to showcase the author’s qualifications, experience, or connection to Thorne’s mission.
    
    
  • Impact:
    • Search engines like Google prioritize content with clear author expertise, especially for YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topics like health. Without a bio or author page, Thorne’s blog posts may be seen as less authoritative compared to competitors with detailed author profiles.
      
      
• Missed Opportunity for Internal Linking: Not linking to an author page or related content (e.g., other posts by the same author) limits internal link equity and user navigation to additional authoritative content.
  
  
• Limited EEAT Reinforcement: Beyond the byline, there’s no mention of additional EEAT signals like citations, external links to clinical studies, and expert endorsements which could further strengthen trustworthiness.

Expert SEO Advice for Improvement:

1. Add an Author Bio Box:
   • Include a brief author bio box at the end of each blog post (e.g., “Sheena Smith, MS, MA, is a sleep health expert with over 10 years of experience in nutrition and wellness, contributing to Thorne’s mission of personalized health solutions.”). This enhances Expertise and Trustworthiness by providing context about the author’s qualifications.
   • Place the bio box in a consistent location (e.g., below the post content) to improve user experience and signal credibility.
     
     
2. Link to Author Pages:
   • Link the byline (“Sheena Smith, MS, MA”) to the dedicated author page using anchor text like “About the Author.”
   • Include author credentials, certifications, and affiliations with Thorne’s research or health initiatives to boost Authoritativeness.
     
     
3. Enhance EEAT Signals:
   • Add citations or links to clinical studies referenced in the post (e.g., studies on melatonin or cortisol) to reinforce Expertise and Authoritativeness. For example, link to peer-reviewed research or Thorne’s own clinical data.
   • Include a “Reviewed by” line (e.g., “Reviewed by Dr. John Doe, MD”) for health-related posts to further establish credibility, especially for YMYL content.

Product Category Pages

What Needs Improvement:

• Lack of Text Content on Product Category Pages:
  
  
  • Issue: The absence of a dedicated text content section (e.g., a category description or informational content about sports performance supplements) on the product category page is a significant missed opportunity. Typical e-commerce category pages include descriptive text to provide context, target keywords, and engage users.
    
    
  • Impact:
    • SEO: Without text content, the page misses out on targeting long-tail keywords (e.g., “best sports performance supplements,” “supplements for athletic endurance”) that could drive organic traffic. This limits the page’s ability to rank for broader category-related queries.
      
      
    • User Engagement: Lack of content reduces the page’s ability to educate users about the benefits of sports performance supplements, potentially lowering engagement and conversion rates.
      
      
• Missed Internal Linking Opportunities: Without a text section, there’s no space to include contextual internal links to related products, blog posts, or health tests (e.g., https://www.thorne.com/tests), which could enhance user navigation and distribute page authority.

Expert SEO Advice for Improvement:

1. Add a Product Category Description:
   • Include a keyword-rich, informative text section (200–400 words) at the top or bottom of the category page.
     
     
   • Target long-tail keywords (e.g., “sports performance supplements,” “NSF certified supplements for athletes”) to improve organic rankings.
     
     
   • Highlight Thorne’s expertise (e.g., partnerships with UFC, clinical research) to strengthen EEAT signals.
     
     
2. Incorporate Internal Links:
   • Within the category description, add contextual links to key products and blog posts.

FAQs on Homepage

What’s Done Well:

• Interactive FAQ Feature: The expand-on-click feature for FAQs on the homepage enhances user experience by providing a clean, interactive way to access information without cluttering the page.

What Needs Improvement:

• JavaScript Dependency for FAQs: The FAQs not appearing when JavaScript is disabled indicates a critical reliance on JavaScript for rendering essential content. This is a technical SEO issue because:
  • Search engines like Google can crawl JavaScript-rendered content, but they may deprioritize or struggle with content that requires JavaScript to load, especially if not optimized for server-side rendering (SSR) or prerendering.
  • Accessibility is compromised for users with JavaScript disabled (e.g., screen readers or low-bandwidth scenarios), which can harm user experience and inclusivity.
    
    
• Potential Crawlability Issue: If FAQs contain important keywords or information relevant to search intent, their JavaScript dependency could reduce their visibility to search engines, impacting rankings.