We all know that Google loves rolling out new updates. And anyone in the marketing space loves digging into these new updates and nerding out on how to best apply the principles – right after we’re done freaking out. This is why last month we brought you several reasons why Google E-A-T matters, and how you can apply the principles of E-A-T in your marketing strategy.
Well, in typical Google update fashion, the acronym itself has been updated to include an added E – Experience. And though trust remains the most important component of E-E-A-T, experience is one element that all content should reflect.
Google E-E-A-T now stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. And you can look at this acronym as tiered, beginning with Experience as the first threshold and finally ending at Trustworthiness – the final and most valued element of E-E-A-T according to Google. But what value does “Experience” bring to your marketing campaign, and how can it help with your 2023 SEO strategy?
Are you applying the principles of E-E-A-T in your 2023 SEO strategy? Reach out to Beacon Media + Marketing today to schedule a free consultation.
Why Does E-E-A-T Matter for SEO?
The acronym E-E-A-T comes from Google’s Search Quality Rating Guidelines but is only one factor that Google references in order to evaluate the overall quality of web content and rank it accordingly. However, as you might imagine, the quality of your content is going to play a huge role in how Google ranks a particular page in organic search results.
According to Google, when determining the overall quality of a web page, the most important factors used include:
- The overall purpose and value of the page
- E-E-A-T
- Content quality (including the amount of content)
- Detailed information about the content creator (or the website itself)
- The content creator’s reputation (or the reputation of the website)
It’s important to remember that different types of content will require different levels or applications of E-E-A-T. And each of these factors has its own ranking profile. For example, if you have high expertise, you could also have low authority along with a mediocre ranking in experience or trust – or any similar variation. As such, it becomes critical to hone and balance your E-E-A-T, and fully understand the evaluation of each element.
How Important is “Experience” for Your 2023 SEO Strategy?
All in all, Experience is the lowest threshold that a website needs to cross to meet the first standard of E-E-A-T. This is not to say that it’s the least important factor as experience does weigh heavily on the effectiveness and value of a piece of content. However, in contrast to expertise and authority, experience is considered a lower tier by Google evaluators.
The main thing to understand is that experience adds significant value. And it is quite easy to tell when a content creator has little to no experience when crafting a blog post, article, or any other piece of content because some information may not be factual or even relevant to a reader.
For example, you may know a lot about wilderness survival, but have you ever been in a real survival situation? Do you know how to navigate the wilderness, or how to build a fire? This is where proof of experience can be a huge asset such as a video of you making a fire in the woods using primitive tools, or images including the step-by-step process.
When Google (and readers) can see that you have experience, this enhances your E-E-A-T, and can work to boost your SEO rankings – another great reason why adding proof of experience, or listing verified credentials is critical to your overall SEO strategy.
What is YMYL and Why is It Important for SEO?
YMYL – Your Money or Your Life, is another clever acronym that Google uses to categorize web pages that may impact elements such as your health, finance, safety, or happiness. And sites that have content falling into these categories are held to the highest standards of E-E-A-T when being reviewed by a Google search evaluator.
Due to the subject matter, if statements are misleading or inaccurate, this can not only affect the person reading the content, it can diminish the trust that a user has in Google to guide them when searching for information. Because at the end of the day, when you’re speaking to clients or consumers in any piece of content, you need to ensure that you’re not being misleading.
Additionally, according to a statement from Google, “We have very high page quality rating standards for YMYL pages because low-quality YMYL pages could negatively impact a person’s happiness, health, financial stability, or safety.”
A few types of common YMYL websites may include information related to:
- Investments or retirement planning
- Healthcare, mental health, or pharmacies
- Ecommerce content
- Content that discusses dangerous activities
- Law or government agencies
- Content that discusses age, race, nationality, disabilities, or gender
All of this makes E-E-A-T extremely important for SEO – starting with experience. And businesses that create content falling into the YMYL category need to make sure that the content is created by those with verifiable experience, sound reputations, and verified credentials.
How to Enhance Google E-E-A-T for Your SEO Strategy
Google updates essentially all serve the same purpose – to improve user experience and enhance trust in Google services. And E-E-A-T is simply another way for Google to build trust and give its consumers what they want.
At the end of the day, E-E-A-T is used to determine a website or content creator’s credibility. And it’s this preliminary evaluation process that allows Google to determine whether a website offers valuable content to its readers – or not.
When working to enhance your E-E-A-T, consider the following practices for SEO:
- Build relevant backlinks (if you’re operating a healthcare business, you probably don’t want backlinks from a furniture website)
- Frequently update your content for accuracy and relevance · Make it easy for clients to leave reviews and testimonials (authority and trust)
- Bring in verifiable experts to create content
- Acquire mentions from trusted and verifiable sources
- List your credentials and those of your colleagues, or link out to a bio page
By working to enhance the trust and authority of your website, you’ll be making Google happy. And by sending Google all the right signals, you’ll be building trust, showing your experience and expertise, and establishing authority – all the ingredients that make for a great website and a higher SEO ranking.
Enhance Your E-E-A-T with the Content Marketing Professionals at Beacon Media + Marketing
You’ve probably worked really hard to gain the experience you need to start your business and create content that your readers love to read. And experience in the field is the first step in becoming an expert and developing authority and trust – all key components of E-E-A-T. And here at Beacon Media + Marketing, we know how to build your content the right way – without taking any shortcuts.
By highlighting your direct experience and expertise we can build your authority and trust. And this allows our marketing team to enhance your content and make sure that it meets Google and consumer standards.
With our talented team of creatives and marketing professionals, here at Beacon Media + Marketing, we have the tools to showcase your experience and deliver your content to your audience keeping best industry practices in mind.
Are you ready to showcase your experience and enhance E-E-A-T in your 2023 SEO strategy? Reach out to Beacon Media + Marketing today to schedule a free consultation.
