For years, Google has billed its “E-E-A-T” framework as foundational to finding ranking success. As marketers, we’ve used the acronym (which stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust) as our strategic lodestar when creating and publishing content.
This past month, though (in addition to the paradigm-shifting introduction of AI-generated results), a tranche of leaked internal documents has given marketers more insight into how Google treats E-E-A-T. The roughly 2,500 pages provide one of the most detailed behind-the-scenes looks we’ve ever gotten on how Google’s typically heavily-guarded algorithm actually works.
“E-E-A-T” only earns a glancing mention. That’s why you might be hearing questions from SEO experts like: Does E-E-A-T still matter? And if it doesn’t, what should we focus on?
The short answer: Yes, E-E-A-T still matters, but it should serve as a general framework for publishers as part of a larger strategy that emphasizes brand exposure, technical performance, and quality traffic.
In this blog, we’ll cover what E-E-A-T is, why it still matters despite the recent leak, and how you should still use it to boost your ranking potential.
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What is E-E-A-T?
E-E-A-T, which stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness, is a framework used by Google to assess the quality of content on the internet. For years, it was assumed this framework served as a direct metric within Google’ algorithm. That may not be the case, but because Google still emphasizes its importance, it is still worth our attention.
Let’s break down each part of the model:
- Experience: Google values firsthand experience, ensuring that content creators who have experienced the topic they’re discussing are prioritized. This makes the content more relatable and accurate.
- Expertise: High-quality content produced by knowledgeable individuals or entities is more likely to rank higher. Expertise is particularly crucial in fields like life sciences and manufacturing, where misinformation can have serious consequences.
- Authoritativeness: Google favors websites that are recognized as authorities in their respective fields. Authoritative sites often have strong backlink profiles, references from other reputable sources and high engagement levels.
- Trustworthiness: Trust is the foundation of any good relationship, including those between websites and their visitors. Trustworthiness involves maintaining high ethical standards, transparency and reliability.
Understanding and implementing E-E-A-T can significantly enhance your website’s search engine ranking and, ultimately, its success.
Does E-E-A-T Still Matter?
Yes. At the end of the day, useful content still ranks higher than non-useful content in Google’s algorithm. And the core tenets of E-E-A-T serve as an excellent framework. As Rand Fishkin, the journalist and SEO expert who first gained access to the leaked documents says, E-E-A-T is “correlated with things Google uses and cares about, but not specific elements of the ranking systems.”
So, while Google might not be giving your content a specific score around Authoritativeness or Trust, the framework is still a useful roadmap to create content that the algorithm cares about. Specifically, the framework helps by:
Improving User Experience
E-E-A-T aligns with Google’s mission to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. By prioritizing high-quality, trustworthy content, Google ensures a better user experience, leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty.
Mitigating Misinformation
In an age where misinformation can spread rapidly, E-E-A-T acts as a filter to ensure that only accurate and reliable information surfaces. This is particularly important in sensitive areas such as health and finance.
Aligning with Google’s Algorithms
Google’s algorithms are designed to prioritize content that meets E-E-A-T standards. By adhering to these principles, websites can improve their chances of ranking higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
How to Establish E-E-A-T
Now that you know what E-E-A-T is and why it’s important, you might wonder how to make it happen for your website. Let’s explore several strategies:
- Showcase experience
- Demonstrate expertise
- Build authoritativeness
- Foster trustworthiness
Showcase Experience
Experience matters because it proves your capabilities and gives your audience confidence in your products or services. There are several ways to highlight experience on your website to meet E-E-A-T standards:
- Content Creation: Encourage content creators to share their personal experiences and stories related to the topic. This adds authenticity and relatability to the content.
- User Reviews & Testimonials: Displaying genuine reviews and testimonials from users can demonstrate firsthand experiences with your product or service.
- Portfolio & Project Examples: Present a portfolio showcasing past projects, including descriptions, images, and results. This can illustrate your experience in handling various tasks and assignments, giving potential clients or users a clear view of your capabilities and accomplishments.
Demonstrate Expertise
As an industry expert, there are various opportunities to show off your skills:
- Author Bios: Include detailed author bios highlighting their qualifications, credentials and experience in the field. This helps establish their expertise.
- High-Quality Content: Focus on creating in-depth, well-researched, and accurate content. Support your claims with data, case studies and references.
- Continuous Learning: Stay updated with the latest trends and developments in your industry. Regularly updating your content to reflect new information can further establish your expertise.
Build Authoritativeness
How can you develop authority for your website? Here are a few ideas:
- Backlinks: Earn backlinks from reputable and authoritative websites. This signals to search engines that your content is trustworthy and valuable.
- Guest Blogging: Write guest posts for well-known blogs in your industry. This can help you reach a wider audience and build your reputation.
- Media Coverage: Being featured in reputable media outlets can significantly enhance your site’s authoritativeness.
