E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). It is a central guideline that Google uses to assess the quality of a website and its content. Google uses E-E-A-T as part of its algorithm to determine whether a page provides reliable and relevant information to users, and thus what ranking the page gets in the search results. The higher a page scores on these factors, the better its chances of ranking high.
What do the individual E-E-A-T components involve?
- Experience: Refers to whether the author or source has practical experience with the topic they are writing about. Google rewards content created by people who have personal experience with the topic.
- Expertise: Assesses whether the content is created by a person or organization with the necessary knowledge and professional competence in the field. This is especially important for topics that affect people's health, finances, or safety (known as YMYL – "Your Money or Your Life").
- Authoritativeness: Is about whether the author, website, or company is seen as an authoritative source within the relevant field. Links from other reputable sources can, for example, increase a page's authoritativeness.
- Trustworthiness: Assesses how reliable and trustworthy the content and the source are. This includes factors such as transparency, sources and contact information that build trust with users.
Why is E-E-A-T important?
E-E-A-T is essential to ensure that websites deliver reliable and usable content, especially for topics that can have a significant impact on users' lives. Google uses E-E-A-T to ensure that the content shown at the top of search results is relevant, accurate, and trustworthy. High E-E-A-T can mean better rankings in search results, while low E-E-A-T can hurt your ranking.
How can you improve E-E-A-T?
- Build Expertise: Ensure that your content is written by experts in the field, and highlight their qualifications, e.g., with author bios.
- Highlight Authority: Build authority by obtaining links and mentions from other reputable sources and websites.
- Increase Credibility: Make it easy to find information about your business, e.g., contact details, privacy policy, and references to sources in your content.
- Focus on Experience: Share practical experiences and case studies to show that you have first-hand knowledge of the topic.
By following the E-E-A-T guidelines you can strengthen your website's SEO and improve your ranking in Google.