Google’s EAT principle – which stands for expertise, authority, and trustworthiness – is how the search engine determines the value of content on the web.
But what does it mean for content to reflect expertise, authority and reliability?
“Expertise, to me, is the amount of knowledge you have in an area,” Kevin Rowe, Founder and CEO of PureLinq, said in a recent webinar. “The longer you are in a field, the more expertise you develop.”
“Authority is how other authoritative figures validate you – this is reflected in authoritative links. And trust is [expertise and authority] over time,” he added.
When most marketers consider EAT signals, they often focus their efforts on creating high-quality content. And while this is one of the most important factors, these professionals could miss potential ranking signals from authoritative backlinks.
According to Rowe, considering EAT when building links to your site — and generating content — is a great way to boost rankings, especially for those in the YMYL (your money, your life) space.
What Google says about EAT and YMYL
Google offers marketers plenty of resources for marketers looking to improve their sites’ EAT signals, says Rowe. Whether it’s documentation such as general guidelines or communication on social platforms such as Twitter, these resources can provide additional context on how the search engine determines authority, expertise and trustworthiness. of the site.
The information suggests that Google relies heavily on the concept of EAT when evaluating YMYL content. According to the guidelines, it is “possible to have daily expertise on YMYL topics”. This may be in the form of forum posts, articles detailing personal experiences, or other content aimed at giving advice to researchers.
However, despite all the resources available, Google does not offer specific strategies on how to improve EAT or even how its algorithms work in conjunction with it.
“They give a lot of information about how they would like the search engine to work, but it doesn’t always work that way,” Rowe said. “So we need to use testing and analysis to understand cause and effect relationships.”
EAT is not an update or an algorithm; this is a principle to follow when optimizing your site in general. Thus, marketers should use Google’s guidelines and documentation to inform their testing and optimization efforts to better adhere to this principle.
Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on.
How to Establish EAT with Link Building and Content
While there are no simple steps from Google to improve EAT, marketers can work to improve quality signals for their sites through strategic link building and marketing efforts. content creation.
“It’s about the authority of your links and the quality of your expert-led content,” Rowe said.
Rowe highlighted three ways marketers could start sending higher EAT signals.
Create subject matter expert content. Write content from a position of expertise. Your articles should be the go-to resources for readers interested in a given topic. If you are not an expert in the field, hire someone who can create this content for you.
Message sculpture. Focus on the needs of the audience you are writing for. People looking for YMYL content want relevant posts that speak to their personal situation, so make sure your writing reflects that.
Identify link building Opportunities. Find trustworthy and trustworthy sites and start offering your content to them. A great resource Rowe recommends is HARO, which connects subject matter experts with journalists who publish content in these areas.
High quality content and links from authoritative sources are the foundation of EAT. Rowe emphasized how these aspects are inextricably linked: “Expertise, authority and trust are about the amount of knowledge and content shared on [and from] your site. It’s about who you are, who writes the content, and what other people think about it.
Watch this webinar presentation at Digital Marketing Depot.
New to Search Engine Land
About the Author
Corey Patterson is an editor for MarTech and Search Engine Land. With a background in SEO, content marketing and journalism, he covers SEO and PPC industry news to help marketers improve their campaigns.