Mastering the art of SEO requires a deep understanding of Google’s guidelines, which means getting to grips with E-E-A-T. As a key component of Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines, E-E-A-T has become integral to any good SEO strategy. But what does E-E-A-T stand for? And more importantly, how does this influence search engine rankings?
What is E-E-A-T?
E-E-A-T stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness, and is a concept heavily employed by Google . Originally, it was just E-A-T (expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness) and was used to assess and categorise search engine content.
E-A-T became a key part of Google’s Search Quality Raters Guidelines, the handbook that human raters (called Quality Raters) use to examine search results. In 2022, Google introduced “experience” as another key pillar of this quality-assessing concept. By including this added layer, Google started to recognise the importance of first-hand lived experiences and accounts from different voices, and in turn, prioritising this type of content.
Breaking down E-E-A-T
Here’s a look at what each individual element of E-E-A-T means:
Experience
Experience refers to the first-hand knowledge or skills that whoever is writing the content possesses. With this pillar, Google places a special emphasis on content created by highly-experienced individuals. For SMBs, your best bet is to create content that highlights the real-world applications of your products or services, as well as case studies and first-person testimonials from customers.
Expertise
Google’s quality raters must determine whether the authors behind your website’s content are indeed experts in their field. Expertise and experience may overlap, but they’re not the same thing. An author may have years of experience in their field, but may not have the credentials or in-depth knowledge that makes them an expert in that field.
You can leverage your team’s expertise by creating researched, in-depth articles, guides and white papers citing credible sources. Also, ensure that all website contributors have an author profile with a clear bio that links to their previous work.
Authoritativeness
Authoritativeness is all about positioning your website as the go-to source for everything related to your industry or niche. This can be achieved by writing original content, earning backlinks from trusted sites, accumulating positive reviews, and actively participating in industry discussions taking place both online and offline.
In addition to the organic route, you can also actively seek opportunities to guest blog on well-known industry sites, hire a press agent to ensure media coverage, and invite industry-leading voices to contribute to your website and social media channels.
Trustworthiness
It all boils down to trustworthiness, the foundation of E-E-A-T. Ensuring your website has clear policies, is secure, prioritises user experiences, provides clear contact information, and conveys your business practices is fundamental. All these elements signal that your website, and in turn your business, are credible and reliable.
Why is E-E-A-T important for SEO?
Whilst E-E-A-T is not a direct ranking factor, it plays a significant role in how Google judges the credibility and value of your website. Here’s how:
Prioritises content
Google’s algorithm prioritises content that adheres to the E-E-A-T concept. Content that demonstrates authority and is of high-quality is more likely to rank well compared to content Google deems low-quality. This means your website is given a boost, leading to more organic traffic.
Enhances the user experience
Content that puts E-E-A-T front and centre not only pleases search engine crawlers and quality raters, but also provides a better user experience. Visitors are more likely to trust content from reputable and well-known sources. Furthermore, there’s a bigger chance they’ll visit that website again in the future.
Builds brand reputation
By constantly delivering high-quality content that meets the E-E-A-T criteria, SMBs can reach a new audience that gets a clear sense of what the brand is about. Consequently, this builds a strong brand reputation that attracts, and most importantly retains, customers.
Mitigates risk of penalties
Google’s algorithm is regularly updated to eliminate low-quality content that does not comply with SEO and E-E-A-T best practices. To ensure your site stays in Google’s good graces, always apply E-E-A-T guidelines throughout your website. Not doing so will lead to penalties that will undo all your SEO efforts.
Supports your digital marketing strategy
E-E-A-T can be applied to all marketing channels, not just your website. Whether you’re writing a newsletter, a social media post, or a blog post, conveying experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness is key to building a loyal audience and a long-lasting brand.
5 ways businesses can implement E-E-A-T:
Here’s how you can make sure your website adheres to Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines:
1. Audit your existing content
You can start implementing E-E-A-T by auditing your existing content. Edit and improve content that doesn’t showcase experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness, and replace it with well-researched and well-cited alternatives. Then, identify gaps in your content strategy and brainstorm ideas that will position your brand as a thought leader in your niche.
2. Showcase expertise
Leverage your team’s expertise by highlighting their credentials and experience in their author bios. Celebrate their professional wins, and don’t hesitate to show them off!
All this helps position your brand as an industry expert. If possible, bring in third-party experts to guest blog or review existing content. This ensures that any stats and references are up to date.
3. Build a strong backlink profile
When it comes to backlinks, quality trumps quantity. Focus on earning backlinks from reputable websites. Remember that backlinks are akin to votes of confidence from other websites, signalling that your website is credible and reputable.
4. Improve your website’s security
Make sure you (and your website) are up to speed with website security principles, such as privacy policies, certifications, HTTPS encryption and web application firewalls (WAF), to name but a few.
5. Engage with your audience
Off-page initiatives also contribute to building your brand reputation and boosting your SEO. Actively connect with your audience on social media and respond to their feedback and concerns. Responding to both complaints and positive feedback is a good way to show Google that you care about your audience and always put them first.
Conclusion
E-E-A-T goes beyond the acronym. By using it as your company’s north star, you’ll not only see an uptick in search rankings, but it will ultimately help you build a stronger brand reputation that establishes your role as a top player in the industry.
