Natalia Kyryk is the founder content studio WordFactory
Google uses its own criteria for evaluating the trustworthiness of brands and websites. The largest search engine encourages resources that publish high-quality expert content and, on the contrary, limits the entry into the top of the search results of sites that do not bring significant benefit. For the past six years, EAT factors have been taken into account in search ranking, in addition to many other criteria, and recently Google has followed the concept of EEAT (Double EAT). Specialists WordFactory copywriting studio explain what EAT/EEAT factors mean and how they work, as well as how they can influence search engine rankings.
EAT and EEAT: What they mean and how they differ
The abbreviation EAT stands for "expertise", "authority", "trust" (expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness).
- Expertise - site content is created by people who have specific professional knowledge and skills. This is especially important in fields such as medicine, law and finance.
- Authoritativeness - authoritative sources in a certain field are linked to the site, and articles by well-known experts in their niche are published on the resource itself. Guest posting on well-known resources and an active presence in social networks are welcome.
- Reliability - the website provides information that can be verified as true. Links to authoritative sources of information are welcome, fact-checking is mandatory.
Therefore, the authors of the site must have the necessary competences to write on given topics, carefully select sources of information and publish on platforms with a good reputation. The basic principles of EAT, adopted back in 2018, are described in detail in the official document General Guidelines from Google.
In the concept of EAAT, which is relevant since 2022, we see another letter E: "experience" (experience) - content created on the basis of personal life experience. Google believes that the presence of such articles instills the trust of users. For example, if this is a review of a new laptop, it should be written based on the author's own experience, who has personally tested it at work. If this is the site of an educational organization, "success stories" written by students are welcome.
EAT/EEAT and Google Ranking
The EAT/EEAT strategy is believed to improve the visibility of the site in the Google search engine, increase its authority, build trust in the eyes of users and, ultimately, increase organic traffic. At the same time, it is important to understand that it is impossible to qualitatively or quantitatively measure experience, expertise, authority and reliability. In addition, the principles of ranking are constantly changing and improving, which makes it difficult to develop an ideal strategy for promoting a site using text content. However, Google in any case receives a fairly objective evaluation of the site for compliance with the EAT/EEAT criteria and takes it into account in the search results, so it is not only possible, but necessary to be guided by them.
EAT/EEAT and YMLM: What Matters for Health and Finance Content
Initially, it was believed that the EAT/EEAT rating factors could be applied to absolutely any type of content, and even spoke up is one of Google's experts. However, it later became clear that this concept works best on sites with content that adheres to the principles of YMYL (Your Money or Your Life). In other words, it touches on topics related to life, health and finances in one way or another. Google is interested in ensuring that the sources of this information in its search results are as reliable and expert as possible.
Here are some examples of how this works:
- on a site with tourist equipment, advice on choosing equipment is given by experienced tourists;
- the medical portal for pregnant women and mothers of babies contains articles by specialist gynecologists, obstetricians, pediatricians, neonatologists, supported by links to authoritative sources (for example, UNEPSA/EPA);
- on the psychological help resource, certified psychologists, psychiatrists and psychotherapists who are guided by current practices in their field answer readers' questions;
- successful financiers, investors, analysts publish their columns on the news site from the field of finance and investments.
How to influence Google rankings with EAT/EEAT
There are several ways to improve your search engine rankings based on Google's EAT/EEAT guidelines. You can use them all at once or choose only those that match your topic and the resources you are willing to spend to achieve the desired result.
Engage authors with narrow specialization
Skip general copywriters who are ready to write hard on any topic. You need writers who can dive deep into a topic and have relevant experience or education in your industry. It is optimal if the copywriter who writes for the medical portal has graduated from a medical university, and for an IT site or a site selling digital electronics, an author-engineer is ideal.
Use reliable sources of information
From an SEO point of view, a large number of links leading to third-party resources can harm promotion. But this does not work in the case of links to authoritative resources, the weight of which is much greater than the weight of your site. When preparing content, use reliable sources of information — websites of medical communities, government services, and large manufacturers.
Update information regularly
In two or three years, amendments may be made to the law, new medical research may appear, and the situation in the financial markets may change. If you don't take these changes into account, your "evergreen content" will cease to be so. So review the sources you cite, update your recommendations, add current trends and research to demonstrate awareness of change and a commitment to providing up-to-date information.
Focus on your team's professional experience
Start sharing the professional experience and achievements of your employees. Pay attention to the content of the "About Us" page and introduce site visitors to people who provide services or produce something. Successful completion of professional development courses and certifications is something that definitely deserves attention.
Publish customer reviews and testimonials
For this, it is not necessary to be a large retailer: even a small construction and repair company will find customers who are ready to share a positive experience of cooperation. You can post product and service reviews on your own website, social media, or Google Maps. Also, learn to work with negative reviews: other visitors will be closely watching how exactly you got out of a conflict situation.
Publish articles with expert commentary
Rely on the practical experience of recognized specialists in your niche: offer them a profitable format of cooperation, gaining access to their expertise in return. The owner of a large law firm can comment on the latest amendments to the law, a top doctor on the new recommendations of the Ministry of Health, and a well-known financier on exchange rate fluctuations.
Summary
The concept of EAT/EEAT can be a powerful tool for attracting organic traffic, building reputation and trust for your site. At the same time, we WordFactory know that it is necessary to make a lot of effort for its implementation - the creation of expert content should not be a one-time action, but a permanent component of the resource's promotion strategy. In addition, it is very important to maintain a balance between formal expertise and benefit for the reader: between content created on the basis of experience and dozens of authoritative sources, and that which carries a practical component and answers specific questions, the user will choose the second option.
