You might have heard of E-E-A-T in SEO as a factor that can improve your website’s authority and level of trust for Google search engine, yet not all the marketers understand why it’s actually do crucial.
PeakyAds team has prepared the article to uncover all the details of the acronym, including tips to improve the metric and real website that have high E-E-A-T as an example. Find out how Google actually evaluates the factor and what it stands for in the article!
What Is E-E-A-T?
So, what is E-E-A-T? To put it simple, “E-E-A-T» is short for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust. This is the evolution of the older E-A-T framework, created by Google earlier.
Previously, Google had introduced E-A-T — Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust in order to assess the quality and trustworthiness of a web page. The same framework became a vital part of the Search Quality Rater Guidelines developed by Google to have human evaluators assess search results.
Google added «E» for «Experience» as a means of establishing expertise and credibility on any particular topic, making E-E-A-T update. This especially works well for websites connected with the health, financial security, safety, or well-being.
With E-E-A-T, Google is stressing that what counts is the qualification of the content creators, reputation, and direct practical experience with the subject matter. It’s important to point out that E-E-A-T itself is not a direct ranking factor within the core algorithm of Google; instead, it provides more of a guideline to the human quality rater as a way of ensuring that results standards are satisfactory.
Of course, Google uses those analyses in order to improve its algorithms. So, though E-E-A-T is not a ranking factor directly, it can actually help a website in many ways.
Why E-E-A-T Is Important for SEO?
Google focuses on E-E-A-T in an effort to provide the most reliable and valuable content for user queries. This helps not only users by improving the quality of search results but also brands and content creators who genuinely build up their expertise and authority in their fields.
E-E-A-T is most crucial in “your money or your life” topics as users really want to trust the information that comes up for these themes. Content produced by people with firsthand experience tends to be considered more credible. Yet, the importance of E-E-A-T goes beyond YMYL topics: users like to get perspectives from first-hand experiencers on a wide variety of topics, like product reviews or travel destinations.
For example, a review of an iPhone should be written by someone who has used the device, just like a restaurant guide that is written by someone who has dined there. The core of E-E-A-T is trust. Google says if pages are not trustworthy, they do not have E-E-A-T, even if the experience and/or authority seems great.
Gaining trust with Google’s quality raters requires showing real life experience and adherence to E-E-A-T guidelines. It is this way that your content will be recognized as reliable and authoritative.
How to Demonstrate E-E-A-T For Your Brand
For strong E-E-A-T audit and improvement, there are the four key elements that brands and content creators should focus on:
1. Experience.
Firsthand knowledge can be demonstrated by including bios of authors, sharing behind-the-scenes information, or adding personal examples or info to your content.
2. Expertise.
This refers to the creation of well-researched, accurate content that establishes the qualifications of authors by referencing credible sources.
3. Authoritativeness.
This pertains to the creation of high-quality content on a consistent basis, recognition from reputable sites, and having a good industry reputation that contributes to your brand’s credibility.
4. Trustworthiness.
Be transparent about who works for you; have an open contact and customer support and follow ethical guidelines regarding content.
How Google’s Quality Raters Evaluate E-E-A-T
The Google Quality Rater Guidelines, sometimes called the Quality Evaluator Guidelines, provide info on how to evaluate the quality of a website. Their goal is to improve Google’s search algorithm to better serve users. These guidelines instruct quality raters in the random evaluation of whether results returned for a query are relevant and useful.
This really long PDF, more than 160 pages, outlines what makes pages high and low quality. The rater Google E-E-A-T guidelines are meant to give criteria and examples for raters as they evaluate «Page Quality» and «Needs Met.»
Examples are throughout the guidelines and involve ranking search results as high, medium, and low quality.
Here’s an overview of the most critical takeaways from the guidelines.
Devices
With the rise in the number of mobile searches, Google moved to mobile-first indexing in March 2018, where it started considering mobile pages before desktop ones. According to studies, more than 50% of all site visits are from mobile devices. Hence, quality raters have started to shift more toward mobile content and site reputation.
Page Quality (PQ)
Page quality ratings are about how well the website achieves its purpose. A page will not be rated as low unless it is intentionally created to cheat users.
Those are the most crucial aspects of determining page quality:
- Website Purpose.
Each website should have some purpose that brings value to the users. The rating for a high-quality page is when the main content actually meets the purpose of the website. - Content Quality.
Main Content (MC) covers the core and substantial level of text, images, or videos within the website. Supplementary Content (SC) is additional page content that increases the user experience of the website. The content creation skill is important when determining quality.
Needs Met (NM)
This page discusses how «needs met» relates to page quality. Although the rating must consider both the user query and the search result, Google asks raters to evaluate page quality as an independent concept from the query.
