Are you a digital marketer or business owner trying to improve your ranking in search engines? If so, then you need to consider how Google's EAT ranking could be affecting your website.
Don't worry if you don't know what your EAT rating is or how to fix it. We've got you covered, so keep reading to learn everything you need to know as well as some steps you can take today.
Why Is It Important to Know About Google E-A-T
In 2019, Google confirmed that they do put an emphasis on expertise, authority, and trust when it comes to your ranking on Google. Google wants to give the best information available on the internet when people search for something. And to do that, they rank your expertise and authority for your particular industry.
Some of the industries most affected by the EAT update include:
- Travel
- Real Estate
- Health
- Business
- Engineering
For example, let's say there are two articles ranking for the Keto diet on page one of Google. And, in our example, the second article is written by a registered dietician. However, the first article is written by someone who has a general lifestyle blog and no credentials regarding nutrition or diets.
In this example, someone from Google will decrease the ranking for the lifestyle blog and increase the ranking for the dietician. This can be good for someone who is already an expert in their industry. However, if you haven't established your authority or expertise yet, then you need to optimise your website to showcase your expertise and build trust with your audience.
How to Improve Google EAT Ratings
To establish your expertise and authority in your niche or industry, and to gain the trust of your audience there are some simple steps you can take. So, if you're wondering how to improve Google EAT scores, here is what we suggest to all our clients to improve your content:
1. Create an Author Page for Your Blogs to Reference Back To
The best and fastest way to establish expertise in your industry is to update your author page. Share any certifications or degrees you have attained. Additionally, share a short biography of any past experience you have that will show Google, as well as your readers, that they can trust what you say about your area of expertise.
For our example with the registered dietician, they would share their degree and institution where they got their degree. Then they would also share where they've worked in the past to show that they can be trusted in regards to educating their audience about diet and nutrition.
Additionally, if they've published any articles in an academic journal they can include this in their biography. And they would also want to link to their article as this would benefit their external linking strategy as another authoritative website in their niche.
2. Use the Correct Schema Markup
A more advanced technique to improve your Google ranking includes updating your schema markup. This is important because it ties your business with you as a person and expert in your field. There are three levels in which you can guide Google to show them who you are and why you're an expert.
These three levels are:
- Person
- Organization
- Website
As a person, you could use your schema to connect your author bio with your image and your LinkedIn account. As an organization, you would connect to your Google My Business profile or, if you work for a larger organization, you could link to their website.
The basic premise behind this is that you're making it very clear to the Google algorithm who you are and why they can trust you. This is a more advanced technique, so if you're unsure how to tackle this, be sure to consult with an expert so you know you get it right.
3. Externally Link Back to the Reference Papers
Back to our example of the registered dietician creating a website with information for their clients. Google has an acronym, YMYL that references a few topics that they take very seriously in terms of the EAT update. YMYL stands for "Your Money, Your Life" and references any industry that involves money and health.
As registered dieticians, by sharing their credentials they can begin to build authority. However, to continue to build their expertise, they would also link to any reference papers they've also written. For you, you could link to reference papers that you not only wrote but also that build on your trust that you've established with your audience.
Does Your Business Need E-A-T?
If you are in one of these YMYL industries then you need to pay extra close attention to your expertise and authority. Or, if you're in any of the industries listed at the beginning of the article, then you've possibly already seen your rankings suffer. If you haven't taken the time to establish your authority, then you need to make it a priority for your business today.
Google offers a service through their Natural Language API tool to help you continue to establish your authority through your website. You can use it through your Google account and it will help you improve in various areas of your writing including syntax, sentiment, and more.
However, you're a busy business owner. You don't have time to update your profile and link them to your schema. Instead, you should outsource this to an expert so that you can focus on growing your business.
Come Check Out Hawk Academy
As SEO Specialists, we want to be able to replicate the hard work you do in the real world and showcase it online. We work hard to help business owners like you create a website that showcases your expertise and allows you to build trust with your audience.
So, bookmark this article and reference back to it as you work to increase your EAT rating for your business website. And if you're ready to work with a specialist to ensure that your website does indeed replicate your hard work, then reach out to us today. We're here to help you establish your expertise, authority, and trust through your website.
