With the recent rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), mass producing content not written by someone who has expertise or first-hand experience in that field has become easier than ever.
Do you know that Google is still the search engine market leader, with over 80% of the market share?
Google wants to provide accurate information to its users, hence the creation of Google’s E-A-T Guidelines which stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness.
In the world today, we place more trust on people who are qualified, trusted and authoritative; and often prefer to get information or advice from them.
For example, if you’re looking for tax information, you will be interested in content produced by an Accountant or a Tax Advisor.
Because they have expertise, experience and authority on the subject, you can trust what they have to say because you can be sure of getting accurate and sound information.
In the same manner, Google aims to become an authority by providing quality, trustworthy, precise and accurate information to searchers and users in order to boost their search or user experience through its E-A-T Guidelines.
Google’s E-A-T Guidelines are designed to assess content quality and they establish what it takes to create a good quality website with strong ranking potential.
So dear reader, if you’re a website owner, business owner, content creator or someone involved in SEO, this article is for you.
This article will not only expose you to what Google’s E-A-T Guidelines are all about, and why they are important for SEO, but you’ll also be given tips on how to utilize Google’s E-A-T Guidelines for better SEO.
So what are you waiting for their reader? Let’s dive in!
What Is E-A-T?
E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. It is a framework that Google uses to evaluate the quality of web pages, especially for content that affects users’ health, finance or overall well-being (often called Your Money or Your Life (YMYL)content).
E-A-T comes from Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines, which is a 168-page document used by human quality raters to assess the quality of Google’s search results.
Google introduced E-A-T which stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness to evaluate web content’s overall quality and credibility.
It then became a key component of Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines, which raters use to assess such results.
Google published this document online in 2013 to help Webmasters understand what Google looks for in a web page.
Google uses these factors to ascertain how much it can trust your site and its content. The more trust you build with E-A-T, the more likely Google is to display your site for relevant searches.
In December, 2022, Google changed E-A-T to E-E-A-T. To ensure that users get the best experience, Google introduced E-E-A-T in their Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines to ensure that content published online is of high quality.
The extra “E” stands for Experience and precedes the original E-A-T concept which stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness.
How Is Google’s E-A-T Evaluated?
Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness are similar concepts, but they are not identical. Therefore, they are evaluated separately, using a different set of criteria as follows:
Expertise
Expertise means to have a high level of knowledge or skill in a particular field. It’s evaluated primarily at the content level and not at the website to organizational level.
The content should be created by someone knowledgeable in the subject, as Google is always looking for content created by an expert in a particular field of subject matter.
For YMYL topics, this is about the formal education, qualifications and expertise of the content creator; but real-world experience can also count. Formal expertise is important for YMYL topics such as Finance, Medicine or Legal Advice.
For example, a Surgeon is more qualified to write about surgical procedures than someone who’s read a few posts about it.
For non-YMYL topics on the other hand, it’s about demonstrating relevant life experience and “everyday expertise”.
Some topics require less formal expertise. If it seems as if the person creating the content has the type and amount of life experience required to make more her and “expert” on the topic, that “everyday expertise” will be valued and that person\ web page\website will not be penalized for not having “formal” education or training in the field.
Google also agrees that “everyday expertise” is enough for some YMYL topics. For example, for a practical question like “What does it feel like to have cancer?”, someone living with the disease is in a better position to give an answer than a qualified doctor with years of experience.
In addition, it’s possible to have “everyday expertise” in YMYL topics. For example, there forums and support pages for people with specific diseases.
Authoritativeness
Authority is about reputation, particularly among other experts and influencers in the industry. In other words, when others see you or your website as the number one source of information about a topic, that’s authority.
To evaluate authority, users\raters search the web for insights into the reputation of the individual or website. They usually do this by looking for independent sources.
Users\raters searching for reputation information try to find sources that were not written or created by the individual, website or the company itself.
It’s important to remember that Authority is relative concept. Although Tesla and Elon Musk are authoritative sources of information about electric vehicles, they have little to no authority when it comes to SEO.
Some people and websites are uniquely authoritative when it comes to certain topics. For example, the most authoritative source of lyrics to Coldplay songs is their official website and the most authoritative source of information for Jumia is their official website as well.
In addition, if you want to find out what users, raters or experts really think about your website, look for reviews, recommendations, references by experts; news articles and other credible information created or written by individuals about the website.
Trustworthiness
Trust is about legitimacy, transparency and accuracy of the website and its content. Your site should be transparent, secure and credible.
Users\raters look for a number of factors to evaluate trustworthiness including, whether the website states who is responsible for published content.
This is especially important for YMYL queries, but also applies to non-YMYL queries.
YMYL websites demand a high level of trust, so they always need satisfying information about who is responsible for the content of the site.
Having sufficient contact information is also important for YMYL topics and online stores. For example, if a store or financial transaction website has just a physical address and an email address, it may be difficult to get help if there are problems with the transaction.
Content accuracy is another factor that users\raters take into account when evaluating trustworthiness.
For news articles and information pages, high quality main content must be factually accurate for the topic must be supported by expert consensus where such consensus exists.
Citing trustworthy sources is also a part of this, as articles with a satisfying amount of accurate information and trustworthy external references are usually rated high.
