In 2024, Google triggered seismic shifts were triggered to their search results with a series of core updates. Google is constantly looking for ways to improve search results for the user. The updates in 2024 were touted as improving the quality of the search results. The changes bring marketing back to the basics with content creation.
Welcome to E-E-A-T. For years, Google used E-A-T to help guide the content quality for the search engine. The letters stand for experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. Google uses these components to help give users the most relevant and valuable search results. In December 2022, this pneumonic was updated to E-E-A-T, adding expertise to the list.
Why E-E-A-T matters
E-E-A-T is not a specific ranking factor for Google. It is a tool used by the algorithm to help identify and focus on the most helpful content for a user’s search. Google’s human reviewers, known as Quality Raters, use this tool to help assess the quality of content. Improving a site’s E-E-A-T will help identify a site as providing higher-quality content. The more pieces of E-E-A-T a site satisfies, the more weight the algorithm gives in identifying it as useful.
Google leans heavily on E-E-A-T for topics they call “Your Money or Your Life” or YMYL for short. These are topics with the potential to impact the reader’s finances, health, or safety. These are also topics that can influence the well-being of society in general. For this reason, trustworthiness is the most important factor of E-E-A-T.
What is E-E-A-T
Experience: This is the level of direct first-hand or life experience the creator has about the content they are writing. Their personal experience allows them to discuss a unique perspective, which leads to more unique content. Here is an example of a nurse writing about her experience working on cruise ships:
Expertise: This reflects the knowledge the content creator has about their subject. It is again used to provide confidence in the quality of content. This example is from a healthcare provider sharing their expertise on a topic.
Authoritativeness: A well-established and respected site is authoritative. It is a source the reader can trust. Google assesses this by looking for the quality and quantity of backlinks on a site. A site like Harvard Health is well-regarded and has millions of backlinks. This gives them a high authority score.
Trustworthiness: Trustworthiness is a combination of experience, expertise, and authority. The greater your combination of the three, the more trustworthy a site is. The safety and reliability of a site is also taken into account. Sites with good security measures and easy-to-access help for the user will rate higher.
What E-E-A-T isn’t
Remember, E-E-A-T is not a specific ranking factor. Google is clear on this. It’s not just a checklist of items to follow. It is a nuanced idea that takes a qualitative look at sites. This means E-E-A-T will look different for each business or site.
Tips to improve E-E-A-T
Create helpful content for your target audience. Ensure the content showcases your brand’s expertise.
Make your content unique by using experts with unique perspectives on the topics.
Design your editorial standards with E-E-A-T in mind. Ensure the content is fact-checked and proofread.
Produce a style guide with a well-defined style. Include specific sourcing and citing information.
Build your brand reputation so your site has more exposure online. Earn authoritative backlinks to your content.
Give credit to the content creators. This helps build trust and can showcase your creator’s expertise.
Avoid AI-generated content.
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