Nowadays, you can find every type of content on Google. You can find everything from cooking recipes to how to stop someone from choking. The search engine is equipped to provide people with the most relevant and valuable content when they make searches. It analyzes and differentiates the type of content, and values, some more than others. But how does this work? And how can you optimize your page to be valued by the search engine? This is where the two intricate terms – E-E-A-T and YMYL come into play. Read on to find out more about what E-E-A-T is and what YMYL is.
What is E-E-A-T?
E-E-A-T in SEO stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. Earlier, the experience was not a part of these guidelines; however, as per the December 2022 Google E-E-A-T update, the experience was added. It is a set of guidelines used to assess web pages’ credibility and reliability. Three factors that evaluate the quality of the page are:
- The expertise of the owner/creator
- Authoritativeness of the content and the site
- Trustworthiness of the creator, site and content
E-E-A-T means SEO in the following four aspects:
Experience
The quality of content is directly proportional to the first-hand or personal experience of the creator. This means that the site has content or suggestions that are previously tried and tested.
Expertise
Expertise refers to the knowledge, skills, and expertise of content creators or websites. It involves demonstrating a high level of understanding and proficiency in the subject matter.
Authoritativeness
This refers to your overall reputation in your field or industry. Google evaluates and weighs the authoritativeness of the content, web page and creator.
Trustworthiness
This is considered the most crucial element of Google E-A-T. Trustworthiness focuses on the reliability and trustworthiness of the content and the website. It involves creating a sense of trust and confidence in the users.
What is YMYL?
Before diving into the meaning, let’s unravel what YMYL stands for. YMYL – Your Money or Your Life. This is another concept introduced by Google to safeguard the impact a web page has on a user’s health, finances or overall well-being. You might wonder about what YMYL content is. This type of content is given greater importance. It is subject to stricter quality standards compared to other types of content as it holds the power to influence the opinion of individuals.
There is numerous YMYL content that is wider than one industry. It may be:
- Current events
- News
- Legal information
- Finance
- Medical pages
While various topics fall under the YMYL category, Google advises its quality evaluators to exercise judgment when determining if a page should be considered YMYL content. Such pages are expected to exhibit the utmost Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-A-T).
Optimizing E-E-A-T and YMYL
E-A-T is highly necessary for a YMYL page. The more YMYL your site is, the more you should optimize your E-A-T. Listed below are a few through which you can optimize your page.
- Curate High-Quality Content
The first and foremost step in optimizing your YMYL page for E-E-A-T is to create high-quality and people-first content. Putting people-first content on your page means content that answers the readers’ questions and provides sound advice. Moreover, it should be helpful and original. To do this, audit your content regularly and ensure the information is updated and relevant to the current world scenario.
- Give Author-Info and Transparency
While analyzing and reviewing your website, Google wants to know that the person writing the content is legitimate and is producing original content. This can be done by providing an author bio or including your team’s information on the About Us page.
- Cite and Use Reliable and Authentic Sources
Whenever you write any piece of content using data or statistics, use credible sources and hyperlink them. You can use official sources like research papers, government websites or other reliable websites. Linking to trusted external sources can enhance the credibility of your YMYL content.
- Maintain a Positive Brand Reputation
The reputation of your brand is essential to build trustworthiness. It would be best to keep an eye out for negative reviews. Moreover, even if you get a bad review, reply with your point. You can also encourage satisfied customers or clients to provide testimonials and reviews. Positive user feedback adds to your website’s trustworthiness and credibility.
- Leverage the Power of User-Generated Content
User-generated content refers to the content that the website or the consumers originally produced. This can help you establish a sense of trust and loyalty. User-generated content includes written reviews, video testimonials, blog posts or YouTube videos.
- Backlinks
Earn backlinks from authoritative and relevant websites in your industry. Quality backlinks can boost your website’s authority and improve search engine rankings.
Remember that EAT and YMYL optimization are ongoing processes. Continuously improving the quality, authority, and trustworthiness of your content and maintaining a positive user experience will help strengthen your website’s SEO performance and reputation in the long run.
Conclusion
Mastering the art of E-E-A-T and YMYL optimization can unlock the door to SEO success. You can establish a robust online presence by prioritizing expertise, authority, and trustworthiness and addressing the critical aspects of your users’ money and life. So, don’t just optimize for search engines; optimize for the trust and satisfaction of your audience. With EAT and YMYL as your guiding principles, you’ll pave the way for higher rankings, increased credibility, and a lasting impact in the competitive realm of SEO.
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