E-E-A-T: Meaning & How to Improve Quality Signals for SEO

E-E-A-T is a set of quality signals used by Google to evaluate and rank content in their search engine. Content with higher signals tends to rank better in Google, as it meets or exceeds the quality expectations. Learn more about E-E-A-T and its importance to SEO with this guide.

What is E-E-A-T?

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It is a set of criteria that Google uses in its Search Quality Rater Guidelines to evaluate the quality of content and websites. E-E-A-T represents the features that Google wants its top-ranked content to exhibit. In other words, content that demonstrates these qualities is more likely to rank higher in search results.

By the way, the acronym used to be just “E-A-T”, but Google added “Experience” in late 2022 to adapt and expand its guidelines. Oh, and we’re just gonna use “EEAT” from now because it’s a whole lot cleaner than the official version.

Importance of EEAT

EEAT helps differentiate high-quality content from the mediocre or poor. Ensuring your content adheres to the principles of EEAT not only aids in ranking better on search engines but also in building a credible reputation among your audience.

For businesses, it can help:

• Increase their visibility in search results
• Build trust with potential customers
• Generate more leads and sales

For consumers, EEAT can help:

• Find accurate and reliable information
• Make informed decisions
• Avoid scams and misleading information

Otherwise, it’s critical to understand if you want to improve SEO and how your audience interacts with your content.

Examples of EEAT in Action

Here are some examples of websites and content that have high EEAT:

• The Mayo Clinic: This website provides accurate and up-to-date medical information from a trusted source.
• Harvard Business Review: This website publishes articles from leading experts in business and management.
• The New York Times: This website is known for its high-quality journalism.
• Wikipedia: This encyclopedia is a collaborative project that is constantly updated with new information.
• Consumer Reports: Provides product reviews and ratings, with proven experience included in the content.

While these are massive sites with plenty of resources, it’s still possible for smaller sites to earn topical authority on niche subjects, improving their EEAT and search engine listings.

Key Elements of EEAT

Now, let’s look at each of the four main components in a bit more detail.

Experience

This refers to signals indicating if the author has experience in its topic, such as proof that a review author actually tested the product instead of summarized a bunch of other popular reviews. Positive signals include:

1. Showing off proof of experience, such as product photos or videos that indicate a quality review.
2. Experience signals such as professional credentials or years of activity.
3. Content describing an experience with something, such as a product or an interaction with a business, versus generic overview copy.

Expertise

Being an expert in your field means you have both knowledge and experience. Your content should reflect your expertise. It means:

1. Providing insights or information that is accurate and beneficial to the user.
2. Demonstrating a deep understanding of the topic.
3. Deep depth of content on a given topic.

Authoritativeness

Your content needs to establish authority. This can be achieved by:

1. Citing credible sources or references.
2. Being endorsed or shared by experts in the field.
3. Receiving positive feedback or reviews from users.

Trustworthiness

Trust is hard to quantify, but built on many small signals. To ensure trustworthiness:

1. Be transparent about your credentials or any potential biases.
2. Ensure your website is secure (e.g., using HTTPS).
3. Address user concerns or questions promptly and accurately.
4. Avoid spammy practices or manipulative techniques

How to Improve EEAT

Once you understand the basics, it’s good to prioritize ways to improve your quality signals. Start with these:

1. Focus on the user: Your content should be written for the user, not for search engines. Make sure that it is easy to understand and that it provides value to the reader.
2. Write high-quality content: Your content should be well-researched, informative, and accurate.
3. Use evidence to support your claims: Support your claims with statistics, expert opinions, or other credible sources.
4. Quality over Quantity: It’s better to have fewer articles or pieces of content that are in-depth and high-quality than numerous shallow ones, as this creates topical authority.
5. Promote your content: Share your content on social media, submit it to directories, and guest blog on other websites.
6. Get backlinks: Backlinks from other high-quality websites can help to improve your website’s ranking in search results.
7. Regularly Update Content: Keep your information updated to improve quality and trust signals, as well as demonstrate your site is active to search engines.

Beyond that, remember to consider EEAT when crafting your content and site. Doing so will give you a strong base for your SEO efforts and improvements.

Popular Tools for Improving Content

There are a number of tools that can help you to improve your EEAT. Some tools include:

• Google Search Console: This tool provides insights into how Google sees your website and how users interact with it.
• Google Analytics: This tool tracks your website traffic and can help you to identify your target audience.
• Ahrefs: This tool helps you to track your website’s rankings in search results and identify your competitors.
• Yoast SEO: This WordPress plugin helps you optimize your website for search engines.

These and other SEO tools can help identify issues, reveal site weaknesses, and content errors. Use them and any other preferred methods to boost your EEAT quality.

Bottom Line

EEAT is a guideline for SEO and a useful viewpoint for creating online content. Emphasizing Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness ensures you provide genuine value to your audience. In the long run, this approach helps with search engine rankings and builds a loyal and trusting audience base. Always prioritize quality, authenticity, and user experience in your content strategy. ?