In 2023 E-E-A-T is becoming more and more of a factor in ranking high on Google! The acronym E-E-A-T is the criteria that Google’s algorithms use for determining the rank of websites on a search engine result page (SERP). Let’s break down what E-E-A-T is, and some ways to optimize your website content to be Google-friendly.
E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
E | Experience
First “E” stands for Experience. This is a new addition to the acronym. In early December, Google added another “E”
to the acronym, to stress the importance of useful content. Experience refers to the first-hand interaction a website
shows they have with using a product, or working in a certain profession/field. The newest “E” (experience) can be
confused for the second “E” (Expertise) which we will explain later. In summary, showing experience on your
website is simply demonstrating that your small business has engaged, purchased, completed, or interacted in
some way with a product, service, or other offering that is shown on your website.
Creating content for Experience
The extra “E” allows small businesses to create new and unique ways to display passion through their work, product,
service. Showcasing experience is done by being “real” with your audience. Giving people a “behind-the-scenes” of
your small business or what it is like to use one of your products or services connects your brand image with people
who are searching Google every day for new experiences.
Content to create to improve your website’s Experience
Videos
With the rise of social media and platforms like TikTok, the new wave of all digital media has been primarily video. If
you need to look up a tutorial, 9/10 times you go to TikTok! Check out a new restaurant? Tiktok!! Creating video
content can improve your Google SEO. Tutorials, behind-the-scenes videos, “day in a life” videos, and other brand-
inspired videos are great ways to improve the overall experience on your website. In addition, having video content
on your website, whether through a social feed or a video hosting platform, increases the amount of social shares
your content is getting as well.
Forums
Another popular social feature has been question and answer forums. Forums are a great tool for people searching
for solutions and resources. If your small business is service-based, having a forum may be a good replacement for a
“free consultation” CTA. The goal of your forum should be to create a community where valuable/informative
exchanges are given. Furthermore, forums allow you to give your own insight quickly and directly, to people
interested in your business
Blog Posts
There are many opportunities to connect with your audience through blogging. Telling stories, giving a step-by-
step guide on how to do something, and offering advice, are all ways to show experience to your clients/customers.
Schema Markup (for Experience)
Schema markup is a snippet of JSON LD structured data (structured code) input in the backend of your website
that can be read by Google. Google bot extracts key information (text, images, and other media content) and
creates “rich results” that show small insights into products and your business as a whole. As a matter of fact, a new
structured data markup recently came out called “Pros and Cons” structured data. This feature allows for people to
view the positive and negative features of a product through posted website reviews.
Schema markup entities such as the Local Business markup and the Review, Aggregate Rating markup allows
customers to see a visual of your online reputation before they click to your website. Although having a proper
schema markup is often forgotten when analyzing your website for Experience, it can help to Google to recognize
key strengths in your brand coming from your clients/customers.
E | Expertise
Secondly, is yet another E, this time for expertise. Expertise in this sense is the level of knowledge and
understanding that your website provides, about a certain topic. Having info-focused content that is well-written
and relevant to your clients, customers, or website visitors is key in ranking for local search results. People look for
quick answers on Google about local businesses in their area. A website that is reliable and has useful information,
matching people’s search results, helps Google show your to people looking for your content and solutions.
How to show your expertise on your website
Expertise can be shown by creating relevant and informative blog posts and making sure that all your website’s
written content is accurate. The techniques mentioned in the previous letter (videos and blogs) can both be used as
instruments in showing expertise on your website. Making a video recipe tutorial as an online catering/meal
delivery service business or writing a guide on “What to know when visiting France” as a travel agency give small
business owners a platform to share their knowledge about their passions and business niche.
A | Authoritativeness
Third is an “A” for Authoritativeness. Simply put, authoritativeness is the amount of significance/frequency of a
website on Google. Establishing authority can be harder as a small business, but there are some actions that you
can take to make sure that your website exhibits authority and officiality.
Establishing Authority with your Website
Topic Authority
One of the main ways to establish authority is by improving your site’s topical authority. Having topical authority
means your site has a lot of relevant content in one topic. Identifying several set topics within your niche that you
can make several content pieces about, is a great way to build topical authority.
Link Authority
Backlinks. Enough said. But seriously! Backlinks or links from other websites that link to your site, are one of
Google’s main factors for authority. Additionally, developing your website’s link structure with both internal and
external links is also very important. Internal links connect your website visitors to other pages within your website.
On the other hand, external links connect your website visitors to links that are outside of your website. Having a
link structure should be a foundational piece of your website for your SEO strategy. However, building quality
backlinks can dramatically improve your Google SEO.
T | Trustworthiness
The fourth and last letter “T” in the acronym represents how dependable your website is. Optimizing your website
to be trustworthy involves technical SEO. Fixing HTML errors and broken links in addition to optimizing for
responsiveness, are both key in maintaining your user’s trust. Trust is also found in well-written content. Content
that sounds natural but professional!
SSL Certificate
Furthermore, you can also create user trust within your small business website by setting up your SSL certificate. An
SSL certificate protects your website from potential malware within the browser and secures your website. The
certificate converts a HTTP scheme to a HTTPS scheme and ensures website visitors that your website is safe to use.
As your clients and customers see that you have a valid website, your Google ranking will improve as well.
Schema Markup (for Trust)
Setting up structured data for the Local Business Markup can help Google form rich results that clearly present
your business’s identifying info. This may include social media linkage on Google, phone number/contact info
displayed on Google, and presentation of your logo on Google. All of these mentioned rich results build your brand’s
profile and helps your audience establish trust in your products and services. Learn how to add the Local Business
schema markup in our blog post on schema markup for local SEO.
Privacy Policy
Creating a privacy policy for your website is a task that many small business neglect. For one, you protect yourself
and your business from legal liability in case of a privacy incident such as a data breach. But even more importantly,
a privacy policy gives your website a sense of authority and it establishes trust with users. Creating a privacy policy
can be very simple. You can use Termly which provides guided prompts based on your business info, to create a full
privacy policy.
What is E-E-A-T
Now that you know what E-E-A-T means, you can take this knowledge and apply it to future content creation for
your website and SEO strategies. For more informational posts, tutorials, tips, and insights from Incync Marketing,
subscribe to our blog and follow our socials to stay informed with the latest in SEO explained for small
businesses! Thank You!
Good post. I learn something totally new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon on a daily basis. Its always useful to read content from other authors and practice something from their websites.
Thank you for the reply! Glad you found it helpful, we are working on updating our posts to include more current info as well.
– Jabari T