In addition, just remember that trust, like authoritativeness, is a relative concept. People and websites can’t be perceived as trustworthy in all areas.
Why Google’s E-A-T Guidelines Are Important For SEO
By prioritizing E-A-T (E- E-A-T), Google aims to bring out the most reliable, trustworthy and valuable content for any query.
This benefits users by providing them with higher quality search results. It also benefits brands and content creators who invest in building genuine expertise and authority in their field.
Google’s E-A-T Guidelines are important for SEO because it helps determine the credibility and potential of a website, especially for YMYL content which includes Health, Legal, Finance and safety-related topics.
Google’s E-A-T Guidelines are also important for SEO because:
It’s Essential For Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) Topics
Google’s E-A-T Guidelines (E- E-A-T) are particularly vital for YMYL brands and topics.
Websites dealing with Finance, Health or Legal topics must showcase strong E-A-T in order to prevent misinformation and ensure the safety of the user.
For these sensitive subjects, users need to be able to trust the information they find. Content created by those with direct experience is usually seen as more trustworthy and reliable, as users often value content from people with first hand knowledge and experience for virtually any topic.
For example, if someone is writing a review about a particular brand of cosmetics, he\she should have used the product or if the person is writing a review about the best hotels in Paris, he\she should have visited them.
It Helps Improve Content Quality and Credibility
Content quality plays a massive role in boosting your SEO, as it increases the chances of your content being shared, thereby driving more traffic; it improves your engagement metrics like Click Through Rates (CTR), Page View, Dwell Time, etc. and it helps you get organic backlinks.
Google uses E-A-T to assess whether your content is reliable and if it’s written by knowledgeable people.
In addition, E-A-T content attracts more engagement and trust from users.
It Improves User Experience And Trust
Users are more likely to trust and engage with websites that appear authoritative and credible. This leads to higher conversations and brand loyalty.
In addition, search engines are placing more emphasis on user experience (UX); therefore, it must play a significant role in all your content creation and SEO efforts.
It Leads To Higher Search Engine Rankings And Results
Google prioritizes content that demonstrates expertise, authority and trust. E-A-T is a key factor in Google’s decision to rank websites in search results.
Websites with strong E-A-T signals are more likely to rank higher than websites with weak E-A-T signals.
It Helps Avoid Damaging Your Brand Reputation
Misinformation on topics like health, finance and law can significantly damage your E-A-T ranking.
Google prioritizes content from authoritative, knowledgeable and trustworthy sources.
If your brand is known for consistently producing high quality, well-researched and factually accurate content, the risk of spreading misinformation that could damage your reputation is reduced.
Google’s E-A-T Guidelines For Better SEO
Google’s E-A-T (E- E-A-T) Guidelines are a set of principles that help improve SEO by establishing credibility and trustworthiness.
These guidelines cover Google’s Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness components.
While there is no specific SEO framework, these Google’s E-A-T Guidelines\best practices should still be followed. They include:
Produce High Quality Content
Write accurate, useful information that’s error free by prioritizing well-researched, in-depth and user-focused content.
Also maintain accurate command fact-checked content with references to reliable sources. •
Create Expert-authored Content
Content should be created by qualified experts in the field. Attribute content to an expert with relevant expertise.
Update Content Regularly
An authority on a subject would never allow their content to become outdated. A page that hasn’t been updated recently likely contains old or inaccurate information.
Review your site’s content and keep it fresh or up-to-date with new information, especially if it’s time sensitive, as information changes on a topic.
Link To Experts
Clearly site sources in your content, include links to peer-reviewed articles and other credible websites.
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It usually difficult to trust claims, facts or statistics found online because there’s often no clear reference to where the information came from.
Is the information from your own data? State it clearly. Was information source from someone else’s research or content? State it clearly.
Gain mentions, backlinks and citations from authoritative sources.
Secure Your Website
Use SSL encryption, HTTPS websites and malware scanners to protect user data.
Use Structured Data Markup
This helps Google categorize content and understand it.
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Get Positive Reviews
Encourage genuine reviews from customers and clients. Encourage and manage positive user reviews and feedback.
Include Author BIO and About Us Page
Your “About Us” page is the best place to tell your brand’s story. It should be your website’s showcase of who you are, what’s your background is and what makes you different.
Your “About Us” page can include: your story, your products and services, your Unique Selling Proposition (USP), your team, your reviews and testimonials, your locations, your clients and customers, your contact information, proof of expertise such as awards and certifications.
You can do this by displaying certifications, credentials or experience relevant topics.
In addition, having a clear Author’s bio and “About Us” page establishes credibility.
Establish A Positive Brand Reputation
A positive brand reputation goes a long way in helping you gain people’s trust.
Build a strong personal or brand identity in your niche by addressing negative feedbacks professionally and engaging with your audience.
Conclusion
Google’s E-A-T Guidelines (E- E-A-T) may not be a direct ranking factor, but it influences Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines, which shape how Google improves its search algorithms.
This makes crucial for SEO success. Applying Google’s E-A-T Guidelines can help you improve your business’ online visibility, thereby helping you generate more leads and sales.
Here at Prowess Digital Solutions, our team of SEO expert researchers and writers can help you boost your brand’s E-E-A-T and reach your goals.
So, what are you waiting for dear reader? Give it a try and watch your rankings rise.
