In this blog post, we’ll be discussing the latest Google algorithm update, from March 2023 – EEAT. But before we dive into the nitty-gritty details, let’s first talk about the importance of keeping up with Google algorithm updates.
Google algorithm updates are crucial for businesses and website owners who want to improve their online presence. These updates can affect your website’s Google search rankings, traffic, and ultimately, your bottom line. That’s why it’s essential to stay up-to-date with the latest updates and adjust your SEO strategy accordingly.
Now, onto the latest update – EEAT. The acronym stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Google has added an additional ‘E’ for experience to the E-A-T concept, which places renewed emphasis on the importance of demonstrating first-hand experience.
In the following sections, we’ll be discussing how EEAT affects your website’s Google search rankings and how to optimise your website to meet Google’s criteria for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.
How EEAT affects your website’s rankings
Google’s search quality guidelines have been updated to reflect the new EEAT concept. According to the guidelines, experience is evaluated based on the content creator’s necessary first-hand or life experience for the topic.
In addition to experience, Google is placing renewed emphasis on trust. The guidelines state that untrustworthy pages have low EEAT, regardless of how experienced, expert, or authoritative they may seem.
So, how can you ensure your website meets Google’s criteria for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness?
Experience
Google evaluates experience based on the content creator’s first-hand or life experience for the topic. This means that a page about a product review will be trusted more if it is written by someone who has personally used the product, rather than someone who has not.
Google’s search quality rater guidelines also state that social media posts and forum discussions can be high-quality when they involve people sharing their experience. So, user-generated content can be a valuable asset for demonstrating experience.
The importance of user experience
User experience is a crucial factor in SEO rankings. Google wants to provide the best possible experience for its users, so it rewards websites that prioritise user experience.
A website with a good user experience is more likely to rank higher in search results. This is because users are more likely to spend more time on the website, engage with its content, and ultimately, convert into customers.
Tips for improving user experience
Improving user experience can help you achieve better search rankings. Here are some tips to help you improve user experience on your website:
Mobile optimisation
Ensure that your website is optimised for mobile devices. This means that your website should be easy to navigate, and the content should be easy to read on a mobile device.
Page speed
Page speed is a crucial factor in user experience. A website that takes too long to load will frustrate users and lead to a high bounce rate. Use tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights to optimise your website’s page speed.
Navigation
Make sure that your website’s navigation is clear and easy to use. Users should be able to find the information they need quickly and easily.
Content
Create high-quality content that is relevant and engaging to your target audience. Use visuals such as images and videos to break up the text and make the content more appealing.
Expertise
Google evaluates expertise by looking for high-quality content that demonstrates knowledge and authority in a particular subject. This means that a page about how to skydive will be trusted more if it is written by someone with expertise in the subject.
Google’s search quality rater guidelines also state that a website or content creator must be an authoritative or trustworthy source for the topic of the page. This means that if you’re publishing content on a particular topic, you need to demonstrate that you’re an expert in that field.
The importance of demonstrating expertise
Demonstrating expertise is essential to achieving better search rankings. Google wants to provide its users with high-quality content from authoritative sources, so it rewards websites that demonstrate expertise and authority in their content.
A website that demonstrates expertise is more likely to rank higher in search results. This is because users are more likely to trust and engage with the content when they feel that the author is an expert in the field.
Tips for demonstrating expertise
Here are some tips to help you demonstrate expertise in your content and on your website:
High-quality content
Create high-quality content that demonstrates your expertise in a particular subject. Your content should be well-researched, relevant, and engaging to your target audience.
Use authoritative sources
Cite authoritative sources in your content to back up your claims and demonstrate your expertise. This could include research papers, case studies, and interviews with industry experts.
Show your credentials
Include information about your qualifications and experience on your website. This will help to establish your credibility and demonstrate your expertise to your audience.
Publish guest posts
Publishing guest posts from industry experts can help to demonstrate expertise on your website. This shows that you’re connected to other authoritative sources in your field and can provide valuable insights to your audience.
Authority
Google evaluates authority by looking for websites and content creators who are considered to be an authoritative source for a particular topic. This means that if your website is about cooking, you need to demonstrate that you’re an authority in that field by publishing high-quality content and building authoritative links.
Google’s search quality rater guidelines state that authoritative links pointing to your website can improve your authority and search rankings.
The importance of having authoritative links
Having authoritative links pointing to your website is crucial to improving your authority and search rankings. This is because authoritative links act as a vote of confidence from other authoritative sources in your field.
Google rewards websites that have authoritative links pointing to them because it demonstrates that they’re a trustworthy and authoritative source for their particular topic. This helps to improve your website’s search rankings and visibility in search results.
Tips for building authoritative links
Here are some tips to help you build authoritative links pointing to your website:
Create high-quality content
Create high-quality content that provides value to your target audience. This will encourage other authoritative sources in your field to link to your content.
Outreach to other websites
Reach out to other websites in your field and offer to contribute to their content. This could include writing a guest post or providing expert insights for an article.
Share your content
Share your content on social media and other online platforms. This will increase the visibility of your content and encourage other authoritative sources to link to it.
Monitor your backlinks
Monitor your backlinks and disavow any low-quality links that could harm your website’s authority and search rankings.
By following these tips, you can improve your website’s authority and search rankings by building authoritative links. Remember, building authority is a long-term process, so be patient and persistent in your efforts.
Trustworthiness
Google evaluates trustworthiness by looking for websites and content creators who are transparent, reliable, and accurate in their information. This means that if your website provides inaccurate or misleading information, it could harm your search rankings.
Untrustworthy pages have low E-E-A-T, regardless of how experienced, expert, or authoritative they may seem.
The importance of being transparent and trustworthy
Being transparent and trustworthy is crucial to building a strong online presence and improving your search rankings. Google wants to provide its users with accurate and reliable information, so it rewards websites that demonstrate transparency and trustworthiness.
A website that is transparent and trustworthy is more likely to rank higher in search results. This is because users are more likely to trust and engage with the content when they feel that the information is reliable.
Tips for improving trustworthiness
Here are some tips to help you improve the trustworthiness of your website:
Be transparent
Be transparent in your information and provide accurate and reliable information to your users. Avoid providing misleading or false information, as this can harm your trustworthiness and search rankings.
Use reputable sources
Cite reputable sources in your content to back up your claims and demonstrate your trustworthiness. This could include academic papers, industry reports, or data from government sources.
Have a clear privacy policy
Have a clear and concise privacy policy on your website that outlines how you collect and use user data. This will help to establish trust with your users and demonstrate your commitment to protecting their privacy.
Display customer reviews
Display customer reviews on your website to demonstrate social proof and improve your trustworthiness. This shows that your website is trusted by other users in your field.
How Britweb can help
In summary, Google’s latest algorithm update, EEAT, places renewed emphasis on demonstrating first-hand experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness to achieve better search rankings. To improve your website’s EEAT, you need to demonstrate first-hand experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness by optimising your website’s content, building authoritative links, and providing accurate and reliable information.
Demonstrating expertise is essential to achieving better search rankings, and having authoritative links pointing to your website is crucial to improving your authority and search rankings. Being transparent and trustworthy is also crucial to building a strong online presence and improving your search rankings.
If you need help improving your website’s EEAT, you can contact us. Our team of SEO experts can help you optimise your website’s content, build authoritative links, and improve the trustworthiness of your website. Contact us today to learn more about our SEO services and how we can help you achieve better search rankings.