Say you're looking for some medical diagnosis online - not a smart idea, by the way. But will you rely on vague information from some anonymous authors who stuffed the article with certain keywords? I hope not!
We see trust and reliability as important virtues that shape our real-world interactions. Now, it's important online, too. If you want your content to rank higher on search engine results pages, take note that Google made it a ranking factor and an important differentiator.
Updated in 2022, Google’s E E A T — Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, this "EEAT or Double EAT" framework is essential for creating quality content that ranks well and provides genuine value to your audience.
E E A T matters for all kinds of topics— to climb the search engine ranks, meet the E E A T, and stand out from the crowd.
What is Google's E-E-A-T Framework?
E-E-A-T stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness.
The E-E-A-T framework plays a major role in making sure search engines recognize that you're publishing valuable content, which helps it rank higher on SERPs. This is a framework that follows Google's quality rater guidelines as a way to determine what content should rank high on search rankings.
Google, and every other major search engine, has always prioritized helpful, reliable, people-first content.
Their goal is to provide informative, relevant perspectives that users won't find otherwise, especially when the site relies solely on to AI churn out the website content. The Helpful Content Update (HCU) plays a deeper role in placing precedence over top-notch content to make your website rank high.
This is exactly why the E-E-A-T framework works.
By focusing on Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, any website would automatically have quality content.
However, after adding the extra E (which stands for Experience), the content quality game can only go higher.
Why?
Because when you demonstrate expertise, it shows more value and credibility than any other form of info-centric content ever can.
Founder and CEO of SEOProfy, Victor Karpenko shares that you must understand its core ideas before you start creating content based on E-E-A-T.
The Experience, Expertise, and Authoritativeness can help you estimate Trust.
While working on EEAT, put yourself in the reader's shoes and figure out if the blog post you produce captures your attention, answers your query, and if you actually find it valuable.
Think –
Which would you trust more: a product review from someone who has used it themselves or a "review" from someone who hasn't? - E of experience gets met here.
Which would you trust more: residential interior redesigning advice from a qualified interior designer or advice from someone who loves houses but doesn't know anything about interior design? - E of expertise gets met here.
Next, the official university website is the best place to find information about academic programs, right? Likewise, your website should prove to be a reliable place for a certain subject.
Most topics don't have a single official website, but when they do, that website is often one of the best and most trusted sources. - A of authoritativeness gets met here.
About the Trust: The website or content creator may not be a trustworthy source if there is a clear conflict of interest.
For example, product reviews by people who own the product can be valuable and trustworthy. However, "reviews" by the product manufacturer ( "Our product is great!" ) or "reviews" from an influencer who is paid to promote the product are not as trustworthy due to the conflict of interest.
Understand what each letter stands for (in-depth) - then things will fall in place easily.
Experience
Experience refers to the author or creator's direct, first-hand involvement with a particular topic.
Google added this because they value content that reflects genuine life experience.
It means a Google search that gives relevant information is more valuable than research-based content.
After ChatGPT was introduced and adopted by so many marketers, the emphasis on experience became more significant because it differentiates human-written and AI-generated content; not to mention low quality pages typically use unedited AI-generated copy.
It's easy to integrate personal experiences into your content as long as you're being genuine. Here are some practical ways to do so:
- Personal Stories: Share anecdotes and personal stories related to the topic to make your content more relatable and engaging.
- First-Hand Insights: Provide insights and lessons learned from your own experiences to establish your web page as a credible and knowledgeable source.
Expertise
Expertise is about the depth of knowledge and the skills you can bring to the table.
The Google algorithm prioritizes content that reflects significant expertise in their field.
It ensures that the information provided is accurate, insightful, and valuable.
To effectively showcase expertise in your content, consider adding:
- Author bios, Credentials, and Qualifications: Add author bios and highlight your relevant credentials, such as degrees, certifications, and professional experience relevant to the topic and boosts your online reputation.
- In-Depth Analysis: Provide a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the subject matter. You can do this by using data, research findings, and advanced knowledge that offer valuable insights.
- Educational Content: Create content that educates your audience. From how-to guides to explanatory articles, anything that demonstrates expertise works.
With the growth of AI tools, poor-quality content has increased; use "experienced" and "expert" writers to show Google the expertise of the content you're talking about. Here’s Google's table that compares experience with expertise.
Authoritativeness
Authoritativeness reflects how much influence your website has over the other websites in your niche.
Some tell-tale signs of authoritative sites for Google include quality backlinks from reputable sites, positive online reviews, and endorsements from other experts.
Authoritative content is trusted and respected within its industry or niche. Here’s how you do it:
- Follow Credibility Guidelines: Ensure your content is credible; follow Stanford Credibility Guidelines to optimize it better.
- Create a Strong Personal Brand: A personal brand helps your audience see your personality, growth, expertise, and thought leadership form. Work with authors and influencers with established personal brands.
- Create Authority-centric Content: Develop a content strategy that helps to create topical authority on the subject. Some tactics include content silos or topic clusters.
On a more technical side, don't overlook factors that contribute to your site's authoritativeness like fixing broken links, maintaining page quality, and making sure that your site meets the basics of Google's quality rater guidelines.
Trustworthiness
Trustworthiness is all about the reliability and credibility that the content reflects on the audience.
Google has always placed the most importance on trustworthy content.
Google mentioned in their 170-page Seach Quality Evaluator guidelines,
"Trust is the most important member of the E-E-A-T family because untrustworthy pages have low E-E-A-T no matter how Experienced, Expert, or Authoritative they may seem.”
- Google website guidelines
Without earning meaningful trust from users, your results will leave you questioning if SEO works.
To create helpful content that enhances trustworthiness, focus on:
- Accuracy: According to the Quality Raters guidelines, ensure that all information you provide is accurate and up-to-date. Steer clear from any exaggerations and misleading information that you cannot later prove.
- Transparency: Be transparent about your sources, intentions, and affiliations for your content marketing campaigns.
- Privacy and Security: Prioritize user privacy and data security to ensure that your website is secure and compliant with relevant regulations.
Google also adds:
- Online retailers require safe payment mechanisms and reliable customer support.
- Genuine product reviews should inform buyers rather than promote the product.
- Clear YMYL informational sites must be factual to protect individuals and society.
- In non-YMYL social media posts, trust may not be needed if the post is meant to entertain and not harm.
6 ways to build EEAT for your SEO strategy
E-E-A-T can be built and demonstrated easily in various ways.
Integrate these principles into your SEO strategy to improve your website's E-E-A-T.
1. Create Helpful Content
Creating helpful and high-quality content that drives organic traffic should be the priority of any digital marketing effort.
Gianluca Ferrugia, Managing Director of DesignRush says,
"If there is anything that completely envelopes the E-E-A-T framework, it is helpful and high-quality content. You can still establish authoritativeness with off-page SEO strategies, but do you need expertise and experience?
They can only be fulfilled with content that is meant to capture the audience through targeted value giving."
If you want to show Google and other search engines that your content is good quality, ensure these three things:
- Originality
- Experience-centricity
- Written with a people-first approach
Practical Tips on Creating Content that Helps
- Conduct Thorough Research: Only use primary sources, case studies, and interviews to gather valuable insights. For example, if you're writing about SEO trends, interview an SEO expert and include their direct quotes and experiences.
- Focus on Detail: Provide in-depth analysis and actionable advice. Always give something your audience can’t find anywhere else. Therefore, if you're creating a tutorial page using Google Analytics, include screenshots, step-by-step instructions, and tips from personal experience.
- Update Regularly: Keep your content up-to-date with the latest information and trends in your industry. You should continuously revisit any blog posts about social media algorithms or search engines so that your content can reflect any changes.
2. Provide Transparency and Author Info
Transparency fulfills the 'Trustworthiness' aspect of the E-E-A-T framework and builds rapport between the reader and your website.
On the other hand, adding an author bio adds to the ‘Expertise’ and ‘Experience’ aspects.
This is why, according to the Search Quality Raters Guidelines, Google wants to know who wrote a web page or blog post.
To create transparency and build trust through content, always ensure that your content pieces have:
- Author bios
- Content intention
- Clarity on collaborators
Practical Tips on Building Transparency and Expertise
- Author Pages: Create dedicated author pages that list all articles written by the author and provide background information. This will help readers know they're reading information from real subject matter experts! This is especially important in SEO for Your Money Your Life websites.
- Use Schema Markup: Use schema markup to show information on the author profile page with search engines. There are two schemas to use: the Author Property and the ProfilePage Type.
