What is E-A-T?

Which three words best describe content and websites that provide exceptional value?

E-A-T stands for expertise, authority, and trustworthiness.

E-A-T indicates what Google and potential customers want: expert-level content that answers all of the right questions.

E-A-T first appeared in Google's Search Quality Guidelines in 2014, and it has since evolved into one of the most important aspects of SEO. It became even more critical following the August 2018 Google Medic update.

Having excellent SEO content to support E-A-T can increase your chances of landing prime SERP real estate and withstanding future Google algorithm updates.

This blog post may have sparked your curiosity to learn more about the elements of E-A-T and how they can help your SEO efforts.

Let's take a look at what these terms mean.

The Fundamentals of E-A-T

Google defines E-A-T content as having a "high level of Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness" in its Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines.

Please keep in mind that MC stands for Main Content.

Including this high-level content on your website can provide the following advantages:

Higher search engine rankings: Google's algorithm favours content that promotes the E-A-T of your website.

Increased behavioural metrics: This includes time spent on the page and click-throughs to other pages on your website.

Increased social shares and backlinks: If your work is regarded as valuable E-A-T material, people are more likely to share it.

More featured snippets: Do you know what's at the top of Google's search results? You'll be there, commanding attention over even the first paid ads.

Still not sure what these E-A-T marketing terms mean?

Let's dissect them.

Expertise

You are an authority in your field. It's now time to demonstrate your expertise to your audience by creating expert-level content.

How does that look in practice?

Assume a lawyer is developing content to assist potential clients. They will want to ensure that their content is relevant to their area of expertise.

A real estate lawyer, for example, might write about legal red flags to look out for when purchasing a home. That is just one possible topic. They can determine exactly what their target audience requires by analyzing data derived from users' search intent.

You can also speak from an area of experience on a topic to show expertise.

You can also demonstrate expertise by speaking from your area of experience on a topic.

A chef can demonstrate the most effective way to cut an onion without tearing up your eyes. A chef has the experience and expertise to guide someone through the process, even if it's just to sharpen their knife skills at home.

If you're creating content that isn't entirely in your wheelhouse, do a lot of research and back it up with credible sources. You can also work with trusted subject matter experts to get your content to the level of expertise it requires.

The goal is for your audience to regard you as a reliable expert in your field and to trust you and your product or service. It all boils down to becoming the go-to person in your niche by providing users with the accurate, high-quality content they seek.

Authoritativeness

Don't stop at knowledge. That's just the start.

You're also the boss.

When your work is mentioned in your niche on niche topics, you establish authority. You want related websites that have established authority in your industry to promote your content.

Other experts pointing to your content show how polished and trustworthy your work is. This demonstrates that your content delivers on the promises made in the headlines and title tags.

The more frequently your content receives backlinks and mentions on other websites, the more authoritative your content will be perceived to be.

SEO success is impossible without authority.

As a result, the authority of your domain grows.

That's E-A-T marketing at work.

While links are preferred, mentions of your niche in the news or on social media are also valuable in Google's eyes.

Trustworthiness

It is an honour to be a trusted space.

If your content lacks credibility, you will not rank as high on Google.

Quality content is accurate, up to date, and flows smoothly from the titles to the copy.

Quick load times and user-friendly navigation are a good place to start if you want a trustworthy site.

Here are five more quick tips to ensure the trustworthiness of your website:

1. Make a note of who to contact about site ownership.
2. Describe the physical location (i.e., office, store address, etc.).
3. Users should be able to access a Terms and Conditions page.
4. Ensure the domain security of your website. (Note: Google values HTTPS implementation to protect users' data).
5. When providing expertise, cite all sources as needed. Remember to include links to credible websites.

What Is the Importance of E-A-T?

Aside from Google saying it's important, E-A-T marketing is a good way to hold your content accountable.

So, what's the big deal about knowledge, authority, and trustworthiness?

Google's Quality Rater Guidelines (QRG) have no direct impact on a page's ranking—so what are they?

The value of a site's pages influences where it ranks in the SERPs.

