How to Build Content for SEO Using E-A-T

E-A-T

Search engine optimization is certainly on the mind of many business owners and marketers. Since organic results are an important piece in getting the attention of consumers, there are mountains of information provided on how to do that. Whenever the Google team publishes content on SEO and algorithm updates, the world perks its ears to catch even the minutest nuance to gain an advantage. One such Google publication is what has become termed as the E.A.T. in SEO. (How’s that for acronyms)? E-A-T stands for three elements that are important to Google ranking in the algorithm which are expertise, authority, and trust. In this article, I am going to classify what I think E-A-T means and how you can cater to users and as a result search engines *ahem* Google to better your website position in rankings. I will say there is no secret sauce here but a way to think about how you build your site and specifically what your website tells the world.

Expertise

Expertise is established with knowledge, time, and practice. A doctor doesn’t become a doctor without knowing and being able to diagnose a health problem. In addition, time in any field is important in order to build knowledge. Some have surmised that it takes 10,000 hours of doing something to become a master. Whether or not this, any length of time doing something builds expertise. Repetition in any field adds to the ability of someone who can do something well and in SEO, this relates to people doing it well. Let’s relate this to how a search engine would consider what expertise is.

Expertise Comes From Demonstrated Knowledge

The only way I can think of demonstrated knowledge is by the content you share. Thus the old adage “content is king” still rings true. In order to demonstrate knowledge someone needs to be able to publish that knowledge. The more robust you are on a topic the more you can establish yourself/website as a subject matter expert on the subject. Traditionally, it is the schools that research and publish. Now it can be the practitioners of any field that can just as easily show their expertise and knowledge to the world.

Education As Tool For Expertise

Education as an expression of expertise. Education doesn’t necessarily prove you are an expert but it is a tool of expertise. If you are a doctor or lawyer, the fact that you’ve passed the tests and recommended for that field goes a long way in establishing expertise. That is what the fancy diplomas across these fields of work are used to demonstrate knowledge and settle the client

Time Reveals Expertise

Expertise requires time. In the natural world, expertise takes time to establish unless you have a secret or are a savant. Within the world of search, it will take time for you to establish expertise in the AI mind of Google as well as consumers’ eyes. Have you ever been networking and someone asks what you do? Time builds trust with customers specifically because past performance can be an indicator of future performance. If you’ve been at the same business for 100 years says a lot about the kind of company. This builds trust that you won’t go out of business or you are doing something right.

Practice Results in Expertise

Practice makes perfect. Practice may not make you perfect but it may make you an expert on the subject. Reading about diving is a lot different than experiencing diving. Showing that you work within the field can help you display expertise. Any job you apply for wants to know how long you’ve worked on it. Have you done the work? Do you have expertise? If the answer is yes and you are the best option of talent then you are the expert above and beyond your competitors.

How to display expertise

Publish content as frequently and clearly as possible. This can be done through writing, video, audio, and imagery. The mores these cross each other and overlap the better. Consider how search engines show content.

As you deliver content, you might want to consider some of the elements that are shown in the image.

What content is relevant “Any Time” versus content that is news related (temporary or of public interest).
Videos. What content can you produce that search engines will show within the video tab.
News. Content that is for news or blog related are both indexed in this section. How can you be more newsworthy? Should you pay to get listed?
Shopping. Are there products that you can sell or do sell? Get them listed here.
Images. Search engines index images. Make sure you title your image, add alt tags and titles to your image. If done well then Google will put them here.
Maps. Get your business listed in maps. You can do this buy listing with Google and directory aggregators to improve your position. A lot more can be written about this but this is a start.
Books. Getting listed in books is helpful as it sets you or your business as the expert. You’ve gone through the editing process to get something published.
Flights & Travel. If this applies to you, can have an impact.
Finance. Another form of content to publish about your business.

Time-related expertise is content that is relevant to news and current events in your industry. Publishing information that is newsworthy, research-based, and has longevity can help you succeed at SEO.
Practice expertise reveals expertise that is measurable. Results can help create and set your business from the rest. Think measurable examples of work you have done. Items like case studies, white papers, and metrics around what makes your business successful. Before and after pictures, percentage increases, data-related information is all helpful to establishing expertise.

Authority

Authority really refers to a leading role in the industry. Authorship is important to establishing authority but it isn’t necessarily the golden compass. An authority in many cases relates to authorship. Not only is published work important but so reference. In order to have authority on any subject, you need others to help verify that authority. There are few things that can establish you as an authority.