Foster Trustworthiness
Building credibility for your website is possible when you focus on these aspects:
- Transparency: Be transparent about your business practices, such as return policies, pricing and data usage. Clear and honest communication builds trust.
- Security: Ensure that your website is secure. Use HTTPS, protect user data, and comply with data protection regulations.
- User Feedback: Actively seek and respond to user feedback. Addressing concerns and making improvements based on feedback demonstrates that you value your users’ opinions.
6 Practical Tips for Implementing E-E-A-T
If the thought of incorporating E-E-A-T into your website feels overwhelming, don’t worry. Every business has to start somewhere, and by following these six steps, you can set yourself up for success:
1. Audit Your Content
Conducting a content audit regularly ensures your website adheres to E-E-A-T standards. This involves systematically reviewing and updating your content to maintain relevance, accuracy and quality.
Start by identifying and removing outdated information that could mislead users or diminish your site’s credibility. Replace obsolete data with current, well-researched insights that reflect the latest trends and developments in your industry.
Additionally, enrich your content by incorporating new findings, case studies or expert opinions that bolster your site’s expertise and authority.
This continuous improvement helps maintain trust with your audience and aligns with Google’s evolving algorithms, enhancing your site’s overall search engine ranking and visibility.
2. Optimize Your About Page
Your About Page should clearly convey your identity, mission and qualifications, providing visitors with a comprehensive understanding of who you are and what you stand for.
Outline your company’s history, including significant milestones and achievements highlighting your journey and growth. Introduce your team members, showcasing their expertise and qualifications to demonstrate the collective knowledge and skills backing your operations. Personalize this section with photos and brief bios to add a human touch and foster a connection with your audience.
Don’t forget to detail your mission and values, emphasizing what drives your business and how you aim to serve your customers or clients.
Providing this transparent and informative overview helps to establish a strong foundation of trust and authority, encouraging visitors to engage more deeply with your content and offerings.
Read More: How to Decide What Goes On Your B2B Website
3. Leverage Social Proof
Social proof is a powerful strategy to enhance your website’s credibility and persuade potential customers of your value. Begin by prominently showcasing any awards, certifications and endorsements from reputable organizations, as these accolades serve as third-party validation of your expertise and quality. Highlight these achievements in strategic locations on your site, such as the homepage, product pages and About Page, to maximize visibility.
It also helps to integrate positive reviews and ratings from satisfied customers throughout your website. These testimonials provide authentic, relatable experiences that can significantly influence potential buyers’ perceptions and decisions.
Consider incorporating case studies or success stories that detail specific customer experiences, demonstrating real-world applications and benefits of your products or services.
Effectively utilizing social proof allows you to build trust, enhance your authoritative presence and ultimately drive higher engagement and conversions.
4. Engage with Your Audience
Engaging with your audience is essential for building a loyal and interactive community around your brand. Utilize comments, social media platforms and forums to create open communication channels with your followers.
Promptly addressing questions and concerns not only demonstrates your commitment to customer service but also shows that you value their input and feedback. This responsiveness can significantly enhance user satisfaction and trust.
Participating in discussions and sharing valuable insights can also position your brand as approachable and knowledgeable, fostering a sense of connection and loyalty among your audience.
Regular engagement also provides opportunities to gather insights and feedback that can inform your content strategy and overall business approach, ensuring that you continually meet your community’s needs and expectations.
5. Use Structured Data
Implementing structured data, or schema markup, is a crucial technical SEO strategy that helps search engines better understand the content on your website. It’s not a magic bullet or a box you can check. But adding this layer makes your site more clear to search engines, helping them see what you’re good at and why you have a right to speak on the topic.
For instance, structured data can highlight customer reviews, product information, events and other key details that enhance your site’s appearance in search results. Improved understanding by search engines can also result in better indexing and higher rankings, ultimately driving more organic traffic to your site.
6. Partner with Industry Experts
Collaborating with industry experts can significantly elevate your website’s credibility and authority. By creating content or sharing insights from recognized professionals in your field, you can leverage their expertise and reputation to bolster your own. These partnerships can take various forms, such as guest blog posts, co-authored articles, interviews, webinars or podcasts. Featuring expert opinions and analyses not only enriches your content but also attracts their audience to your site, expanding your reach and influence.
Additionally, working with industry leaders signals to users and search engines that your site is a trusted source of high-quality information. Such collaborations can lead to more backlinks, increased traffic and enhanced engagement, all of which contribute to a stronger online presence and improved SEO performance.
Conclusion
E-E-A-T is key to effective SEO in today’s digital world. By focusing on Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, you can create content that ranks well and resonates with your audience.
Building E-E-A-T involves showing your experience, demonstrating expertise, building authority, and fostering trust. While this requires continuous effort, the benefits of better search rankings, credibility, and user satisfaction are worth it.
Following E-E-A-T principles will help keep your website a trusted and valuable resource as the digital landscape evolves.
