If you want to find tax information on Google, you’ll want to see content produced by an accounting expert.
A tax advisor would be a desirable source since they have experience, expertise and authority on the subject, so we in turn trust what they have to say.
Google wants to provide accurate information to its users, which means to appear higher on the search engine results page you need to demonstrate something they refer to as E-E-A-T.
What is E-E-A-T?
E-E-A-T is an acronym created by Google which stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
E-E-A-T is not a ranking factor but a component of Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines (SQEG).
Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines (SQEG) help ‘Quality Raters’ (people spread out all over the world who feedback on making search more useful) determine whether the search engine results are returning high-quality, relevant information.
What are Google’s E-E-A-T signals?
Experience
Google tells its Quality Raters to identify whether the content is based on first-hand experience.
For example, if a website is writing a review of the new Dyson Hoover, they should have used the product – or if they are writing about the best restaurants in London, they should have visited them.
Expertise
Quality Raters must determine whether websites and authors have topical expertise.
Expertise is often seen to overlap with experience but they’re different.
For example, with the topic of saving money.
Some people will want financial advice from an accredited professional such as Martin Lewis. This would fall under Expertise.
Others will want real-life examples of strategies that have worked. This would fall under Experience.
Authoritativeness
Authoritativeness refers to your overall reputation.
For example, an article on lung cancer from WebMD is authoritative because:
- WebMD is a well-known publication for medical advice
- The authors – WebMD Editorial Contributors – are medical professionals
- They include comments from experts (usually doctors) to check their content for accuracy
One way to build authority is to build backlinks to your content from competitors and other websites in your industry. These need to be created organically and not purchased as Google is cracking down on paid-for links.
Trustworthiness
This final E-E-A-T metric is the most important according to Google.
Their guidelines state: “Trust is the most important member of the E-E-A-T family because untrustworthy pages have low E-E-A-T no matter how Experienced, Expert, or Authoritative they may seem.”
In the Search Quality Rater Guidelines, Google refers to “a shopping checkout page that has an insecure connection” as untrustworthy.
Eccomerce websites should highlight that all transactions are secure and encrypted.
All of the following are trust factors that Google’s Quality Rates take into consideration:
- Your contact information is accessible and accurate
- Your website security and consumer protections are strong and up-to-date
- All information published is factually accurate
- Your shipping and returns policy is accurate and accessible
- You are accurately representing users’ reviews (if your website publishes reviews or testimonials). You don’t cherry-pick to show only the positive ones.
- You disclose advertising relationships
How to demonstrate Experience, Expertise, Authority and Trust
Write high-quality content
Create well-researched content that is original, valuable, and provides unique insights.
Backlinks
Build backlinks from reputable websites in your industry.
External links from authoritative sources are a key sign to Google that your content is trustworthy and credible.
Authors
Have bylines and show off the writer’s background and expertise.
Honest ‘About Us’ page
Create a detailed ‘About Us’ page that highlights the experience and expertise of your team/organization.
Include photos and bios to establish trust.
Credentials
Show off your relevant credentials, certifications and awards on your website – proving you’re an authority in your industry.
Expert contributors
Join forces with other experts and influencers in your industry.
Reviews
Showcase testimonials, reviews, case studies, and endorsements from satisfied clients or customers.
Positive feedback helps to build trust and credibility.
Accuracy
Make sure your content is accurate.
Adherence to Google’s guidelines
Follow Google’s Webmaster Guidelines to ensure your website meets the quality standards.
TRAFCK’s team of SEO experts have over 10 years of industry experience optimising some of the world’s biggest websites for E-E-A-T.
TRAFCK can do all of the heavy lifting – get in touch here or at hello@trafck.co.uk.