Does Your Content EAT? SEO Optimization
It is time that we make your content EAT. While it is technically not a ranking factor, having content that follows E-A-T principles will impact how your content is ranked. And we all want highly ranked content (why else are we doing this then)?
What is EAT?
Google refers to EAT as YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topics. These topics could impact a person’s future, happiness, health, financial stability, and safety. Oddly enough, my content searches for the cutest puppies are not included on this list!
EAT is Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness; this is how Google will measure your content. It is a guideline that determines what content is high quality and should be ranked higher.
But what is it?
Expertise: Expertise is where Google searches for content created by a subject matter expert in a particular field. Expertise is about formal expertise qualifications and education of the content creator, think medical, financial, or legal advice.
Google will also allow “everyday experience” for some YMYL topics.
The most common example is “someone living with cancer is better equipped to answer queries like ‘what is it like to have cancer?’” Showing personal experience is a form of everyday expertise.
Authoritativeness: Authority is about reputation, particularly among other experts and influencers in the industry. To evaluate authority raters, search the web for insights into the website’s reputation or individual.
· Research to find out what real users and experts think about a website.
· Is your website uniquely authoritative when it comes to certain topics?
Trustworthiness: Trustworthiness concerns the legitimacy, transparency, and accuracy of the website and its content.
What is Great Content?
Great content should:
· Be helpful to users.
· Be created by an “expert”.
· Be posted on an authoritative site.
· Be trustworthy.
· Be updated regularly.
How Can You Make Your Website More Trustworthy and Authoritative…EAT Well?
Luckily, we have the Search Engine Journal to give seven steps to make your site more authoritative and trustworthy.
1. Tell Visitors Who You Are: Have an “About Us” or “Team” page that outlines who your team is. The “Author Page” is a great way to establish the team’s expertise, authority, and trustworthiness.
2. Work with Experts to Create Content: Work with experts in the field to create content; can you interview someone who is an expert?
3. Make the Purpose of Your Content Clear: What’s the point of your site? Are you going to explain, inform, convince, or describe? Use titles and headings that make the purpose of your content extremely clear. Use straightforward language.
4. Update Content Regularly: Keep your content accurate and up to date by including content updates in your SEO strategy.
5. Link to High-Quality Sources: Link to official sources, studies, and research papers to support your points.
6. Consider Multiple View Points: Content should look at problems from multiple angles and examine what each angle contributes. Be thorough.
7. Pay Attention to Your Online Reputation: Protect your Brand reputation and encourage customers to leave positive reviews about your Brand.
E-A-T
EAT is not a ranking factor but will impact your content’s rank. If your site involves topics impacting a person’s future, health, financial stability, or safety, have your site EAT.
Remember Expert, Authority, and Trustworthiness on your site in your content; all is well.
