How to Write E-A-T Friendly Content for Google SEO
Since Google’s Medic update in August 2018, there’s been a lot of buzz over E-A-T. Google continuously makes changes to their algorithm to improve the overall user experience which includes protecting users from sites with deceptive, inaccurate and low quality content. E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is one of the most important ranking factors that Google’s algorithm considers when assessing your site.
With Google’s latest June 2019 Core Update, the search engine giant will continue cracking down on sites that don’t meet their EAT content guidelines. Here are a few ways to make sure your content is EAT-friendly for better SEO.
According to Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines, the top 5 ranking factors that Google uses to evaluate your website’s content are:
- The purpose of your page
- Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness (EAT)
- Main content quality and amount
- Website information
- Website reputation
High quality EAT content means having comprehensive and relevant information that doesn’t include redundant or plagiarized work. EAT-friendly content should also not be stuffed with SEO keywords that aren’t pertinent to the page’s content.
Creating high EAT content is especially important for YMYL sites and pages featuring medical, financial, legal advice or information on major life decisions (i.e.: home renovations). Although websites with health-related information and products were primarily impacted after the Medic update, hosting EAT-friendly content also plays a crucial role in boosting organic traffic to non-YMYL sites.
Sites with desirable EAT content update and review their work on a regular basis. While there’s no fixed word count that you should be striving for, industry experts recommend having a minimum of 300 words on your landing pages. However, the recommended word count depends on the type of page and specific industry standards.
In addition to checking your word count, Google also evaluates the readability of your on-page content. Be sure to proofread your writing for typos and grammar mistakes, check for inconsistencies, resolve broken links and break up large chunks of content for easier reading. For e-commerce sites, taking the time to prominently feature detailed descriptions of your products, photos and FAQs is essential for a high EAT ranking.
In order to be considered an “expert” on a topic, YMYL sites should include relevant licenses and sources. Even non-YMYL sites, such as blogs and online magazines, can establish authoritativeness by writing about relevant life experiences as a form of “everyday expertise”. Adding more information about who you are and what you are doing to your “About Us” and “Contact” page is also a simple way for you to establish your authority in a certain field. These informational pages should also be prominently featured on the navigation bar or in your site’s footer.
When writing Google SEO friendly content for your site, think about the topic of your page and whether users will find the information they need on your site. What makes your product or information unique and why should users trust you?
If you’ve been impacted by Google’s search algorithm updates and need help making your site more EAT-friendly, get in touch with us. At Radd Interactive, advanced search engine optimization and pay per click advertising is our bread and butter. Our team of experts will help increase your online visibility and offer recommendations to improve your overall site health.