Enhancing Small Business Credibility with Google E-E-A-T

Did you know that 9 out of 10 business owners aren’t focusing on E-E-A-T? That means they aren’t optimizing their websites according to Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines.

Why is this important? Put simply: E-E-A-T = Higher Rankings = More Leads = More Money.

E-E-A-T, which stands for Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, was first introduced in Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines in 2014. These guidelines help a group known as “Quality Raters” evaluate the quality of Google’s search results. They also guide Google’s algorithm in identifying high-quality, relevant content.

Here are the key takeaways:

1. E-E-A-T is essential for your site to rank well in Google search results.
2. If your website lacks these qualities, it’s less likely to rank high.
3. Prioritizing E-E-A-T helps you and your brand establish credibility in your niche.

Establishing Trustworthiness with Google starts with Expertise, Experience, and Authoritativeness. There are several straightforward improvements you can make to your site today that will have a lasting impact. Check these off from my full E-E-A-T checklist and you’ll see results.

Google seems to be moving towards ranking content created by experts. For example, an article about football by John Elway would likely rank higher than one written by someone less known.

You don’t have to be a celebrity to get your content to rank. Create content within your niche to build topical relevance and authority. This means writing consistently about topics related to your field. The more content you produce, the more you establish your expertise.

Google values ‘experience,’ meaning practical involvement with the topic. This is a great way to differentiate yourself from AI-generated content, which can’t offer real experience. Share your experiences through writing and videos. For instance, you could shoot a video and summarize it in an article.

Top-ranking websites share common features like expertise, quality content, and backlinks. Backlinks, or inbound links, come from other websites and act like votes of endorsement. The more relevant backlinks you have, the higher your content will rank. One effective strategy is guest blogging.

To wrap it up, Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines help you create high-quality content that connects with your audience. Keep producing great content, and Google will reward you with more leads.

That’s all for now!