The New SEO: E-E-A-T

SEO is an ever-evolving practice that modern website owners need to stay on top of if they want to remain competitive. We can all agree here that it can indeed be tricky to navigate.

When you think you have a firm grasp on the acronyms and strategies, something new appears: E-E-A-T.

This not-so-new approach to SEO has businesses scrambling to up their online presence and make sure they're getting the most out of their digital marketing efforts.

So, what is this “E-E-A-T” that everyone keeps talking about?

As your expert SEO guide, let's munch into what this acronym stands for, why it's so important, and how you can use it to boost your website’s performance. Bon appétit!

Introducing E-E-A-T

In a nutshell, E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.

Formerly E-A-T, it is one of Google's many guidelines for assessing the value and trustworthiness of content, allowing it to determine which pages ought to rank highly in search results.

Since its emergence in 2014, when Google added this to its Search Quality Guidelines, this concept has grown to become one of the essential components for optimization within search engine algorithms.

So, what's with the additional "E"?

The idea is that websites should provide information that comes from authoritative sites with experience and expertise in their respective fields. It also means that the content needs to be trustworthy; in other words, any claims made on the page should be backed up by reliable evidence.

As we consider what makes a page of high quality, trust is undoubtedly the most critical aspect in Google's eyes. Experience, expertise, and authoritativeness all play an integral role; however, each cannot be complete without incorporating trusted elements into your web pages.

In fact, depending on the website, different amounts and types of trust are necessary for a successful implementation!

Does this mean we should just focus on trust? Absolutely not. Trustworthiness is the foundation of every component mentioned, but we should still consider the rest. To better understand, let's take a closer look at each element individually.

Experience

"Experience" refers to the content creator's in-depth knowledge or firsthand involvement in a particular subject matter or page content.

For example, if someone is writing a book review, have they actually read it? If they are posting instructions for a DIY craft, have they done that project before?

This also falls in the idea that if you are writing about car repair, having formal training is great, but if you haven’t actually worked on cars yourself or been a mechanic for years, it won’t be enough to boost your rankings.

Google's addition of the letter "E" as part of its E-A-T algorithm is a reminder that any formal training you have doesn't mean much without first-hand experience in the field. If you don't have this practical knowledge, it won't matter how well-optimized your site is — Google will take notice, and your search engine rankings will suffer!

Expertise

This refers to the quality of content that you have on your website. It should be accurate, well-researched, and up-to-date. The goal is to provide users with a reliable source of information that they can trust.

If you're unsure if your content meets the standards of "Expertise," try asking yourself these questions before publishing:

Is my content accurate? Is it new or interesting? Does it provide valuable information?

Moreover, ensure that it’s written by an expert in the field or someone with extensive knowledge about the subject matter. Although most people think that expertise requires some kind of formal training (like a degree or certification), Google now considers "expertise" as more than that.

Do you train other experts in your industry? Are other experts relying on your high-quality content?

These will show the Google search algorithm that your page quality has merit beyond any formal qualifications you may have received.

Authoritativeness

Authoritativeness goes beyond just being an expert and shows that others point to you as the go-to authority on a specific topic.

When most people hear “authoritative,” they think “qualified,” but it is more than just being qualified for something - it means that your web page is being recognized as an authority figure within your industry by others who matter (like other experts)!

One needs to build a reputation of excellence by either training or certifying experts within their industry or by having other experts rely on them for information or advice. This could include writing articles for industry publications or speaking at conferences related to one’s area of expertise.

If other authorities within your field recognize you as an expert, then Google will too! Building trust with customers and peers alike can help increase recognition from other experts, which can boost your authoritativeness score in Google search results!

Trustworthiness

As mentioned, trust is an essential ranking factor when it comes to your SEO strategy. Google looks at factors such as customer reviews, social media engagement, secure webpages (i.e., those with HTTPS), and other signals when assessing whether they should display a website in their search results pages.

Convincing online store visitors of your source's trustworthiness is vital to gaining more click-throughs and improving search engine ranking. Without the assurance that they can rely on you, people are less likely to venture further into your website – a surefire way to hurt not just traffic but SERP rankings too!

How To Improve E-E-A-T SEO

Google is committed to providing its users with the highest quality content possible when they execute a search. To achieve this, they use these algorithms in order to rank them higher on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).

That means if you want your website to show up at the top of those SERPs, you need to make sure your website meets Google’s E-E-A-T standards.

To do this effectively, you should focus on the following elements:

• Demonstrate expertise in your field by providing detailed information about topics related to your business or niche.

• Show authority as an expert within your industry whose opinion can be trusted and relied upon by linking to authoritative sources or citing experts who support your claims.

• Convey credibility to potential customers through customer testimonials or positive reviews and build relationships with other businesses within your sector by partnering with them on projects or promotions.

• Make sure your content is written by an expert who has an experience in the field or someone who has some level of authority in their industry (e.g., a doctor or lawyer)

• Back up all your claims with reliable sources (e.g., research studies or industry experts).

• Produce accurate and up-to-date information (e.g., no plagiarism or inaccurate facts).

Doing these things will help ensure your website meets Google’s standards for EEAT—and thus allows it to rank higher in SERPs!

Wrapping It Up

All in all, to optimize your website's SERPs rankings and make the most out of Google's E-E-A-T principles, it is crucial that you understand and implement them!

By creating tasty content written by experienced experts in their respective fields, backing it up with authoritative sources cited throughout, and being trustworthy enough that readers can take away real value from every article, you'll be well on your way toward improving your SERP rankings!

With a little bit of effort combined with this new SEO – there’s no reason why you shouldn’t see success sooner rather than later!

And when it comes to optimizing your website, BizLadder can serve you the entire course meal!

We understand that better rankings mean more business for you, so we have assembled a team of experts to make sure your website is optimized and gets the attention it needs from potential clients!

Get in touch with us now and take your website to the next level!