Defacto resource on the subject displays authority. Authority requires publishing topics within your industry. If you provide the best resource for users, the better you will rank. Google, among other search engines, wants to provide answers to the queries that searchers are looking for. Everything from guides, how-tos, downloads, presentations, webinars, news, reference, FAQs, opinion, research, stats, etc. will help create authority. Consider publishing content that has a mix of the latest news and evergreen content.
Links and mentions. Nothing can attest to someone’s authority without the backing of other experts. Links from other authorities, experts, and followers all play an important role in pointing to your site as the subject matter expert you are. Naturally gained links and mentions from resources such as educational, news, non-profits, competitors, government, and industry-related websites will help boost your authority within search engines.
Awards and accolades. Success goes a long way to establishing authority. Winning an award shows your company is a leader in the industry. Everyone loves a winner and so look for ways to establish yourself with any kind of award you can capture.
Publishing. There is a lot that can go into building authority. Going back to the image about the search verticals (News, Images, Videos, Books…) you’ll recognize that all of this is part of the wheelhouse of building authority. Videos on your topics, books, new articles, blog posts, images, social media, all play an important role to separating your business from the rest of the crowd.

Trust

Trust is important for everyone including Google. How does someone gain trust? Trust is established with a user when value and promise is demonstrated and delivered. As a website owner the better your site meets the need of the searcher, establishes a relationship, and convinces to prefer your business, the better.

A Value Proposition is Demonstrated and Delivered

A consumer evaluating brands or products is looking at the value the product or service is going to bring to them. Can you do the job? Is the product make me feel good about myself? Does this help with XYZ? Can I afford it? All of these things can impact the decision of buyer. When a brand is able to deliver a clear value proposition to their consumer it builds trust. What explodes that trust is when the promise is delivered. You likely have heard or said under-promise, over-deliver. Essentially, companies that have successfully utilized this statement have likely built trusting relationships with those customers.

Safety Provides Trust

Trust is built upon the relationship you have with others. On a website, this is no different from the information you provide and the steps you take to protect others. Safety can come in the form of protecting user information with privacy. Having a privacy policy and a website term of conditions is a step to establishing trust. Businesses within the United States should consider GDPR and act as a company ready to protect the rights of visitors.

Security Provides Trust

Security has become more important than ever. Protecting customers at multiple levels from personal information to contact on a website form. Protecting website communication through an SSL is very important to secure the information of your users. The more you can provide a safe environment the better for your website, the better your search results. In addition, using third-party protection tools to showcase the security of your website with server-side scanning can go a long way.

Accessibility as a Trust Factor

Accessibility is very important in the web world. Mobile has become a major piece of accessibility with users accessing websites with phones and tablets. In addition, adding site speed for access, readability for sight-reading software, and perhaps sizing and coloring for other visually impaired users (color blindness & font size). Website uptime is important to both search engines and users. Upkeep your website with a solid server that has a track record for keeping websites up and running.

Availability Provides Trust

Availability is important because this provides your users the opportunity to reach you. Things like a contact form, phone number, address, perhaps a chatbot, hours of operation, images, anything that establishes your business as alive and active.

The length of your business operations is very important to building trust. There are companies that have built names and established trust because of the length of business and the quality of the product. Answer these questions:

How long have you been in business?
Who is the owner/team?
Is there a guarantee?
About (History, team, focus, promise…)
Are there awards and accolades?

The idea in this is to provide information that establishes trust.

Consider consistency when it comes to search results as both time and news related. Some articles in search have been around for years and retain the top position in search results. These are called evergreen content. It is still applicable to today as it is tomorrow. The other side of this is new related items in relation to recent events. Both are valuable to build on a site. The importance of consistent content is that not only do you want to be relevant to your users but relevance gives Google and Bing a reason to index your website.

Awards Build Trust

Awards can catch the attention of your potential customers. A customer who knows that you are recognized for the quality of your work builds trust. The expectation is that you know what you are doing and displace your expertise. So look for opportunities to enter your business or field that will bring attention. This often results in links and brand mentions that play a part in SEO. Look for places that are industry awards, customer service awards, good citizen or community awards. Even if it feels like you are patting your self on the back, it still is essential in building both trust and awareness.

The benefits of this is people like winners. I can trust the company who wins awards. This also results in media mentions and links both earned (from onlookers) and paid if your entry required a fee. These links are important to establish your brand as notable.

Reviews, Recommendations, and Testimonials Provide Trust

A review, recommendation, or testimonial is an important element in developing a trustworthy website with your target audience and search engines. I’ve categorized these into three separate elements.

Reviews. Reviews are often a critical assessment of a company and its offerings. Getting a true review is really beyond the typical rating we ask of our customers. A review often should denote the pros and cons of the product and provide an assessment. Sometimes companies will do this or people.
Ratings. This is the typical ask most businesses want. How do you like your experience, product, service, etc.? A rating or recommendation impacts the likelihood someone else will buy the product. For search engines, this can help provide an element of trust.
Testimonials. Testimonies are either written or spoken and should be shared within your website. A video is a great way to capture the experience of your customers. A testimony from someone who has used you can help provide trust to people who see them like the person giving the testimony.

Incorporated reviews within your website can be a way to provide an element of trust. To take this a step further get testimonials or perhaps an industry expert to review your business products and services. Also use third-party sites to collect reviews such as Google, Yelp, Bing, Facebook, and directory listings, etc. A recommendation from a user can go a long way to developing trust from your customers and Google.