Hey there! Are you a savvy marketer trying to make your way up in the world of B2B? Well, then you better know your E-A-T! We are not talking about your lunch, we're talking about Google's Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness - the three pillars that hold the key to unlocking SEO success.
Google changes its algorithms more often than you change your hairstyle. So, you must keep yourself updated with the latest updates to stay ahead in the game. But what's the one principle that guides all these updates? You guessed it - E-A-T.
Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness may sound like buzzwords from a business book, but they're actually the secret ingredients to make your website stand out and get noticed by the world's most popular search engine.
E-A-T was first introduced by Google back in 2014 as part of their Search Quality Rater Guidelines. It's a scoring system that determines how Google judges the quality of a webpage and how it ranks in search results. Since then, there has been a lot of confusion among business owners and marketers about how E-A-T works and how it affects their search rankings.
But don't worry, we're here to help you make sense of it all. In this blog, we will break down everything you need to know about E-A-T and how you can use it to boost your website's topical authority.
Where Does E-A-T Come From?
E-A-T is derived from a set of rules created by Google for its quality assurance team, known as the Search Quality Raters. These raters are real people who assess the quality of search results after improvements are made by the engineers on the Search Engine and Algorithm team.
E-A-T is a score that evaluates the entire website, the creators of the website content, and the E-A-T of the main content of the page being examined. In short, it's a three-legged stool - a website requires all three pieces to stand strong.
Let's break down each of these legs.
Expertise
This category includes website content and SEO articles that need to be provided by a subject matter expert as Google gives preference to information published by a subject matter expert. Your website should demonstrate that you have extensive experience in a specific sector.
Typically, the author's expertise is decided by his experience, education, and knowledge. A lawyer, for example, is best suited and competent to write about legal topics.
Authoritativeness
A good reputation in the industry or the market provides authority, particularly among other industry professionals and influencers. It measures how visitors perceive your website and the content provided on it. Authority is relative and limited to a specific field of competence. When someone regards a website as the go-to source for information on a specific issue, this is an indication of authority. The more popular and respectable your website is, the greater its authority.
Trustworthiness
The ability to be depended on as true and honest is referred to as trustworthiness. A website's security is measured by its trustworthiness. This metric assesses the reliability, validity, accuracy, and transparency of a website's content. A business can enhance the trust factor by including information such as your company name and contact information on the website or by creating a Google Business Profile. Quality Raters evaluate trustworthiness by focusing on privacy policies, editorials, security upgrades, and more. The fact to remember is trustworthiness varies according to a person's area of expertise.
Is E-A-T SEO Really Important?
Yes, it is! E-A-T SEO is one of many Google ranking variables, but it's an important one. The search engine also employs thousands of human quality raters worldwide to assess the quality of its search results. As a result, the modifications in the search algorithm take place as per the inputs.
How To Improve EAT?
There's no quick and easy way to improve or enhance a website's E-A-T. It's a long process that takes time. However, there are some suggestions for improving E-A-T:
- More Feedback or Reviews: Good/positive feedback in the form of reviews from customers or clients contributes to the credibility of a website, enhancing the trust factor in the products as well as the website.
- Quality Backlinks: Additional backlinks help enhance EAT by linking related content and increasing user traffic.
- Update Content: When content material gets updated on a website, the process keeps it accurate and up-to-date. As a result, Google will continue to suggest it in search results.
- Good Brand Reputation: Google always supported sites that focus on users to build their brand image and it definitely will in the upcoming years too.
- Eliminating Poor EAT Content: It improves EAT scores and a website's credibility, though it may reduce traffic at first.
Time to E-A-T!
If you're looking to boost your website's topical authority, then you need to focus on your E-A-T, or as we like to call it, "Eating for SEO success." It's not just about having great content, but also demonstrating that you have the expertise, authority, and trustworthiness to back it up.
So, what can you do to improve your E-A-T? Start by responding professionally to negative reviews and online concerns. Provide accurate and objective information on your website, and make it easy for visitors to contact you through a variety of channels. Don't forget about SEO outreach tactics like guest posting to increase your authority and reach.
But don't just take our word for it. Trust the experts at Eridium Digital to help your website grow with the best SEO practices. We know the ins and outs of E-A-T, and we'll help you implement a strategy that works for your business.
So, whether you're a savvy marketer trying to make your way up in the world of B2B or just looking to boost your website's topical authority, it's time to E-A-T. Start focusing on your expertise, authority, and trustworthiness today and watch your search rankings soar.