What is E-A-T And Why Is It Important for SEO?

What is E-A-T?

E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness.

«Expertise». When creating content, you have to prove that you have certain skills and experience in your field. It is clear that if you have a humorous site, then this statement does not fit here. However, if you make content on medical, financial, and legal topics, it is advisable to indicate your qualifications on the site, and how true it is.

“Authoritativeness”. Show that you are the best at what you do. “Expertise” is a measure of the level of your knowledge or skills. “Authoritativeness” is a measure of how well you, your brand, or your website stand out from other options. People not only want to trust your knowledge, but they also want to be sure that you are the best person to reach out to.

“Trustworthiness”. It’s one thing to create content online, and it’s quite another to be trustworthy. This is especially important for e-commerce websites. By providing your site with credit card information, people need to make sure that you are trustworthy and that no personal information is leaked online.

According to Google, E-A-T is one of the top 3 criteria for page quality. So, if you haven’t paid attention to such content before, then it’s time to start doing it.

Why is E-A-T important for your web pages?

E-A-T determines the value of a website. Quality raters look at how the content meets standards, how comfortable a person will be reading  and recommending this content. If all of these points are met, then the site earns a high E-A-T level.

Here’s a tip: if you want to get a high level of E-A-T, then first of all, think about your subscribers and the reasons why they should go to your site, and not to the sites of competitors. As a result, everyone will win — both you and your potential customers.

How does E-A-T affect visitors to your website?

E-A-T is closely related to the YMYL pages, which stands for «Your Money or Your Life». These are the pages that are closely related to medical, financial, legal, and other related topics. That is, the information located on the site should in some way affect the health, happiness, or money of the user.

Here are some examples:

1. An online store that asks for your credit card details
2. Law firm offering its services
3. A mom’s blog that lists parenting tips
4. A medical site that lists the symptoms of various tropical diseases

High-ranking YMYL pages will show a high level of E-A-T. It is on such sites that a person will feel that he can trust the information he reads, and without hesitation, will share his personal data.

According to Google, if you don’t have an E-A-T, then your site will be considered «of low quality». Therefore, if you are an expert or authority in any field, then we strongly recommend that you create interesting, useful, and accurate content. Try to meet the needs of your potential customers, but also do not forget about the quality raters, because they will influence whether you meet the requirements of Google or not.