Embracing Google's E-E-A-T Update: The Key to Better SEO Performance
Google's recent updates to its search algorithm have introduced a new concept: E-E-A-T (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). This update aims to provide users with higher quality content by focusing on these four factors. In this blog post, we will explore the E-E-A-T update, its impact on SEO, and how you can improve your website's E-E-A-T score.
What is E-E-A-T and its significance in Google's ranking algorithm?
E-E-A-T stands for Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. These are the four key factors that Google's search algorithm now considers when determining the quality and relevance of a website. The goal of this update is to filter out low-quality or potentially harmful content and prioritize pages that offer a beneficial purpose and an excellent user experience to visitors.
The role of Quality Raters and their guidelines
Google employs human quality raters to evaluate the search results and ensure that the algorithm is working correctly. The raters follow Google's Search Quality Rater Guidelines (SQRG), which provide detailed instructions on how to evaluate the quality of webpages, including their E-E-A-T. If a page's E-E-A-T is considered too low, especially for YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topics, it may be rated as untrustworthy or of the lowest quality.
Identifying user needs and intents
The SQRG also emphasize the importance of understanding users' search intents, which can be classified into four categories: Know, Do, Website, and Visit-in-Person. Quality raters are asked to evaluate how well a webpage meets these user needs and rate them accordingly.
Importance of E-E-A-T for SEO
SEO professionals and website owners should familiarize themselves with the SQRG and E-E-A-T concepts, as these guidelines provide valuable insights into what Google expects from high-quality content. By aligning your content and SEO strategies with these guidelines, you can improve your chances of ranking higher in search results.
Improving your website's E-E-A-T score
To enhance your website's E-E-A-T score, consider the following steps:
Create high-quality, informative, and engaging content that serves a beneficial purpose to users and demonstrates your expertise.
Ensure that your website offers an excellent user experience, with easy navigation, fast load times, and mobile-friendliness.
Establish the authoritativeness of your content creators and your website by showcasing credentials, experience, achievements, and earning high-quality backlinks.
Focus on trustworthiness by ensuring that your website is secure, transparent about its purpose and affiliations, and responsive to user feedback or complaints.
Key Take-Away
Google's E-E-A-T update has raised the bar for website quality, content relevance, and user experience. By understanding the principles of E-E-A-T in your SEO strategy, you can improve your website's chances of ranking higher in search results and delivering a better experience for your visitors.e.
We are an integrated Marketing and Creative Service Agency helping local businesses, small brands, and nonprofits ignite scalable growth.