E-E-A-T and YMYL: How to Boost Your SEO with Quality and Trust

E-E-A-T and YMYL are two important concepts in SEO. E-E-A-T stands for “Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.” YMYL stands for “Your Money or Your Life.”

These concepts are important because Google uses them to determine the quality of content. Content that is high in E-E-A-T is more likely to rank higher in Google search results.

In this article, we will define E-E-A-T and YMYL in more detail. We will also show you how to improve your site’s E-E-A-T so that your content meets users’ needs and ranks higher in Google.

What is E-E-A-T?

E-E-A-T was just E-A-T before a Google update in December 2022. There was no “Experience” before.

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It is a concept in SEO that refers to the quality of content. Google uses E-E-A-T to determine the ranking of search results.

Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines are a handbook that real people use to evaluate the quality of search results. These people are known as Quality Raters. Their feedback helps Google measure the success of its algorithm updates.

E-E-A-T is not a direct Google ranking factor, but it is an important concept in SEO. Content with high E-E-A-T is more likely to rank higher in Google search results.

High E-E-A-T can also improve user trust and lead to more conversions on your site.

Google updates the Search Quality Rater Guidelines approximately once per year. Here is a quick history of key Google E-E-A-T updates:

• March 2013: Google officially publishes its Search Quality Rating Guidelines.
• March 2014: Google adds E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) to the guidelines.
• December 2022: Google introduces E-E-A-T, adding an extra “E” for “Experience”.

Now, let’s dive into the four components of Google E-E-A-T and how they intersect with your content.

• Experience: This refers to the creator’s or author’s personal experience with the topic. For example, if you are writing a blog post about how to cook a certain dish, you would want to make sure that you have experience cooking that dish yourself.
• Expertise: This refers to the creator’s or author’s knowledge and skills related to the topic. For example, if you are writing a blog post about the latest medical research, you would want to make sure that you are an expert in that field.
• Authoritativeness: This refers to the creator’s or author’s reputation and credibility. For example, if you are writing a blog post about financial advice, you would want to make sure that you are a reputable source of financial information.
• Trustworthiness: This refers to the creator’s or author’s ability to be trusted. For example, if you are writing a blog post about a controversial topic, you would want to make sure that you are presenting the information in a fair and unbiased way.

What Is YMYL?

YMYL stands for Your Money or Your Life. It is a term used by Google to describe topics that could have a significant impact on a person’s health, financial stability, safety, or well-being.

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It is a concept in SEO that refers to the quality of content. Google uses E-E-A-T to determine the ranking of search results for YMYL topics.

Misinformation on YMYL topics can cause harm to:

• The person viewing the content
• Others affected by the person who viewed the content
• Groups of people affected by the actions of those who viewed the content

Here are a few examples of Google YMYL topics:

• Clear YMYL topics: evacuation routes for a tsunami, news about ongoing violence, information about purchasing prescription drugs
• Maybe YMYL topics: weather forecasts, news about a car accident, information about how often to replace a toothbrush
• Unlikely YMYL topics: music award winners, news about a local high school basketball game, a music video

Google says quality evaluators need to use their judgment to determine whether a page qualifies as YMYL content. These pages need to demonstrate the highest levels of E-E-A-T.

While E-E-A-T and YMYL are not SEO ranking factors, they are important things to consider when creating quality content. If you are creating content on a YMYL topic, it is important to make sure that your content is accurate, up-to-date, and trustworthy. You should also make sure that you cite your sources and provide links to other reliable sources of information.

How to Improve Your Website’s E-E-A-T?

Fortunately, you don’t need to completely revamp your SEO strategy to boost your E-E-A-T and account for YMYL. There are a few straightforward actions you can take to improve your site’s E-E-A-T SEO.

Here are some of those actions:

1. Create high-quality content

Google wants your site to provide helpful content that answers questions, provides advice, and leaves the reader feeling satisfied.

• Original. Google wants content that is original and not plagiarized.
• Helpful to users. Google wants content that is helpful to users and answers their questions.
• Written by people, for people. Google wants content that is written in a clear and concise way that is easy for people to understand.

To ensure that your content is helpful, you should regularly audit it to make sure that it is still up-to-date and accurate. You should also create new content that addresses your audience’s evolving needs.

You can also create new content that addresses your audience’s evolving needs.

