SEO E-A-T can be an excellent way for your website to be credible and valuable. E-A-T does not directly impact search rankings, but it can indirectly affect them over time. It is easy to get lost in the sea of information on SEO E-A-T, but all you need is a set of clear guidelines that will ensure results.
Although Google doesn’t always make it clear how they rank sites in the search engine result pages (SERPs), certain things can boost your rankings. One of those things is E-A-T SEO.
What is E-A-T? E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It is not an algorithm or a Google update. It is a standard.
These are the key factors search engines use to determine a page’s quality. This concept was published for the first time in 2014 in the Search Qualitator Guidelines.
The importance of page quality was only recognized by the SEO industry in 2019 with the release of Google’s Update.
E-A-T was created to address the problem of low-quality content appearing in search results due to keywords. Ranking algorithms now focus on the reputation of a publisher, their purpose, and the reliability of the content.
Let’s look at E-A-T SEO in detail and answer the question: What is Google E-A-T? We’ll give some tips on optimizing your website to achieve these ranking factors. Let’s get started!
What is E-A-T?
Google admits that its algorithms measure “Expertise and Authoritativeness” as well as “Trustworthiness”. Here’s a closer take on what each means:
- Expertise – a high-level of knowledge in a specific field. It indicates that the publisher has provided expert information.
- Authoritativeness – emphasizes the authority and reputation of the publisher and the website itself. It is affected by the expertise and credentials of the publisher, as well as reviews from genuine users.
- Trustworthiness – shows that the content includes trustworthy sources of information. An SSL certificate can be used to verify the validity of your website and ensure that users are protected.
E-A-T allows Quality Raters to analyze and quantify the value of your website’s main content.
The Quality Raters evaluate search engine results for quality. Their feedback is used to help Google determine how well its search engine algorithm works and then improve it to provide a better user experience (UX).
What Is the Importance of E-A-T SEO?
SEO is all about quality content. E-A-T guidelines will only help you to do that. E-A-T is mainly associated with actionable SEO tips.
Link building is another crucial factor that helps improve SEO with E-A-T. It is better to choose high-quality links. Adding more links to authoritative sites will improve your SEO performance. It is a grE-A-T way to increase your authority part of E-A-T.
Linking to authoritative sites increases your chances of getting a backlink.
You can improve your domain authority by referring to high authority domains. This technique is essential for SEO E-A-T.
To improve SEO with E-A-T, quality is more important than quantity. Remember that link farms are never a good idea. This negative SEO tactic will only destroy all your SEO efforts.
What is Google E-A-T?
Google takes E-A-T into consideration when evaluating the credibility of online sources (e.g., publishers, content, websites). It allows you to distinguish between websites of high quality and those that are not.
A high E-A-T score means that your website meets Google’s search quality guidelines. It is a sign of high quality and ensures that Quality Raters can trust the information you share.
E-A-T is essential for all websites, particularly for YMYL sites (Your Money or Your Life). YMYL is a term that refers to websites that can influence important life decisions such as safety, health, and finances. These websites are more powerful and therefore have higher quality standards.
If we look at a blog about food or a site about medicine, the latter should be more E-A-T since its content can impact a person’s daily life. Google would also analyze the knowledge based on the website’s content and importance.
E-A-T Guidelines You Need to Know
Let’s discuss some Google E-A-T SEO best practices because it is so important in organic search.
You can take many steps to significantly improve SEO with E-A-T, your website’s content, and give Google and users the trust signals they want. Remember that if your website falls under the YMYL classification, you can expect it to be held up to a higher standard.
1. Off-page SEO is a great way to build the right backlinks.
Backlinks to relevant domains with high authority are the backbone of an effective SEO strategy. They are also a great way to improve SEO with E-A-T and show that you are a respected authority in your field.
It’s unlikely that a backlink from a teenage fashion website will help you if you work in IT consulting. If you use these tactics, you could face a manual penalty. This was discovered by an insurance lead generation website that generated thousands of low-quality links from unrelated websites and saw its page one rankings disappear. Many of these links fell to page 15.
You must create high-quality, valuable content that people will link to in order to earn them. You won’t get much traction if you post a 500-word listicle once a month to your blog. You must invest time and resources to establish yourself as an authority on any topic. Next, establish relationships with influential people and publishers. These high-value backlinks are sure to follow.
2. Aim for more trusted sources to give you more mentions.
Backlinks and mentions from trusted sources can boost your E-A-T credentials. Google will trust you more if your brand or name is found in authoritative sources on the internet.
Google Patent states that “implied” links — which are plain text mentions about your brand name — can be considered a type of backlink. Patent clarifies that incoming links can be either actual links or plaintext. All links from credible websites, both implied and explicit, are counted towards determining the page’s quality. Google confirmed that mentions on high-authority websites are taken into account and considered in ranking decisions.
3. Make sure your content is accurate and current.
If your website’s content is not about something that frequently changes, pages likely have outdated information.
Keep your content current and accurate as much as possible to improve SEO with E-A-T. This approach is especially true if your pages contain news or other time-sensitive information. Think of medical information as an example. It is crucial to keep the content up-to-date based on discoveries and knowledge.
4. Encourage reviews and respond to them.
Promoting online reviews about your products and services is a great business strategy. These reviews can help you build your website’s E-A-T in Google’s eyes. Positive reviews on multiple review sites (Facebook and Yelp) are a sign that your company is trustworthy. Reviews show that consumers trust your company.
Respond to all reviews, even negative ones. You can increase your brand’s trustworthiness and eventually improve SEO with E-A-T by responding to customer feedback.
Google has published product reviews updates. This update is designed to encourage review content beyond the standard templated information found online today. Google will promote these enhanced product reviews in its search results.
5. Show your credentials.
You shouldn’t call your authors experts without verifying their expertise. You should verify their credentials and link to them on your site alongside the content they have created. Google will understand your content if you link to their websites and social media handles.
Do not be afraid to showoff the writer’s achievements. Your experts should be listed on pages that explain the people behind your website. These pages could include About or Team.
Your brand is entitled to tell people and Google about your writers who have earned credentials, accreditations, degrees, or the time necessary to be considered an authority in their field.
6. Do a content audit.
Your website probably has a lot of content. Conduct a content audit and ensure that all the content you have published over time meets E-A-T standards.
There are three options for each page:
- Update content
- Delete content
- Combine content with pages from related categories
Let’s say, for example, that you have a blog article from four years ago. Update the information if it is out of date. Is it outdated, no longer relevant, or not worth updating? You can delete it. You can either add to it or combine it with related posts to make it more valuable.
When deleting or combining pages, remember to use the appropriate 301 redirects.
Refine Your SEO E-A-T Today!
E-A-T should not be considered the primary metric of your marketing strategy as these E-A-T guidelines are more essential for YMYL websites. However, if your website doesn’t fit into the category, you can still consider improving your E-A-T. Here are the key steps:
- Improve the authority of your writers.
- Invite famous authors to contribute to your blog.
- Consider long-form content that is more likely to rank in the top 10.
- Research well and cite your source.
Advanced Digital Media Services understands the importance of incorporating E-A-T when creating content for your website. Our SEO Services in Denver, CO. can help your website be credible and valuable through the E-A-T principle. Our tips and Google’s search engine guidelines can help you improve SEO with E-A-T.
Want to learn more about E-A-T and SEO? Contact us today and take those valuable top spots on SERPs by showcasing your expertise, authority, and trustworthiness.
