What is Google EAT and is it important for SEO?

Google EAT is part of Google's algorithm and is part of Google's guidelines for evaluating search quality.
If you're an SEO professional, you've probably heard of EAT in the past few years.

EAT stands for, Expertise, Authority, and Reliability.

But, what is EAT exactly ? Is this a major update, a small tweak, or something in between? Do you have
to change everything in your SEO strategy? Or can you safely ignore it?

In this guide, I'll try to explain exactly what EAT is , why it's important, and how to help your site rank
higher by providing it with EAT-style content .

EAT is one of the many guidelines Google uses to determine if content is valuable to readers and if it
should rank well.

The first mention of EAT came in 2014 when Google added the concept to its search algorithms taking
into account the following signals:

The expertise of the content creator.

The authority of the creator of the content, the content itself and the site.

The reliability of the content creator, the content itself and the site.

What exactly is Google EAT?

In a nutshell, Google EAT is a feature that indicates that a page is of high quality, which makes it useful to
users.

Is EAT a grading factor?

I am often asked the question, is Google EAT a ranking factor ? No, Google EAT isn't technically a ranking
factor, but it can impact how your content ranks. EAT is a guideline that Google uses to determine what
content is of high quality and should rank higher and match different aspects of its algorithm. So while
it's not a ranking factor, it can impact your ranking in the Serps. While this matters, Google's Gary Illyes
said all talk about EAT is overkill and rarely mentioned internally.

Have you ever heard of the phrase "content is king"? Or just create high quality content ”?

The SEO professionals blew content, me, but is it high quality? More pictures? Longer content?
Alternative beacons galore?

Google is giving us a little insight into what it thinks is high-quality content, and that can have huge
implications for content marketing and SEO professionals. The EAT guidelines tell real human reviewers
who rate hundreds of websites exactly what type of content Google considers high-quality.

So why is it important to follow EAT guidelines for SEO?

Content should be created with a high level of expertise, although "day-to-day expertise" from those
with experience is acceptable where applicable.

Pages that spread hate or deceive users may receive a lower EAT rating from search reviewers.

According to their guidelines, good content should:

Help users.

Be created by an expert.

Be posted on an authoritative site.

Be trustworthy.

Be updated regularly.

Now that you know that EAT is tied to Google's algorithm and that is important , what does that mean
for your site? This means that you have to increase your quality of content.

Here's a seven-step checklist to help your site gain more authority and be trusted with Google and your
Personas.

My EAT Checklist with 7 Ways to Improve Your Website's EAT

1. Tell visitors who you ar

One of the three parts of the EAT guidelines tells Google who is creating the content and whether that
person (s) / website is a legitimate source. If you don't already have an About Us page or a team page
that describes who your team is - and who your content creators are - now is the time. Author Pages are
a simple way to establish your team's expertise, authority, and trustworthiness.

2. Work with experts to create content

Google doesn't just want good content; he wants content from experts who know what they're talking
about.

Rather than hiring poor quality copywriters to produce content for $ 5 per 1,000 words on high-
competition key words / phrases, work with experts in the field to create content that Google will trust.
It could mean interviewing a scientist, hiring an expert to post, or working with another company to post
premium content.

3. Clearly state the purpose of your content

What is the interest of your content? Do you want to inform, explain, convince, describe?

Use titles and headings (chapeau) that convey information about your content, this should be extremely
clear and use plain language.
For example, I have used titles for this article that are both questions, and give unnecessary answers to
producing too much content, get straight to the point and cover the topic as clearly (and as completely)
as possible.

4. Update content regularly

We create an incredible amount of data every day. In 2020, humans created an average of 2.5 quintillion
bytes per day which means that content is quickly becoming obsolete.

Tools are updated, sites are taken offline, and Google updates its algorithm very often. In my experience,
the average lifespan of online content is around two to three years, depending on the topic and the
industry. Keep your content up to date by including up-to-date content in your SEO strategy.

Update statistics, best practices and check for dead links especially for high quality content.

5. Link to high quality sources

If you want to be seen as an expert, you have to rely on real data. Link to official sources, studies and
research papers and show you know what you're talking about.

Use reliable sources such as the WIKIPEDIA JSTOR pages to find studies to support statements. You can
also link to tweets, articles or reports written by professional industry like the Abundance site for
example.

6. Consider multiple points of view

To be trustworthy, content should cover topics from multiple angles.

For example, if your content deals with the choice of a residence for the elderly , you can develop the
subject on the main criteria that a person should take into account when choosing their residence or
that of a loved one to reach a user who is there. information mode. But it could be someone looking for
addresses or a directory of retirement homes, the possibilities are endless.

The point is to explain the different points of view on a topic to build trust with your audience and make
you feel like an expert.

7. Pay attention to your online reputation

Your online reputation can impact the reliability of your site and your content.

Protect your brand's reputation by keeping an eye out for negative aspects and responding to negative
reviews quickly. Claim ownership of all your social profiles for your brand and encourage customers to
leave positive reviews about your brand .

Google EAT taste it without moderation

Every time Google makes a change in its algorithm, quite a few SEO specialists think it's the sign of the
Apocalypse. The good news is that Google has made it clear that EAT is not a massive change that will
change Serps .

Rather, it is an internal guideline that helps Google determine whether a piece of content is high quality
or not.

But that doesn't mean it's pointless, SEO professionals can and should use EAT to better tailor their
content creation process and produce great one.

Here's an example from Google that highlights what it considers EAT content: