Learn the Basics of GOOGLE’s E.A.T: Google’s Content Quality Benchmark for 2023

In the ever-evolving landscape of SEO, there’s always a new acronym or metric marketers must acquaint themselves with. One such acronym, becoming increasingly paramount, is E.A.T – standing for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Google’s shift towards emphasizing these three factors can reshape the way we approach content creation and optimization.

What Exactly is E.A.T?
E.A.T isn’t a direct ranking factor in the way that backlinks or keywords are. Instead, it represents Google’s attempt to prioritize content that comes from reliable, authoritative sources, especially in niches where accuracy is vital, like healthcare or finance.

• Expertise: Does the content come from someone knowledgeable? It’s about the content creator’s proficiency in the specific topic.
• Authoritativeness: How recognized is the content creator or the site in its niche? Other experts citing this source can be a strong indicator.
• Trustworthiness: Does the content come from a trustworthy source? This factor often relates to the site’s security, transparency about its content creation process, and accuracy of the content.

Why is E.A.T Important for Marketers?
E.A.T plays a pivotal role in Google’s “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL) pages criteria. These are pages that could potentially impact the future well-being, health, or financial stability of individuals. For YMYL pages, having high E.A.T is crucial.
But the influence of E.A.T isn’t limited to YMYL pages. With the 2023 updates, Google continues to show preference for content that satisfies the E.A.T criteria, making it a universal standard of quality to aspire to.

How Google Perceives and Weighs E.A.T Factors
To truly optimize for E.A.T, marketers need to understand how Google’s algorithms recognize and weigh these factors. Let’s delve into the intricate process.
Google’s Quality Raters and E.A.T

Google employs thousands of ‘quality raters’ worldwide. These individuals follow the guidelines set by Google to evaluate website quality. While these raters don’t directly impact rankings, their feedback helps refine Google’s algorithms over time.
The “Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines,” a public document provided by Google to its raters, dedicates a significant portion to E.A.T. This emphasizes the importance Google places on these factors.

Expertise

• Google’s View: For Google, expertise is highly dependent on the topic of the page. For example, medical advice should come from health professionals, while everyday topics or personal experiences can be shared by anyone.
• Evaluation Metric: Google’s algorithm looks at the credentials of the author, the depth and comprehensiveness of content, and references to authoritative sources.

Authoritativeness

• Google’s View: Authoritativeness is all about credibility and recognition in a particular field or subject. An authoritative site is one that other experts and authoritative sites in the same field reference and cite.
• Evaluation Metric: Backlink analysis is a critical component. Quality and relevance of incoming links, mentions, citations, and even author profiles play a role in establishing a site or author’s authority.

Trustworthiness

• Google’s View: Trustworthiness goes beyond just accurate content. Google considers the overall user experience, including site security, transparency of information, and clarity about who’s responsible for the website’s content.
• Evaluation Metric: User signals like bounce rates, HTTPS (secure site status), clear and accessible privacy policies, and the presence of verifiable contact information can influence a site’s perceived trustworthiness.

Interplay of E.A.T with Algorithms
While Google’s algorithms are proprietary and aren’t fully disclosed, it’s evident that several factors overlap with E.A.T principles. For instance, Google’s Panda algorithm, which assesses content quality, can be linked to Expertise and Trustworthiness, while its Penguin algorithm, which evaluates the quality of links to a site, ties into Authoritativeness.

Strategies to Enhance E.A.T for Your Content

1. Author Credentials: Ensure that content, especially in expert niches, is written by or reviewed by professionals in the field. Displaying author bios with their qualifications can be a significant boost.
2. Backlink Strategy: Aim for high-quality backlinks from authoritative sources in your niche. These act as endorsements for your content’s authority.
3. Content Quality and References: Make sure your content is factually accurate. Cite reputable sources and provide evidence for claims, particularly for YMYL topics.
4. Improve User Experience: Ensure your website is secure (HTTPS), easily navigable, and provides clear information about its purpose, creators, and more.
5. Engage and Respond: Engage with your audience, respond to comments, address concerns, and showcase testimonials. Trust can be built by demonstrating genuine interactions.

Case Studies:
Healthline: A prominent example in the health niche, Healthline consistently showcases the credentials of their writers and medical reviewers, ensuring content accuracy with clear references.
Investopedia: In the finance niche, Investopedia stands out by offering detailed explanations, citing sources, and ensuring that articles are penned by financial experts.

For marketers, understanding and integrating E.A.T into their SEO strategy is no longer optional. It’s a clear signal from Google about the direction search is headed towards: prioritizing content that’s not just keyword-rich, but also reliable, valuable, and of high integrity.
Embrace E.A.T not as a challenge, but as an opportunity to elevate your content’s quality, build trust with your audience, and solidify your position in search rankings.

By Nelson, CEO of JubilantWeb.