Posted On : 17 November 2021
Human Quality Raters rely on E-A-T to give feedback to Google so they can improve user’s search experience. Don't have any clue about EAT? Or how it helps in Google rankings or help access search result quality? What role do SEO services play in Google EAT?
In this article, we will discuss the basics of EAT, it’s determiners and how does it correlate with SEO.
What is EAT?
EAT (Expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness) is a concept that was given in Google search quality raters guidelines to let webmasters understand what their webpage should be like to rank high in Google search engines. Human quality raters use EAT to evaluate the quality of a webpage. They emphasize on:
- Expertise of the content creator.
- Authoritativeness of the content creator and the website content.
- Trustworthiness of the content creator and the content on the website.
How Does EAT Impact SEO?
EAT has become an important SEO factor in the recent years; as indicated in the Google documentation and comments from other staff members. The underlying goal is to provide the best user experience and if a website fails to do so it will ultimately lose ranking on google ad consequently its audience. Google looks for content with high EAT as it depicts reliability and quality.
For instance, if you are searching for pictures of nature then EAT may not be of much importance. On the other hand, if you are searching for a dose of medication then authoritativeness and trustworthiness are of prime importance as Google wouldn't want to show information from an untrustworthy website because it may be life-threatening. So, depending upon the genre of your website, tweak your website content to achieve higher EAT score.
Not sure how does SEO impact EAT? Research showed that EAT has a positive correlation with SEO and is responsible for driving organic traffic to your website. Therefore, it is something that you should not ignore if you wish to appear high in Google rankings.
How Is EAT Evaluated?
Expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness are different from each other and each determiner has its own set of criteria against which it is evaluated. Keep in mind that, EAT cannot be faked and it takes time to build. Let's discuss each in detail to have a better understanding.
Expertise
Expertise means having skill set in a particular field or a particular topic. Google always prefers content which is written by an expert in the field. For instance, for medical and legal issues, etc. it is important that the google search leads to expert in that field whereas for non-YMYL topics it is not a constrain to look for specialists. So, if someone is uploading medical-related content on their website then the writer should be knowledgeable enough to write on the technical aspects of the topic at hand.
For some YMYL topics, Google prefers everyday expertise. Many web forums and support pages are available online for people suffering from specific diseases where they can share their personal experiences. For example, a person suffering from tuberculosis can give a better answer to search queries such as 'What does it feel like to have tuberculosis.' This is an example of everyday expertise.
Expertise is not evaluated on organizational or website level, rather, it is evaluated on the content level. You can mention expertise as a separate author page on the website which will show that you are qualified enough to publish the information.
Authoritativeness
Authoritativeness means reliability, accuracy, or reputation. In other words, authority is when people rely on your website to get information. And it's not just about the author instead of the entire website. To evaluate the authoritativeness of a website the researchers consider its reputation. Some websites are highly authoritative for particular topics. But how to check for authoritativeness? If you want to find out how experts think about a website then you can use reputation research. Wikipedia is a good source to find about reputation, it mentions every information of a company including its awards, and controversies. Getting mentioned on various social media platforms is another sign of authoritativeness. But be sure that it should not show any signs of fraudulent otherwise it would leave a negative mark on your EAT.
Trustworthiness
Legitimacy, transparency, and reliability of website defines its trustworthiness. To evaluate the trust, Google quality raters check who was the author behind the content published. It is especially important for YMYL queries as it requires higher satisfaction and trust.
Some of the factors which define trustworthiness are:
- External references cited in articles
- Reliable author and website
- Privacy policies are discoverable
- Positive reviews on various websites
- Unique and informative content
Is EAT A Ranking Factor?
Expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness are the terms that can only be understood by human and not by computers. So, it becomes pretty confusing whether EAT is a ranking factor or not?
The purpose of Google algorithms is to improve search results. EAT provide the necessary information to Google quality raters and the raters then give feedback to Google. Google then analyses the feedback and makes the changes to improve search results accordingly.
How To Improve And Demonstrate EAT
Understanding the concept of improving and demonstrating EAT is crucial if you want to secure the future of your website. Following are some of the ways to improve EAT to drive traffic to your website.
Update Content Regularly
For YMYL websites, it is very important to update them regularly for demonstrating EAT. The content based on legal advice or medical information should be provided in professional manner, backed with a trustworthy source and updated on regular basis. In the case of non-YMYL pages, there are no specific criteria but it is still important to display your trustworthiness to assure readers about the authenticity of the information you're providing
Build More Links
Google trends analysts emphasize backlinking and state that EAT is demonstrated by the number of mentions from authoritative sites. High-quality links is the key.
Show Contact Details
It is extremely important to provide customer support and sufficient information about your business especially for YMYL pages. Information such as an address, phone number, or email address assures users that they can contact for general queries or when a problem arises. The quality raters are not going to evaluate you based on customer support instead it is something you would want to do to improve user experience.
Be Attention To Your Online Reputation
You need to keep up with your online reputation for high-level EAT. Be sure to provide information of author every time you are posting content.
Work With Experts To Create Content
Try to get multiple viewpoints from experts always gives a better idea and understanding for EAT. Look for SEO services providers and get help from them in creating your content.
Tell Visitors Who You Are
If you wish to improve your EAT, create a separate web page to define yourself so, the readers have a fair ide about who you are and what services do you provide.
Conclusion
Working on EAT is crucial for SEO especially if you are providing information on YMYL topics. Because the more authoritative content you have on your website, the more likely you are to drive traffic and beat your competitors. Lastly, keep in mind that Google continuously updates its EAT criteria so, you must hire professional SEO services providers to keep up with the ranking game.
