The only thing that happens constantly in the field of SEO is “Change”. It’s a regular thing that Google keeps on updating their algorithm in order to bring to its users the utmost reliable and relevant information. Out of the many concepts brought out by Google in this new era of SEO is E-E-A-T which is a framework used by Google to understand and rate the content quality. Hence it’s very important to have a proper understanding of E-E-A-T and optimize it.
Those who are new to this concept will have this question: What is E-E-A-T and how should you be aligning the content presentation in order to achieve its benefits.
What Is E-E-A-T?
E-E-A-T represents Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness.
Google has a team of evaluators who would be judging the quality of website pages. In order to help these evaluators, Google has a set of guidelines called Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines and E-E-A-T is used for the same. Like Keywords as well the speed of the page, E-E-A-T is not a straight factor for ranking. E-E-A-T has a major influence on how the content is being evaluated and decides which pages are eligible for higher ranking.
Let’s closely examine what each term refers to.
Experience
Experience is very recently (in 2022) added to the Google Search Framework. It applies to a hands-on or real life experience on a subject. To understand it more clearly, let’s check an example. Someone writing a product review on a thing that they have used and such contents will be considered more reliable than a person giving a review based on some random information.
Expertise
Expertise refers to the understanding and ability of the person in that field who writes the content about a particular subject. Google checks for the relevant education and skillset of the content creators, the credential he holds etc on that particular subject. For example - a medical journal written by an experienced doctor will be considered more relevant than the content coming from a random blogger with no relevant educational background.
Authoritativeness
This point is all about how much other people recognise and value your content. It can be understood by how others relate to your content, if they mention your name or article or come back to your content when information is required. For example a website page or a blog that is constantly referred to by news channels or educational institutions or by experts will have a higher score.
Trustworthiness
There is no doubt about the importance of trust. It implied precision, transparency as well as certainty. Is it possible for the users to depend on your content? Do you provide a reference list? To say For Eg. a website with proper contact details, https encryption, privacy policies as well as frequently updated pages will be ranked higher.
How Is E-E-A-T Important For SEO?
Even though E-E-A-T is not a direct parameter like meta tags and backlinks when it comes to SEO ranking, the algorithm of google always favors good high quality content that is developed in accordance with the principles of E-E-A-T. Specifically in the case of Your Money Your Life (YMYL) topics which includes safety, health or finance - Google is more stringent in its filtration for high quality content.
In case of failure to create contents that are in compliance with the E-E-A-T guidelines, it can result in the:
- Low ranking of website or webpage
- Organic traffic reduction
- Loss of reliability
- Increased trust of Google and its users
- Top ranking in due course
- High conversion rate and increased loyalty to the brand
What Are The Ways To Optimize For E-E-A-T?
We hope that by now you have a clear understanding of E-E-A-T and the benefits, we could have a look at the ways to improve a content in order to meet the E-E-A-T principles
1. Display Author Details
- Add details about the author like their biodata along with educational qualifications , certifications (if any) and experience in the real world.
- Provide link to their personal webpages, profiles in public platforms like Linkedin or on details about their past work.
- In the case of health related or legal contents, make sure the content is written by as well as verified by a professional.
2. Provide Details Of Firsthand Experience
- Add photographs, videographs, and personal anecdotes.
- Show actual data, case studies, and perceptions from real usage
- Avoid repetition of content or AI-generated content that does not have originality.
3. Enhance The Website Transparency
- Provide a clear About Us, Contact Us, and Privacy Policy pages.
- Show the location of your business, phone number, and team.
- Always use HTTPS for website security.
4. Backlinks And Mentions
- Get mentions from reputed sources in the industry.
- Guest posts on reputable sites.
- Encourage satisfied customers or partners to give brand reference.
5. Cite Information Sources & Give References
- Give links to scientific data, industrial reports, or to government sites.
- Stay away from providing claims that are not unverified, especially in the case of sensitive topics like healthcare or finance.
- Make sure your content is factually correct and up-to-date.
6. Add Up-to-Date Content
- Make sure your content is regularly audited.
- Keep updating any outdated statistics, links, and processes.
- Revisit your old posts and add new data to keep up the trust and authenticity.
7. Promote User Reviews & Response
- Keep adding testimonials and authentic reviews.
- Put comments and ask questions wherever required
- Reply to any negative feedback in a constructive and transparent manner.
Real-Life Examples Of E-E-A-T
Let’s have a look at some of the real-life examples of websites incorporating E-E-A-T:
- WebMD has a very good ranking and it has contents that are reviewed by experts, medical data that has a clear author biodata and official credentials.
- NerdWallet is a website that offers financial data and is well known for its transparency, updated contents, and website links to official data.
- TripAdvisor makes sure to add contents generated by users, real user reviews, and travel photos—offering real experience.
Conclusion
Authenticity is very important in this digital era flooded with content. The E-E-A-T framework of Google is developed to filter low quality, shallow and misleading web pages and rank credible web pages in order to help users. Be it a marketer, an entrepreneur or a blogger, make sure your contents are created in accordance with the E-E-A-T guidelines to achieve high value. If you think you need help in achieving these high standard contents, BigLeap will be your right choice. We deliver our services all across the globe meeting your requirements at an affordable cost.