2. Be transparent and must provide Author Info

Google wants to ensure that the information it provides to users is accurate and trustworthy. To do this, Google looks at a number of factors, including the author’s credentials and experience.

There are a few things you can do to provide author info and transparency:

• Create an About Us page to introduce your team and the people who write for your site. This will help users learn more about the people who create your content and why they are qualified to do so.
• Create individual author pages to highlight specific writers. This is a great way to showcase each writer’s expertise and experience.
• Include author bios at the end of your content. This is a short paragraph that provides information about the author, such as their name, title, and area of expertise.
• Become a contributor to authoritative sites in your space. This is a great way to establish your own credibility and build relationships with other experts in your field.
• Hire experts when you can write your content. This is not always possible, but it is a great way to ensure that your content is accurate and informative.
• Have subject matter experts review your writers’ content. This is a great way to catch any mistakes or misinformation before your content goes live.

3. Use Reliable Sources

When creating content, it is important to use reliable sources to build credibility. This means citing official sources, studies, research papers, and even tweets and blog posts from experts in your field.

Relying on credible sources shows your audience that you have done your research and that you are an authority on the topic. This can help you establish credibility and build trust with your readers.

Here are some tips for using credible sources in your content:

• Check the source’s reputation: Is it a well-known and respected organization?
• Look for the source’s credentials: Are the author’s experts in the field?
• Check the date of the source: Is the information up-to-date?
• Evaluate the source’s bias: Is the source objective or does it have a particular agenda?

4. Maintain a Positive Brand Reputation

Your brand’s reputation is an important factor in Google’s E-E-A-T SEO algorithm. This means that if your brand has a positive reputation, your content and site will be more likely to rank higher in search results.

There are a few things you can do to create a positive brand reputation:

• Respond promptly and professionally to negative reviews or press. This shows that you are taking your customers’ concerns seriously and that you are willing to address them.
• Respond to both good and bad reviews. Positive interactions with customers can help your brand reputation over the long term.
• Be transparent about your business practices. This includes being honest about your products or services, your pricing, and your return policy.
• Build relationships with other businesses in your industry. This can help you to establish yourself as a credible and trustworthy source of information.
• Get involved in your community. This shows that you are committed to the people and places where you do business.

5. Monitor and Leverage User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) is content created by consumers or website users, rather than brands. It can be in the form of images, video testimonials, product reviews, YouTube videos, or blog posts. When used well, UGC can act as a trust signal and establish brand loyalty.

For example, a study by Bazaarvoice found that 79% of online shoppers say UGC highly impacts their purchasing decisions. This is because UGC is seen as more authentic and trustworthy than brand-created content. When potential customers see other people enjoying a product or service, they are more likely to be convinced to buy it themselves.

There are many ways to collect UGC from your customers. You can ask them to leave reviews on your website, post photos or videos of themselves using your products on social media, or participate in contests or giveaways. Once you have collected UGC, you can use it to promote your brand on your website, social media, and other channels.

UGC is a powerful tool that can help you build trust, credibility, and brand loyalty. If you are not already collecting UGC from your customers, I encourage you to start today.

6. Get Authoritative Backlinks

Backlinks are links from other websites to your website. They are an important part of search engine optimization (SEO), as they help Google and other search engines understand that your website is a valuable resource.

Backlinks can be earned in a variety of ways, but one of the most effective ways is to create high-quality content that other websites will want to link to. This content could include infographics, videos, blog posts, or anything else that is informative and valuable to your target audience.

Once you have created high-quality content, you can reach out to other websites and ask them to link to your content. You can also participate in link-building campaigns, such as guest blogging or social media sharing.

Here are some specific things you can do to optimize your content for link building:

• Make sure your content is high-quality and informative.
• Include relevant keywords and phrases throughout your content.
• Promote your content on social media and other online channels.
• Reach out to other websites and ask them to link to your content.

If you are looking to improve your SEO ranking and build credibility for your website, then earning backlinks is a critical part of your strategy. By following the tips above, you can start earning backlinks from other trusted sites today.

Conclusion

It is important to note that E-E-A-T is not a ranking factor in itself. However, it is a strong signal to Google that a website is providing high-quality information. This can lead to higher rankings for YMYL topics. Perform all the above actions or hire an SEO company to optimize your business and move toward success.