What does E-E.A.T. mean?

1. Experience (E), the User's Interaction

The experience refers to how people interact with the content or website. The term encompasses the UX (user experience) as well as the shared experiences of those who interact with your site.

How can you improve the "Experience", on your website?

User experience (UX). UX is the user's perception of your website. It includes how easy it is to navigate, how fast your pages load, your form usability, aesthetics, and overall appearance. A positive, seamless experience signals quality. Google Core Web Vitals measures directly aspects of the experience (Largest contentful paint, Cumulative layout shift, First input delay). It can be detrimental to perceived quality if users have difficulty finding information, or they leave the site quickly (high bounce rate, low dwell times).

Experiences: This applies to blogs, forums and personal websites. Is the writer or contributor sharing a relevant, genuine personal experience? Does this add authenticity to their work? A recipe blog written by someone that has successfully tried the recipe will add a level of authenticity.

Make sure that the site navigation is intuitive and clear.

Text sizes and fonts should be legible.

Include diverse testimonials or user experiences where appropriate.

2. Experience (E): Demonstrating knowledge and qualifications

The term expertise refers to knowledge, skill, and qualification of those who create or contribute to content. The author of the content or website must have the credentials and knowledge to be able to make an authoritative statement on the subject.

How do you define "expertise" for your site?

Qualifications of Team Members: When it comes to larger publications or sites, expertise and qualifications are key.

What is "Expertise?"

Declare the credentials of all authors, contributors, and editors (e.g. "Jane Doe M.D. ", "John Smith CFA", or "Sarah Johnson Certified Master Chef".

3. The Authoritativeness of A: Credibility, Influence and Authority

The perceived influence and authority of the site itself as well as individuals affiliated with it within their niche or subject area is what we call "authoritativeness".

How do you define "Authoritativeness?" for your site?

Domain Authority Has your site a track record of producing high-quality content that is trustworthy? Are it linked or cited by other credible sources in your field? Although backlinks can be a sign of authority, it is built by making valuable, consistent contributions.

Recognition by Industry: Have your site or its authors appeared in publications of repute, been invited to conferences or received recognition from industry bodies?

Depth and Consistency: Is your site consistently providing comprehensive, accurate and current information about its topic?

Signals of Trust: Clear contact information, privacy policy, Terms of Service, and transparency regarding funding or affiliations all contribute to the perception that a site is trustworthy.

4. Build Trustworthiness and Confidence

Accuracy & Reliability: Does the website provide accurate information, sourced from reliable sources, without bias or deliberate misinformation? Is the website quick to correct any errors?

Security: Does your website use HTTPS encryption? Users can they be confident that their personal data will remain safe when they interact with your site?

Sources and Citations: Is the content citing its sources properly, particularly for statistics or claims?

Contact Info: Can users easily contact you if they need to ask questions?

What can you do to improve "Trustworthiness?"

Transparency is key. Be open about your funding model, business plan, and potential conflicts.

Please provide clear contact information and promptly respond to any inquiries or feedback.

A writer with Experience (E), who writes about a particular topic, contributes useful information and enhances the Authority of the website.

Confidence is built when the site has Trustworthiness(T) clearly displayed (e.g. proper citations and transparency).

The overall User Experience(E)--fast loading, easily navigable, secure--reinforces the trust that has been built through the other elements.

Google may use various signals (like user engagement metrics that reflect good UX and author credentials) to evaluate the quality of pages or sites. A site that excels in several E-E.A.T. factors will be considered to have a high-quality.

What is E-E-A - T and why does it matter for your website?

It is important to understand and implement E-E.A.T for a variety of reasons that go beyond search engine ranking.

Better Rankings: Content of high quality and trustworthiness is likely to perform better, particularly in niches with competition or sensitive topics.

Enhanced Credibility Building E.E.A.T. enhances the reputation of your website, making it more trustworthy and attracting users to your site.

Improved User Experience: By focusing on E-E.A.T, you can create a better site and one that is more user friendly. This aligns well with Core Web Vitals.

Long Term Success Websites which prioritize trust and quality are resilient and more likely to build loyal audiences. Content that users perceive to be reliable is more likely for them to share and engage.

Steps for improving your website's E-E.A.T

Are you ready to increase your website's E.E.A.T.? Take action with these steps.

Understand your niche and audience: understand the topics that you write about and for whom you are writing.

Spend money on quality content: Pay attention to depth, accuracy and value. Answer the questions "what", "how" and "why". Cite and use reliable sources.