Basically, the intent of the query is what determines whether the query is satisfactory to the user or not. However, the quality of the page is assessed on other grounds separately based on the criteria specified. The ultimate objective of the Google Quality Rater Guidelines is the satisfaction of the users. To support the raters in evaluating various search queries and their corresponding results, examples are given to classify and assess them better.
How to Improve Your E-E-A-T: 5 Tips
If you are new to the world of E-E-A-T, looking for some quick tips that help improve your website rating, here are five powerful techniques to use as E-E-A-T checklist:
1. Building quality backlinks
High-quality backlinks are a signal that your website is an authority and source of expertise. Partner with your SEO and PR teams to create content that places your site in a leading position in your industry. Focus on the quality of backlinks rather than the quantity; links derived from reputable sites are far more valuable than those coming from low-quality ones.
2. Review and update content
Revisit your existing content regularly and refresh it. Make sure that your update is very strong in terms of E-E-A-T, time, effort, and knowledge. Demonstrate your expertise when revising, as sharing experience may build trust in visitors.
3. Showcase positive user reviews
Display customer reviews and testimonials to your advantage. Share actual experiences so that the expectation for the potential user is set well. Interact with feedback on other platforms by responding to positive and negative reviews, showing customers that you value their opinions.
4. Collaboration with experts
Establishing authority requires credible information. Clearly define your expertise on your «About Us» page and collaborate with recognized experts in your field. If multiple authors contribute to your content, highlight their collective experience to enhance credibility.
5. Focus on personal branding
Personal branding is increasingly important in establishing authority. E-E-A-T raters look for evidence of trustworthiness in your industry, so becoming a known influencer and producing high-quality content can give you an edge. Invest time in building your personal brand, especially if you’re a small business or just starting out, as it can significantly impact your visibility and credibility.
3 Examples Of Websites Demonstrating E-E-A-T
To make the indicator even more obvious, PeakyAds team has found three real sites examples that demonstrate E-E-A-T with most efficiency.
1. WebMD
- Expertise.
WebMD original articles and content are created by physicians and other medical specialists who know what they are talking about. Often, this is listed via bios and credentials attached with the article so the readers may be assured they know something.
- Experience.
WebMD has been the home for health-related information, articles written by medical professionals, and health experts altogether. It often features stories of patients and experiences added to its pages, giving that personal touch to the content.
- Authoritativeness.
WebMD is considered one of the most reliable sources of health information. It has been cited by numerous reputable organizations and media outlets, which enhances its authority in the healthcare space. The site’s partnerships with medical institutions further bolster its authoritative standing.
- Trustworthiness.
WebMD has gained trust by being transparent in its practices: it clearly cites sources, disclaims medical advice, and is easy to navigate. It also provides clear privacy policies and adheres to ethical standards in the presentation of health information, reassuring users about their data security.
2. Mayo Clinic
- Experience.
Web pages on patient stories and testimonials at the Mayo Clinic range from a variety of topics dealing with real experiences regarding treatments and healthcare services. Such a personal touch allows potential patients to relate more to information provided.
- Expertise.
The Mayo Clinic is an established medical organization recognized by several health professionals. The authors of the articles on this website are doctors and specialists, and they provide quite detailed information on conditions, treatments, and research.
- Authoritativeness.
As a leading health care provider, Mayo Clinic is one of the most cited entities in academic research and health journalism. Being known as one of the top hospitals in the United States adds to its credibility among the medical fraternity.
- Trustworthiness.
Mayo Clinic is a patient-oriented and safety concern organization that has clearly described its communications on medical information. The website assures security policies, information about patients’ rights, and convenience in reaching out to healthcare professionals for further clarification, thus instilling confidence among the users.
3. NerdWallet
- Experience.
NerdWallet shares personal finance through real-life experiences of users and financial experts. The website contains user-generated content, reviews of financial products, and case studies that give a realistic look at practical applications of financial strategies.
- Expertise.
The content is developed by a team of financial analysts and experts who go over credit cards, loans, investments, budgeting, and so on. Most of the articles would also mention bios of the authors, which show qualifications and experience related to finance.
- Authoritativeness.
NerdWallet is an established source of information about personal finance. It has been cited by major media and financial institutions, which helps establish its authority in the field of finance.
- Trustworthiness.
It does this by readily disclosing affiliate relationships and disclosing how the site derives income. Second, the tools that range from comparison calculators to budgeting resources are user-friendly, reliable, and further contribute to trustworthiness when readers seek financial guidance.
Conclusion
Now you know the basics of E-E-A-T and actually understand why it’s so important for your content, how to improve it and see the real examples of websites that have a good E-E-A-T.
Go ahead and reach the maximum of your content quality with PeakyAds expert team today!
