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Over a year has passed since Google updated its search quality rater guidelines by adding "experience," evolving E-A-T to E-E-A-T. Despite this change, many websites still struggle to enhance their digital presence in line with these guidelines.
Contrary to what some might assume, optimizing for E-E-A-T involves more than just adding an author bio to a website. Let’s dive deeper into the essentials of E-E-A-T and hear what SEO experts suggest for aligning with these standards.
A Quick Recap Of E-E-A-T & Its Relevance In 2024
Google annually updates its algorithms to enhance the delivery of quality content. The latest update came in December 2022, refining the search quality rater guidelines to include:
- Experience (E): Determining if the author and website owner have real-life experience to provide insights or advice on a topic.
- Expertise (E): Evaluating the author’s education, credentials, or industry presence regarding the subject matter.
- Authority (A): Assessing author and website authority, often through industry recognition, backlink quality, and reputation signals like awards or recommendations.
- Trustworthiness (T): Ensuring your website provides a trustworthy experience, meshing E-E-A components with user experience to define quality.
Trustworthiness underpins all other elements. Taylor Scher, an SEO consultant, stresses the importance of balancing SEO enhancements with user experience, cautioning against harming user experience in the pursuit of E-E-A-T optimization. For instance, if you provide YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) advice, such as "How to treat cold at home," an author bio and high domain rating might improve SEO. However, technical issues like lacking SSH encryption could damage user experience, making your advice less credible.
The harmonious blend of these four elements is crucial for success, pushing even non-YMYL sites to elevate their standards to remain relevant.
7 Strategies For Optimizing Websites For E-E-A-T
To optimize for E-E-A-T, a comprehensive assessment of technical SEO and related tactics is necessary. Here’s what to focus on:
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Create An Author Bio & Editor Schema For Each Article: A well-crafted author bio highlights personal experience and expertise. While a PhD isn’t essential, authors need credible industry accomplishments.
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Don’t Forget To State The Obvious: Jamie Sutton notes that clearly explaining your review processes and sources, as Wirecutter does, adds credibility and trust to the readers.
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Source Expertise To Improve Your Reputation: Partner with external experts to bolster your E-E-A-T, particularly if you’re a younger brand.
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Write High-Quality Content With Attribution: Adhere to Google’s guidelines to prioritize user-focused content. Ensure in-depth, well-attributed content that avoids superficial insights easily provided by AI.
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Build Backlinks From Relevant Websites: Backlinks remain vital in 2024. Focus on obtaining them from relevant websites to enhance your domain’s authority and strategic positioning.
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Focus On Your Online Brand Reputation: Regularly audit your brand’s online reputation through customer feedback and public forums. Respond positively to all reviews to nurture a favorable brand image.
- Attract & Use More User-Generated Content (UGC): Encourage and leverage UGC to strengthen your website’s E-E-A-T. Such content, like case studies or reviews, fosters social proof and elevates trust in your brand.
It’s Your Time To Become Relevant
To optimize for E-E-A-T effectively, consider collaborating with SEO experts to manage and adapt to changes, streamlining the process. This strategic move can substantially enhance your website’s E-E-A-T.
Image Credits
Featured Image: Provided by Fiverr Pro. Used with permission. In-Post Images: Sourced by Fiverr Pro. Used with permission.
