In our second installment of the Google SEO Quality series we are going to look at another part of Google’s rating system. This factor is represented by the acronym EAT. Here’s the breakdown
Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness
Let’s take a look at each of these and how Google uses it to establish a rating for your site.
Expertise
Expertise is a rating on you and your sites worth in the field or area it is discussing. For instance, law advice on a website that is not a law firm would not be considered expertise. As a result, you would receive a low page ranking. Aside from the obvious job title or company focus, reviewers will also look at accreditations, schooling and awards in the field. All these factors play into expertise. As a rule of thumb, would you trust someone if you didn’t know their credentials? The same goes for your site. It’s your responsibility to show why you are an expert in the field.
Authority
Authority is the next area of focus. This one is a little tricky. Here is the rub, being an expert does not make you an authority. You may have the credentials, but are you able to communicate effectively. This is rated on several key areas. Here are a few:
- Quality of writing and editing on the site
- Ease of use on your website
- The expertise and authority of contributing authors on your site
- The quality of your website design
- The responsiveness to any Q&A sections on your site
An easy way to think of authority is to ask this question, “Are you dressed for the part?” Again, think about yourself. Would you trust a mechanic giving you advice at his garage if he is wearing a spotless white outfit? How about a surgeon that looks like he just woke up and hasn’t taken a shower? Both could be experts in their fields, but they have hurt their authority based on appearance. The same goes for your site.
Trustworthiness
The final piece of our E.A.T. puzzle is Trustworthiness. This covers your reputation on the web. What are the social indicators about your brand as well as those around you as a person? If communities of people are calling your character into question you will have a hard time being seen as trustworthy. There are allowances for online retailers because, let’s face it, not everyone will be happy. However, if you have a large amount of negative reviews, you will be penalized. Likewise if you as an individual have some marks against you, they could affect your site. As mentioned in Authority, this goes for the authors you allow to publish on your site. Remember to protect your Trustworthiness.
The Remedy
Each facet of E.A.T. carries its own cure. However, there are some actions you can take that will help you across the board. Here are a few of interest:
Give knowledge – offer downloadable documents, Infographics and other shareable content. This will establish authority and prove trustworthiness
Ask for reviews – be sure to ask customers and clients to leave a review on Google, Yelp, or other popular site. This shows your expertise and trustworthiness
Give users a great experience – use a professional to help design your site. This is a key indicator in authority and will lead to better reviews and trust.
Keep the main thing the main thing – limit the extra content on your website that really doesn’t play into your focus. Some is ok, but keep the message clear. This actually affects all 3 areas
Know your authors – only allow vetted authors to be publishing on your site. This means the site owner as well as guest posters. You don’t want someone’s bad reputation to hurt you.
As you can see, the world continues to change. The good news is that sites that have expertise in an area and offer a great user experience will see the benefit of this new system. Make sure that you dig around and see if you have any potential problems and work to fix them as soon as possible.
Come back next week for Part 3 when we will share about the next classification from Google SEO Quality Guidelines — Need Met.
