\n
$\"Digital$ <\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
Many don\u2019t realize that Google has a group of real, live human beings whose sole responsibility is to evaluate web pages based on EAT guidelines<\/strong>. These team members are called \u201cquality raters\u201d. When a quality rater completes an evaluation, Google uses their responses to fine-tune its algorithm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re wondering how Google EAT SEO can help you attract more visitors, it may be useful to think about the purpose of SEO<\/a> in general. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The search engine\u2019s goal is to give users the most accurate, helpful results possible<\/strong>. If users who land on your page actually find what they\u2019re looking for, you\u2019re more likely get noticed in Google\u2019s algorithm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That means your page is more likely to land high up in the SERPs. The higher your page is in the SERPs, the higher your conversion rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>How to Optimize Your Site for Google EAT SEO<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Now that we\u2019ve discussed the concept of EAT and how it applies to you, let\u2019s talk about how you can optimize your content for these ranking factors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most of what\u2019s known about page quality optimization comes from the SQEGs. Using these guidelines, we can see precisely how the search engine displays results in the SERPs based on perceived quality. This helps us understand what we need to do to optimize existing websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this section, we\u2019ll cover what the SQEG says about expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. We\u2019ll also explain some strategies you can use to optimize your content for page quality algorithms<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019re feeling overwhelmed by yet another set of optimization rules to follow, don\u2019t. Just remember that the overarching goal is quality<\/em><\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you always approach content creation with quality in mind, you\u2019ll be following the EAT guidelines without even realizing it! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>1. Expertise<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Expertise is all about the editor, writer, or organization behind a piece of content. It focuses on how much experience they have in their field, and how qualified they are to deliver information to the public. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, a blog post on nutrition written by a credentialed nutritionist is going to rank higher than a blog post on the same topic written by a freelance writer for a content farm<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the same time, if a nutrition advice article is well written by a freelance writer, and the article includes links to high quality sources, that article can also earn high ranking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your Money or Your Life (YMYL)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
$\"woman$ <\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
In the world of Google quality rating, the term Your Money or Your Life (YMYL<\/a>) is super important. When presented with a page to evaluate, Google quality raters are trained to first ask two questions: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
Does this content affect the user\u2019s finances and\u2026<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Does this content affect the user\u2019s well being (life). <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
If the answer to either question is yes<\/em>, the rater automatically holds that page to a much higher quality standard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following are a few examples of content that would be considered YMYL<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
Pages asking for personal information<\/strong> that\u2019s vulnerable to identity theft<\/a> (ID numbers, bank accounts, driver\u2019s license, social security numbers, etc.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Pages used to make monetary transactions<\/strong> (any page where the user can buy something)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Content presenting medical or health advice<\/strong> or information<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Content presenting advice on life choices<\/strong> (topics like parenting, making a large purchase, like a home or a car, etc.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Content presenting advice on big life issues<\/strong> that could affect the user\u2019s future happiness or finances (e.g. legal or financial topics)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Many people don\u2019t realize that Google quality raters are even required to conduct research \u201coff the page\u201d if they have reason to believe expertise is in question<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That means they may go hunting around the internet to find information about your business, including customer reviews, Better Business Bureau complaints, and the like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a content creator, then, you should always focus on providing accurate and informative content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, for blog posts on YMYL topics, you might consider looking for an expert to guest post if the topic isn\u2019t in your own area of expertise. If that\u2019s not possible, be sure to backup your information with links to high quality sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\tNot sure whether is source is \"high quality?\" Check this list >>><\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/span>2. Authoritativeness<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Google determines authoritativeness based on how reputable a publisher is in the eyes of other industry experts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, the Mayo Clinic blog is considered highly authoritative when it comes to any kind of healthcare content. And TIME.com is considered a high authority source of news content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the best ways to improve your own site\u2019s authoritativeness is to build backlinks<\/a>. However, it\u2019s important to ensure that links to your site are from high-authority domains<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can use a tool like SEMrush <\/a>to check the domain authority (DA) of other websites:<\/p>\n\n\n
\n
$\"SEMrush$ <\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
Domain Authority<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Domain authority ranges from 1 to 100. If a page has a high DA, that\u2019s an indication that Google considers it a reputable source. Therefore, a backlink from one of these sites will have a much more positive influence on your own site authority. <\/p>\n\n\n
\n
$\"Mayo$ <\/a>
mayo clinic blog posts are considered to have the utmost authority<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