In essence, E-A-T defines the worth of a website.

The Page Quality ranking slider indicates where the page's value falls based on the purpose and quality of the content shared.

When determining how well a site or page meets the needs of its users, quality raters keep E-A-T in mind.

They determine whether they provide a high-quality online experience and whether the information meets users' expectations. The site receives higher E-A-T signals if the raters believe a user would feel comfortable reading, sharing, and recommending the information.

Consider E-A-T as the reason why users will prefer your site over competitors.

So, while QRG has no direct impact on SERP ranking, E-A-T may have an impact on how Google perceives your website.

With E-A-T marketing content, you can get on Google's good side.

E-A-T and YMYL Sites

Google's "Your Money or Your Life" (YMYL) pages value E-A-T.

Topics affecting visitors' legal, financial, medical, and safety are classified on YMYL pages. These are the kinds of topics that can have a significant impact on a person's health, well-being, or finances.

As high-stakes topics, they must be rich in expertise, authority, and trustworthiness.

For users—and Google—to take the site seriously, the content they provide must be accurate and trustworthy. The user is put at ease by credible, high-quality YMYL content that matches search queries and has a high E-A-T value.

Consider the consequences of YMYL that falls short.

For example, a medical website that provides bad health advice may have serious health consequences for users who follow the advice.

Sites that genuinely provide useful information or a solution to a problem are more likely to meet these requirements than sites that attempt to circumvent Google's system.

Because of their excellent writing and rich media content, the pages and sites that do E-A-T justice assist people in making difficult decisions.

According to Google's Quality Rater Guidelines (QRG), YMYL sites that lack E-A-T is considered low-quality sites.

If you're giving advice on the best diet for a Type 1 diabetic, your audience wants to know you're knowledgeable. You must ensure that your content is solid and does not aggravate their conditions further.

If you do it correctly, you will establish yourself as a credible resource. People will believe your research and recommendations. E-A-T is essential for producing genuinely useful YMYL content.

Even if your topic isn't obviously YMYL, I recommend paying attention to Google E-A-T just to be safe.

The most recent QRG update contains more information on the YMYL evaluation process and what's new, such as rater accuracy and search improvements.

E-A-T Best Practices in Your Content

You understand why E-A-T is important to your website now that you know it is about Google's algorithm and not food.

You're taking a comprehensive approach to SEO and content marketing when you emphasize expertise, authority, and trustworthiness.

Allow these three pillars to strengthen the credibility of your content.

You want your pages to appear in Google search results for the most relevant search terms in your niche. You also want your content to be as informative and correct as possible.

To make your website more authoritative and trustworthy, follow these E-A-T best practices:

1. Make an About page:  If you don't already have one, tell your audience about yourself.

2. Collaborate with other experts: Through guest posts or research, you can collaborate with another brand. Not only do you need good content, but Google prefers to promote content from credible sources to users.

3. Refresh your content: Content can quickly become outdated. So, check in every now and then to ensure your content is up to date. Concentrate on metrics, links, and SEO strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly does E-A-T stand for?

Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness are abbreviated as E-A-T. High-quality pages are those that have a high level of E-A-T.

How can I ensure that my content adheres to E-A-T?

You can go over the Google Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines and make changes to your site to focus on providing users with unique, high-quality content on your niche topics.

What role does E-A-T play in my SEO efforts?

E-A-T signals help users determine whether a site and its pages are reliable sources of information on a topic and provide actual value to users.

Conclusion

Creating E-A-T-rich content is a comprehensive, site-wide strategy.

There are no shortcuts to establishing expertise, authority, and trustworthiness.

Your goal is to keep your brand growing organically while maintaining a positive online presence.

Implement the suggestions I provided so that your site is optimized for search engine results.

Keep in mind that Google examines both the big picture and the fine details.

Make certain that every aspect of your website strives to meet the highest E-A-T standards (this is particularly important for YMYL pages).

An overnight takeover of Google's results pages is no longer possible. E-A-T takes time to establish.

The good news is that if you score high on the E-A-T, it will be difficult to knock you out of Google's top rankings.