Google E-A-T Update and What It Means for SEO Content — People First Content
Months after their helpful content update, Google is making a huge addition to their search guidelines. The major search engine uses a principle known as E-A-T, which stands for expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. It is one of the primary barometers that Google uses to evaluate and rank SEO content and search results. But the company is making an important change to its ranking procedure.
Last month, Google announced that they’re adding an extra letter to E-A-T: another E for “experience.” A website’s content will now be measured on whether it’s coming from a source that has experience and is familiar with a particular subject. E-E-A-T, also called “Double-E-A-T,” is giving more value to first-hand accounts and experts who have the appropriate background in their fields. When you think about it, the concept makes sense.
Let’s say you wanted to learn more about Hawaiian culture. You probably wouldn’t get the best information from someone who’s never been there and has only seen pictures and movies about it. No. You’d rather listen to a Hawaiian resident or cultural expert who has authentic and accurate knowledge about Hawaii. That’s what Google is doing. When you’re searching for something, they’ll provide you links and results to websites with specialized knowledge and experience in a specific field.
So how does the new E-E-A-T affect content creators, bloggers, and copywriters?
What the new E-A-T means for content and SEO
Experience and credentials will matter so much more on Google moving forward. Websites and content creators cannot just write about complex topics such as investing, politics, and news without having a credible background. For example, say that an astronomy blog suddenly wrote an article about real estate investing. It wouldn’t receive a favorable SEO rating in terms of the experience guideline. Plus, as a reader, how likely are you to believe what they’re saying is accurate? You’d much rather learn about real estate from a realtor with wider knowledge and expertise.
Creators and websites now need to prove that they know what they’re talking about and have the experience to back it up. They can do so through various ways, such as:
- Publishing educational blog content
- Writing thoughtful leadership pieces
- Creating eBooks and white papers
- Utilizing social media
- Receiving reviews and testimonials
- Displaying badges and awards
- Having a user-friendly website
This and many other SEO strategies are sure to help your website rank amongst the top and reach your target audience — and People First Content can help.
Conclusion
The new E-E-A-T is a testament to how important creating quality content is for search performance. It’s not just about writing on a trending topic with the hopes of getting easy traffic and engagement. But instead, it’s about delivering valuable content that will benefit people. It’s all about putting people first, which is what we’re all about here at PFC.
Originally published at https://www.peoplefirstcontent.com on January 9, 2023.