The goal of an authority-building strategy should be to get as many links to your site as possible from other high-quality pages<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When evaluating whether to pursue a backlink from a website, consider the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
DA Score<\/strong><\/td> What It Means<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
60+<\/td> Excellent \u2013 Go for it!<\/td><\/tr>
50-60<\/td> Good \u2013 Go for it!<\/td><\/tr>
40-50<\/td> Average \u2013 A safe bet<\/td><\/tr>
<40<\/td> Low \u2013 Probably Avoid<\/td><\/tr>
<\/td> <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
How the DA score is relevant to backlinking<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
A quick note on DA and new sites. A really great quality but newer website may have a low DA simply because it\u2019s new.<\/strong> In a case like that, use your discretion to decide whether linking is a good idea. Consider things like\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
Whether the new business is set to take off, and therefore building a relationship could be beneficial to you in the future<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Whether the page you want to link to has info that would be highly useful to your users (remember, usefulness <\/em><\/strong>should be your first consideration)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
In either of those cases, linking to a lower DA site could be a good idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>3. Trustworthiness<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A website\u2019s trustworthiness is a measurement of how existing users respond to the site\u2019s content. If your audience takes action on what your content asks them to do, it shows others that you\u2019re a trusted source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On a plumbing site, for example, the call to action (CTA) might be to request a quote. If the user converts into a customer, they\u2019ll either have a good or bad experience with the business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When users take to the internet to share their experiences, they\u2019re essentially telling Google whether or not that business can be trusted. And Google listens.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n
$\"Trustpilot$ <\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
So it\u2019s a good idea to ask your loyal customers to leave reviews about your business<\/strong>. For instance, you could send follow-up emails after they complete an order on your site, or incentivize reviews with discounts or reward points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
MemberPress has all kinds of built-in automation tools<\/a> and available integrations<\/a> to help with gathering these kinds of reviews. The WP Ultimate Review<\/a> plugin is another excellent tool to help you collect and manage reviews for your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Site Elements<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Google also considers site elements when evaluating a website for trustworthiness. Following is a list of elements that can negatively affect your ranking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spammy design elements<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Things like too many pop-ups, intrusive ads, poor layout, and poor UX and UI affect the trustworthiness score.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lacking Contact information<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
The more the better. There should be several ways to reach the site owner, aside from a generic contact submission form. Even making sure there\u2019s an email address in your privacy policy or terms and conditions can help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But this varies depending on whether the site qualifies as a YMYL site. If it does, you should provide an email, phone number, and physical address, if possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If it\u2019s not a YMYL site, a contact form with an email address on the privacy or terms and conditions page is good enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
outdated content<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
A copyright from five years ago is a huge red flag. But fortunately, it\u2019s an easy fix. Just set yourself a reminder to update your copyright every January<\/strong>. Also, a site without regular updates and fresh content can be rated as untrustworthy. So make sure you create a content update schedule<\/strong> \u2013 even a once-per-month blog post is much better than nothing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Conclusion<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Google EAT is a set of clear guidelines you can follow to improve your website\u2019s rankings in search results. Even for experienced publishers, these guidelines hold the core concepts for how sites are ranked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this post, we shared some tips to help you optimize your Google EAT SEO ranking factors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
Expertise. <\/strong>As a content creator, make sure the content on your site is helpful and accurate, and that it comes from qualified sources. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
Authoritativeness.<\/strong> You can publicize the fact that others view you as a reliable source through the use of backlinks from high-authority sites<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Trustworthiness. <\/strong>You can ask customers to tell Google that they trust you by leaving reviews.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Keep these tips in mind. And, above all else, focus on producing well-written, thoroughly researched content<\/strong>, and you\u2019ll be well on your way to reaching page-one status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do you have any questions about Google EAT SEO? Let us know in the comments section below!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\tReady to Roll? Get MemberPress Today!<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
If you liked this article, be sure to subscribe in the box<\/a> at the upper right!<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As a business owner, just the thought of search engine optimization (SEO) could be enough to drive you mad. It\u2019s easy to get lost among the masses of information out there, when all you may want is a clear set of guidelines that will guarantee results. While Google isn\u2019t exactly transparent about how it ranks [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76756,"featured_media":29711,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_strive_editorial_status":"not-started","_strive_copy_of":0,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","_strive_checklists":"\"\"","_strive_active_checklist":"62291e2bb2422","_strive_post_notes":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[69,399,120,134,19,400],"tags":[86,182],"class_list":{"0":"post-29291","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-advice","8":"category-blogging","9":"category-content","10":"category-how-to-2","11":"category-news","12":"category-trends","13":"tag-google-search","14":"tag-seo","15":"entry"},"acf":{"plans":["scale"],"is_featured":false,"download_source":"none","mothership_slug":"","download_url":""},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t

