What is EAT in SEO

What is EAT in SEO: good practices for your content strategy

If someone follow the updated SEO trends regularly, you will have observed the acronym EAT. Google first introduced the concept in 2015, but despite initial interest, it fizzled out amid other popular topics.

On November 12, 2015, Google released its "Search Quality Assessment Guidelines." While these guidelines were designed for your team of human evaluators to judge quality in search results, they also provided comprehensive information on how content quality is measured.

What is EAT in SEO

In Search engine Optimization EAT means Experience ,  Authority  and  Reliability (Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness). The term EAT came into vogue in August 2018, when Google's updated its algorithm called a medical update took place.

After this, many sites in the YMYL sector fell in the SERP rankings, and since then, there has been more awareness of the factors that encompass the term EAT, due to its great importance for ranking in Google. Since then, requests for website audits prompted by the EAT have increased considerably, etc.

YMYL Sites

EAT criteria are much more important for YMYL (Your Money Your Life) sites . These types of pages are the ones that can influence the well-being, health, financial stability or security of users. Think of medical, legal and financial advice, where what Google calls a "formal experience" is absolutely necessary. 

YMYL sites must pay special attention to adhering to the EAT guidelines. The main objective is to offer relevant and quality results to people who search for information on the Internet. In this digital age, the lives of Internet users are greatly affected and influenced by the information available online.

This means that if there is deceptive or fraudulent content on the network, many innocent people will also fall victim to it. Therefore, it is crucial in such cases that the information is as accurate and reliable as possible.

YMYL sites are websites that contain :

·        Medical information.

·        Legal information.

·        Financial information.

·        Safety information.

·        Shopping information.

·        Information that influences your current or future life.

When quality raters rate YMYL sites, they follow a strict set of standards to rate them. Therefore, these must satisfy both Google's search algorithms and page quality evaluators. This barrier can be broken by crafting the best content. If it is accurate, reliable and relevant, the quality of the page will be much higher accordingly. Among the set of standards that evaluators verify, we will find an essential factor that is the acronym EAT.

Criteria that make up the EAT

Experience, key to success

The content developer of a website must have experience on the topics that are discussed.  Exhibiting expert knowledge in your field. According to Google's search guidelines, there are two main types of experts:

·        Those who have formal experience. Here we are talking about people who consider themselves professionals and have experience or verified accreditations. This is particularly important for websites in the medical, financial and legal sectors, as the information provided could seriously harm the user if it is inaccurate.

·        Those who relate a daily experience. Describes individuals who demonstrate knowledge based on their life experiences. Google defines it this way:  "If the person creating the content has the kind and amount of life experience to become an 'expert' on the subject, we will value that 'everyday experience' and not penalize the person/website." / website for not having "formal experience", "education or training in the field that is exposed".

Authority as an empowering element  

Some of the definitions of authority would be: “capable of being reliable, true” or being “regarded as the best in a niche market and difficult to improve”. Compared to experience, authority is more competitive. An industry may have many experts, but only the best can be considered an authority. When is a level of authority considered high?

·        When other websites and content creators in your niche cite your content.

·        When people mention your name or brand in topics relevant to your industry on Facebook, Twitter or other social networks .

·        When the search volume for your corporation is high. A brand search is any query that contains your company name. This is an indicator of authority because people are looking for something specifically, and they wouldn't unless there is a considerable level of online reputation.

·        When your content gets links from websites with high EAT.

Reliability, an essential parameter.

Trust influences the integrity of the content, the website and the business. For this we must include:

·        A secure website. 

·        Easy access for the user.

·        Contact information.

·        A page that relates to the “About” (About Us).

·        Photos of team members.

·        Links to credible websites.

·        Links pointing to authoritative sites.

·        A privacy notice and terms and conditions of service.

Good practices in your EAT strategy 

The EAT method is mainly based on a set of actions, which allow us to offer the customer a qualitative experience. Quality that Google will value in its fair measure to reward your efforts. So, here are some tips to get your SEO back on track in this realm.

·        Post quality content written by a professional, free of spelling errors, well reasoned and above all structured.

·        Regularly update your publications that are already online. Enrich the pages that deserve it, renew the information and make sure that the links continue to work.

·        Introduces the author of the content. Add his name, of course, but also a short biography, which legitimizes his authority to speak on a given topic.

·        Promote your team by dedicating a presentation page to them.   An initiative that restores trust and humanizes the relationship with your brand.

·        Show your successes . If you've earned a certification or won an award in your field, say so! These are additional markers to establish authority in your niche. Google, like your customers, will love it!

The EAT in SEO is a constant process developed over time. It is not something you can quickly correct, create or establish. The first step is simple, put your users first. In the same way, you will commit to creating credible, accurate and reliable information that is displayed in a secure environment. Keep this commitment and you will get the most advantageous results based on your content marketing and SEO efforts.