Truth and Fiction About Google’s E-E-A-T Guidelines
Google’s E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness) has become a buzzword in the world of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in recent years. It’s an important guideline list that Google uses to determine the quality of a web page and rank it accordingly in search results. However, there are many misconceptions surrounding E-E-A-T, and it can be challenging to separate fact from fiction.
At Now Media Group, a well-known digital marketing agency, we’re here to help debunk some of the most common E-E-A-T misconceptions to help you better understand what it is and how it impacts your website’s ranking. Learn more about the ins and outs by calling (858) 333-8950 to speak to one of our digital marketing professionals.
Revealing the Truth Behind E-E-A-T
E-E-A-T is Google’s updated framework for assessing high-quality content. The addition of ‘experience’ in 2022 emphasized the importance of content created by those with personal involvement in the topic. According to Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines, the levels of E-E-A-T are categorized as:
- ‘Lowest’
- ‘Lacking’
- ‘High Level’
- ‘Very High Level’
The goal is to encourage the highest level of E-E-A-T for all pages on a website. High-level E-E-A-T is associated with deep expertise, credibility, and trustworthiness, while the lowest levels are often tied to harmful or deceptive content. Among these factors, trustworthiness is the most important. The absence of trust can considerably diminish the overall E-E-A-T assessment.
Websites can bolster their E-E-A-T by adopting several strategies, including:
- Be transparent about authorship
- Provide clear contact details
- Make privacy policies and terms of service easily accessible
- Keep content updated for accuracy
- Use semantic linking to optimize link data
- Collaborate with experts
- Maintain a mix of content types
What E-E-A-T Is Not
Many E-E-A-T misconceptions have taken root in digital marketing, leading to misunderstandings about its role in SEO. Contrary to popular belief, improving E-E-A-T doesn’t lead to immediate performance increases as it’s not a direct ranking factor. Google’s guidelines clarify that E-E-A-T is not a direct ranking signal, factor, or system.
No Direct Impact on Rankings
While E-E-A-T is integral to content creation, guiding the production of content that Google finds valuable for users, it doesn’t have a quantifiable impact on rankings. E-E-A-T doesn’t;t directly influence a website’s ranking on Google search results. It serves as a guiding principle for quality content but doesn’t guarantee a prime ranking spot on Google.
Absence of an E-E-A-T Score
Another common E-E-A-T misconception is that Google uses a quantifiable E-E-A-T score to rank websites or web pages. This isn’t accurate. Google doesn’t assign a numerical E-E-A-T score to any websites or webpages, and it doesn’t rely on its web crawler for this purpose.
Misinterpretation in the SEO Community
The SEO community often misinterprets E-E-A-T, leading to confusion and debate. The belief that Google assigns a specific score to content, that can be optimized for, is a fundamental misconception within the SEO community. E-E-A-T should be understood as a set of quality evaluation principles, not as a single, quantifiable metric used to rank pages in search engine land.
This misunderstanding has sparked a significant debate among SEO professionals about whether E-E-A-T acts as a direct ranking factor, with no consensus on its purported level of impact on search rankings.
The True Influence of E-E-A-T on Search Engines
E-E-A-T, in reality, is used to assess the effectiveness of search algorithms, including machine learning algorithms, in providing relevant results rather than directly influencing actual ranking algorithms. By analyzing aggregate click data and search logs, it’s a set of qualitative metrics that do not themselves act as computational ranking signals but serve as a measure algorithm.
However, Google’s algorithms, developed by Google engineers, include signals that look for E-E-A-T qualities in content as part of their ranking process. Google’s automated systems are designed to align with human judgments of great content as defined by E-E-A-T criteria. Combining E-E-A-T qualities with Google’s content ranking signals can conceptually optimize content, aligning it with what Google’s systems prioritize.
By focusing on the user’s perception of content experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trust, SEO strategies can be better aligned with Google’s evolving algorithms. This alignment can help digital marketers create content that caters to users and meets Google’s quality standards, ultimately improving their site’s visibility and relevance.
Elevate Your SEO Strategy with a Deeper Understanding of Google’s Guidelines
The misconceptions surrounding E-E-A-T often lead to confusion and misalignment in SEO strategies. That’s why it’s important to understand E-E-A-T as a set of quality evaluation principles rather than a single, quantifiable metric. Contact Now Media Group by calling (858) 333-8950 to learn more about how we create customized content that follows Google guidelines and helps your website rank better.