DA Score<\/strong><\/td>	What It Means<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
60+<\/td>	Excellent \u2013 Go for it!<\/td><\/tr>
50-60<\/td>	Good \u2013 Go for it!<\/td><\/tr>
40-50<\/td>	Average \u2013 A safe bet<\/td><\/tr>
<40<\/td>	Low \u2013 Probably Avoid<\/td><\/tr>
<\/td>	<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> How the DA score is relevant to backlinking<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n A quick note on DA and new sites. A really great quality but newer website may have a low DA simply because it\u2019s new.<\/strong> In a case like that, use your discretion to decide whether linking is a good idea. Consider things like\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n Whether the new business is set to take off, and therefore building a relationship could be beneficial to you in the future<\/li>\n\n\n\n Whether the page you want to link to has info that would be highly useful to your users (remember, usefulness <\/em><\/strong>should be your first consideration)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n In either of those cases, linking to a lower DA site could be a good idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/span>3. Trustworthiness<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n A website\u2019s trustworthiness is a measurement of how existing users respond to the site\u2019s content. If your audience takes action on what your content asks them to do, it shows others that you\u2019re a trusted source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On a plumbing site, for example, the call to action (CTA) might be to request a quote. If the user converts into a customer, they\u2019ll either have a good or bad experience with the business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When users take to the internet to share their experiences, they\u2019re essentially telling Google whether or not that business can be trusted. And Google listens.<\/p>\n\n\n \n $\"Trustpilot$ <\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n So it\u2019s a good idea to ask your loyal customers to leave reviews about your business<\/strong>. For instance, you could send follow-up emails after they complete an order on your site, or incentivize reviews with discounts or reward points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n MemberPress has all kinds of built-in automation tools<\/a> and available integrations<\/a> to help with gathering these kinds of reviews. The WP Ultimate Review<\/a> plugin is another excellent tool to help you collect and manage reviews for your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Site Elements<\/h4>\n\n\n\n Google also considers site elements when evaluating a website for trustworthiness. Following is a list of elements that can negatively affect your ranking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spammy design elements<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n Things like too many pop-ups, intrusive ads, poor layout, and poor UX and UI affect the trustworthiness score.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lacking Contact information<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n The more the better. There should be several ways to reach the site owner, aside from a generic contact submission form. Even making sure there\u2019s an email address in your privacy policy or terms and conditions can help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But this varies depending on whether the site qualifies as a YMYL site. If it does, you should provide an email, phone number, and physical address, if possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If it\u2019s not a YMYL site, a contact form with an email address on the privacy or terms and conditions page is good enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n outdated content<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n A copyright from five years ago is a huge red flag. But fortunately, it\u2019s an easy fix. Just set yourself a reminder to update your copyright every January<\/strong>. Also, a site without regular updates and fresh content can be rated as untrustworthy. So make sure you create a content update schedule<\/strong> \u2013 even a once-per-month blog post is much better than nothing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/span>Conclusion<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n Google EAT is a set of clear guidelines you can follow to improve your website\u2019s rankings in search results. Even for experienced publishers, these guidelines hold the core concepts for how sites are ranked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this post, we shared some tips to help you optimize your Google EAT SEO ranking factors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n Expertise. <\/strong>As a content creator, make sure the content on your site is helpful and accurate, and that it comes from qualified sources. <\/li>\n\n\n\n Authoritativeness.<\/strong> You can publicize the fact that others view you as a reliable source through the use of backlinks from high-authority sites<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n Trustworthiness. <\/strong>You can ask customers to tell Google that they trust you by leaving reviews.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n Keep these tips in mind. And, above all else, focus on producing well-written, thoroughly researched content<\/strong>, and you\u2019ll be well on your way to reaching page-one status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n *Do you have any questions about Google EAT SEO? Let us know in the comments section below!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n* *\n\tReady to Roll? Get MemberPress Today!<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n If you liked this article, be sure to subscribe in the* box<\/a> at the upper right!<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As a business owner, just the thought of search engine optimization (SEO) could be enough to drive you mad. It\u2019s easy to get lost among the masses of information out there, when all you may want is a clear set of guidelines that will guarantee results. While Google isn\u2019t exactly transparent about how it ranks [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76756,"featured_media":29711,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_strive_editorial_status":"not-started","_strive_copy_of":0,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","_strive_checklists":"\"\"","_strive_active_checklist":"62291e2bb2422","_strive_post_notes":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[69,399,120,134,19,400],"tags":[86,182],"class_list":{"0":"post-29291","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-advice","8":"category-blogging","9":"category-content","10":"category-how-to-2","11":"category-news","12":"category-trends","13":"tag-google-search","14":"tag-seo","15":"entry"},"acf":{"plans":["scale"],"is_featured":false,"download_source":"none","mothership_slug":"","download_url":""},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t