- Transparency Statements: Include disclaimers and transparency statements about the content creation process and any partnerships. For example, in the image below, the website mentions its process of creating reviewed content. This helps the audience connect with the content further and gives them a subconscious nudge that they can trust you.
3. Use Credible Sources
Credible sources are essential for fulfilling the E-E-A-T framework's 'Authoritativeness' and 'Trustworthiness' aspects.
Google Search loves it when websites source structured data from high-quality and credible sources, especially if the information is taken from a go-to source in the niche.
Credible sources can also help improve your website's E: Expertise and Experience because if you source from credible sources, it shows the author knows their industry well.
The sources don't necessarily have to be external to create helpful content. They can also be internal links that get the reader to precious content.
Practical Tips on Using Credible Sources
- Cite Reputable Journals and Websites: Boost E-E-A-T usage by citing academic journals, industry reports, and respected news outlets as sources. For example, the Search Engine Journal is a great source for any content about SEO strategy.
- Link to Original Studies: Whenever possible, link directly to original studies. This boosts your content’s credibility and provides your readers with additional resources, which Google loves!
4. Create a Positive Brand Reputation
A positive brand reputation enhances the 'Authoritativeness' and 'Trustworthiness' of your content, boosting your SEO game through the E-E-A-T framework.
To create one, ensure that you always focus on:
- Digital PR
- Influencer marketing
- Guest posting
- Social media management
For example, Google picks up information from my agency's website, Hennessey Digital when you type in my name. This is useful when a potential client may be researching my credentials.
Practical Tips on Creating a Positive Brand Image
- Monitor Online Reviews: Regularly check reviews on platforms like Google My Business and Trustpilot. Always respond to reviews, both positive and negative, to show that you value customer feedback.
- Engage on Social Media: Share your content on social media and engage with your followers. Respond to comments, answer questions, and participate in discussions to build a loyal community.
- You can leverage AI assistants for better optimization of social media strategy.
5. Monitor and Leverage User-Generated Content
Any digital content is social. If you're not writing for people, what's the point, right? That is why user-generated content is so important!
It also fulfills the A and the T of E-E-A-T.
Why?
Because when your website has content from different users (who are obviously from your target audience), readers trust the content further.
Nobody likes to be sold to by a company, but they'll happily follow others who have used your content.
User-generated content is any form of text, pictures, videos, reviews, feedback, comments, etc., created by your users and is easy to source.
Practical Tips on Leveraging User-generated Content
- Use Testimonials to build trust: If your existing customers or clients have given you great testimonials, you do not have to add content on your behalf.
- Tumble is a great example. They have a dedicated section on their website just for user reviews to showcase how much people love their product. Feature them on your website, and your product or service will sell itself with trust.
- Use UGC Content Carefully: If you are using guest-posting as a method for UGC, monitor the content coming through carefully and maintain a positive ratio between positive and negative content to maintain trustworthiness and authority.
- Showcase Your Products or Service: Take this example from Cluse. They picked looks from their users and featured them on their website. What does this do? It helps other buyers see how they can use their product and creates a sense of trust in them, which reinforces sales.
6. Build Authoritative Backlinks
When you build authoritative backlinks, you automatically tell the audience, "People are referencing back to my content; it's that valuable because I am an authority in my niche."
Therefore, building authoritative backlinks enhances the 'Authoritativeness' aspect of the E-E-A-T framework.
Always ensure that your backlinks focus on the following:
- Quality over quantity
- Relevance
Practical Tips on Getting Authoritative Backlinks
- Guest Blogging: Writing guest posts for reputable websites in your industry will automatically lead back to your website. Therefore, one reinforced link to your content will always be on an industry-leading page.
- Aim for Review Sites: Most review sites have a dedicated audience that trusts the content blindly. When you get a backlink on this website, you get quality traffic. Since the people who will land on your website have already heard your praises, they are more likely to trust you.
- Create Link-Worthy Content: Create valuable content that others naturally want to link to. This could include in-depth guides, calculators, challenges, original research, or unique insights not widely available elsewhere.
Key takeaways
Adapting the E-E-A-T framework into your SEO strategy is a surefire way to enhance your website's credibility and improve its rankings.
Remember, to truly benefit from E-E-A-T, you must create high-quality, well-researched, original, and people-first content. After all, content is king, and it is also the primary focus of the E-E-A-T framework, which is a commitment to creating content that not only ranks well but also serves and engages your audience effectively.
