One of the first things you’ll learn about the search engine marketing industry is Google E-A-T – which has since transformed into E-E-A-T. This idea has been around for nearly a full decade now, but its practicalities are unchanging. E-E-A-T is one of the most crucial parts of successful SEO. And yet, even experts in the field can still struggle with the concept.
Continue reading to learn more about what E-E-A-T SEO is , how to best utilize it, and the potential benefits on offer.
What is E-E-A-T?
Simply put, E-E-A-T is one of the various guidelines used by Google to measure how valuable content is for readers. This can help determine search engine ranking and evaluate the overall reliability of a website or page. Originally, the concept was E-A-T (expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness), but experience has since joined the fray.
E-A-T was first brought up back in 2014, when it was added to the Google Search Quality Guidelines. These were the factors that search quality evaluators were looking for, measuring both the creator of the website and the website itself against these criteria.
Essentially, E-E-A-T is an indicator that a page is of high quality and value to relevant readers. Levels of E-E-A-T can directly impact the ranking of your online content, even if it may not technically be a ranking factor itself. So, let’s dive further into what each of these aspects means.
Experience
The first thing Google Evaluations will analyze is the creator’s experience on the topic in question. If content creators have first-hand experience on matters, then their opinions and analyses are deemed much more valuable than others.
When sources for information can definitively prove their experience on the topic, they are more likely to be favored by Google rankings. A review written by a long-time customer, or someone who has actually bought the product, is bound to be preferred by readers. Likewise, an article offering advice on the benefits of physiotherapy is more reliable when it comes from a qualified physiotherapist.
Expertise
While expertise and experience may seem relatively interchangeable on paper, there is a reason that modern jargon separates the two. Being deemed an expert requires extensive real-world experience, as well as formal qualifications and training where applicable. Expertise looks different for different industries. While an independent artist who has made a name for themselves in their field across decades of work may be an expert without qualification, the same can’t be said for a medical professional.
Authoritativeness
Authoritativeness is one step further than expertise. Becoming the staple authority on a topic takes more than training and first-hand experience. When others in your industry or area look to you as one of the definitive authorities on the matter, Google will look favorably upon your content. To fulfill this criterion, you will need to build a solid reputation of consistency and excellence.
Do your work and content inform and qualify experts across your field? Do others rely on you to guide their own work? If so, you may be an authority on the matter.
Trustworthiness
Trust is probably the ultimate metric for Google’s measure of content value. By evaluating the experience, expertise, and authority of a site or page, Google can determine how trustworthy it is overall. Although these other three factors are all important considerations for quality, Google clearly states that trust is the most crucial aspect.
Trust can come in many different shapes and sizes. For some sites, ensuring that their payment systems are secure is the most impactful way to guarantee online trust. For others, trust may be a matter of citing facts and ensuring that topics are only covered by the relevant authorities. Presenting false information or linking readers to unsafe websites can damage your trust as a creator.
Please click here to learn what other factors are important to measure the success of an SEO campaign.
Contact Digital Edge International to Strengthen Your SEO Presence
Handling Search Engine Optimization is a complicated task. E-E-A-T is just one of the factors to consider when putting together your online content. The bad news is that becoming an expert in SEO agency Nashville TN and digital marketing agency Nashville is extremely difficult. The good news, however, is that you don’t need to handle this challenge alone.
If you could benefit from the support of international digital marketing experts, Digital Edge is here to help. Contact us today to discuss your business and long-term SEO goals.
