In regards to SEO, E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. It was introduced in 2014 and was further emphasized in Google’s Search Quality Guidelines in 2018. If you haven’t been paying attention to E-A-T, we hope this post encourages you to do so. Why? Because Google has stated that E-A-T is among the top three considerations for page quality.
In short, a website’s value is determined by E-A-T. If a user is having a good experience and finding what they need, they are more likely to share or recommend the content to others. This leads to a high E-A-T that positively influences your rankings. So, how do you improve your web page’s E-A-T? We’ll explain how.
Quick Review of E-A-T SEO
- Expertise. Your content must demonstrate that you are an expert in your field. This can be done by creating valuable articles and blog posts that help your audience solve problems.
- Authoritativeness. Who is responsible for your content? Each author should have the appropriate knowledge and experience. Add the author’s credentials, job title, bio and experience on all editorial articles.
- Trustworthiness. Show users that they can trust the information that comes from you. This is achieved by having a secure site, making your contact information visible and exhibiting professionalism.
Four Ways to Improve Your E-A-T Right Now
Now that you know what E-A-T stands for, let’s talk about how to improve your Google E-A-T rating.
- Include author names and biographies. Editorial content should include the author’s information and credentials. This shows who is responsible for the content. This is especially important on Your Money Your Life (YMYL) pages that can affect a reader’s happiness, health and wealth.
- Remove low E-A-T content. Any content that has a low E-A-T rating should be removed or edited. Even though a low E-A-T on one page doesn’t bring down the other pages, it can affect your website’s reputation.
- Ensure your site is secure. Trustworthiness is more than a good reputation. You must also maintain a safe and secure site where your customers are happy to shop. Make sure all pages are secure and verify all badges and certifications.
- Moderate user-generated content. There is nothing wrong with UGC, but you want to regularly review it. You don’t want your page to suffer because users are giving incorrect advice. To keep quality high, moderate UGC, add links to reputable sources and reach out to experts for their contributions.
More than ever before, expertise, authority and trust play an important role in where your pages rank in the search engines. Improving E-A-T is a process that won’t happen overnight, but you can start by evaluating your most visited pages first. In the end, it’s simple. Put your users first and provide them with reliable, expert advice that can make their lives easier.
