What is Google E-A-T – What you need to know

What is the Google E-A-T update? 

Google has always been focused on user experience when it comes to rankings. Its most recent Web Core Vitals update worked to give websites a measurable score when it comes to user-friendliness. Furthermore, recent breakthroughs in its algorithm have improved Google’s understanding of content, topics and context. Enabling it to understand more about your website so that it can present more accurate and useful results to a user. In August  2018 Google released its medic update. Its purpose was to improve the identification of expertise, authority, and trustworthiness of a website. Or Google E-A-T for short. E-A-T had the most impact on YMYL pages. 

What are YMYL pages in SEO?

YMYL stands for “Your Money or Your Life” and refers to websites that impact a person’s finances, health, safety and/or happiness. 

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of websites that are most considered as YMYL

• News and current events
• Civics, government, law
• Finance
• Shopping
• Health and safety
• Groups of people (essentially sites which relate to specific demographics such as religion etc) 

These sorts of sites are held to the highest possible standard when it comes to E-A-T for the simple fact that the subject matter of these sites can have a lasting, meaningful impact on a user’s life. If the information presented by these sites is incorrect, misleading or misrepresented it can, and this isn’t an exaggeration, ruin lives. 

How does Google measure E-A-T?

Google search quality evaluator guidelines list three primary components used by Google to determine the E-A-T of a page:

• The content creators expertise
• The content creators, the content and the websites authoritativeness
• The content creators, the content and the website’s trustworthiness. 

One of the best things about the internet is that anyone can create and publish whatever they want. Unfortunately, this has also proven to be its biggest drawback. 

It’s obvious that with Google assessing a site and a creator’s expertise when comparing a post by NHS England and a post by a Health Blogger, NHS England will be considered to have the greater expertise. However, you don’t necessarily need to have a qualification or formal training in an area for Google to consider you to have expertise. 

There isn’t a single measurement for Google E-A-T. Instead, Google relies on existing signals and markers to determine the expertise, authority and trustworthiness of a site; backlinks, reviews etc. 

Is E-A-T a ranking factor?

According to Google’s Public Liaison of Search, Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan), on October 11, 2019:

So as we mentioned, although E-A-T isn’t measurable in itself, there are other ranking factors that are used to calculate a website E-A-T rating. 

How do I improve the EAT of a site in SEO?

The trick here is not to focus too much on your site’s E-A-T score. Simply focus on creating great, informative, well researched, factual and relevant content. That being said, below are some of the ranking factors.

• Backlinks
• Brand mentions 
• Trusted quality sources to back up your points
• Up to date, accurate content
• Reviews 
• Include credentials on a  blog or article
• Show your contact details

Struggling to demonstrate your E-A-T? 

We have the perfect solution. Our SEO Bomb gives you the stats, information and links you need to show Google you’re a trustworthy expert who speaks with authority, while also helping you to create the content that matters most to your audience.

Get in touch with us or call us at 0191 259 4737