We all want our websites to rank highly on search engine results and we have touched on some of the ways you can achieve this in previous articles. The slight spanner in the works is that the advice is always changing and the goalposts always shifting. However, what it all ever really comes down to is that ‘you are what you EAT’.
If you’re wondering what we’re talking about, EAT is part of a core algorithm update which was released by Google this summer.
EAT is not a new concept, and has actually been around for a number of years, but the update has brought it back into focus with a renewed importance. And while Google has stressed the significance of good content for a long time now, EAT is just another measure being used to assess the quality of the words and information on your website – and better content means higher rankings.
What is Google’s E.A.T?
Google employs thousands of people to check search results and the websites that come up, and will rate them in accordance with Google’s Quality Raters Guidelines.
EAT is a key part of that. It means being able to demonstrate that the main content on your website shows Expertise, Authority and is Trustworthy.
While it does go a little deeper depending on the type of business you’re running, it basically means having well written, credible and high quality content.
Why is EAT so important?
Google’s quality checkers assess websites from the perspective of the everyday internet surfer. Does it look trustworthy and credible? Would they feel confident in using your services or buying your products? Would they recommend it to others?
EAT could have a direct impact on how your website is ranked by Google. It determines the value of your website and whether users would choose yours over a similar site by a competitor. If you don’t get a good EAT score, your page will get a low-quality rating.
How to improve your website content for EAT
Having a good EAT score means making sure your content meets a search query, is credible, safe and secure, and there are some quick measures you can take to begin to have an impact on this straight away.
Establishing trust
This is one of the most important elements of EAT. It means demonstrating that you’re a credible business with a good reputation. For landing and product pages this can be as simple as making sure your business contact details are included and easy to find on the page.
It also means having a high level of personal branding, so include an ‘About Us’ section so people can see who they are dealing with and why they should do business with you.
Reviews and testimonials can help establish that personal, trusted brand – and this includes external reviews written about you by third parties.
Make sure you have full, high quality, social media profiles linked to your website with active accounts that people can visit to check who you are and what you’re up to. Tell your story and connect with your audience.
Credible content
Certain forms of content require a certain level of authority. If you regularly feature advice articles, then those should be attributed to expert authors with the credentials to share that advice. This doesn’t necessarily mean qualifications, but it does mean having the relevant experience. Including a photograph and link to social media pages for the business or the individual author, where applicable, can improve credibility in that respect.
If you are publishing news articles, they should be written with ‘journalistic professionalism’, and ‘factually accurate content’.
User generated content
However, there is also a place for the information, reviews, personal blogs and experiences shared within forums and groups linked to your website, as these help to establish that you are trusted by the everyday user. It does need to be moderated though. You’re most in danger of a low EAT score here where you have people who are clearly not experts offering advice on important subjects such as health and finance.
Security
Trust isn’t just about the quality of your content, it’s about the security of people using your website. Are they safe sharing their details with you or buying from your site?
A site hosted on secure server with an SSL certificate is vital on this score – having a secure website is vital for many reasons and if you haven’t sorted this yet, do it now! It’s the most sure-fire way to improve your EAT score immediately. We can help – contact us today!
To sum up:
It may sound confusing, but it actually comes down to mere common sense. The websites with content that demonstrates the most expertise, authority and trustworthiness will achieve higher ratings than those which fall short in this area. With a little bit of thought and some high quality content, you can easily get ahead of the competition.
Contact Expand Digital Media for more help improving your small business website and its content.
