Harnessing Google E-E-A-T for Small Business Success

Did you know that 90% of business owners aren’t E-E-A-T-ing? You heard me right. They aren’t optimizing their sites for Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines!

After selling my SEO agency, I’m here to set the record straight. Why does E-E-A-T even matter? Simply put: E-E-A-T = Higher Rankings = More Leads = More Money. I’m excited to dive in and show you how to E-E-A-T!

Key Takeaways:

E-E-A-T was introduced in Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines in 2014. These guidelines serve as a roadmap for “Quality Raters” who assess the quality of Google’s search results using specific instructions. They also help Google’s algorithm identify quality and relevant content. E-E-A-T stands for Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.

It’s crucial for business owners to understand that if their website lacks these qualities, it’s less likely to rank high in Google search results. And we all know that better rankings mean more money. Prioritizing E-E-A-T will also help you and your brand become recognized as a leader in your field.

I like to think about E-E-A-T starting with Trustworthiness. The best way to establish that with Google is by demonstrating Expertise, Experience, and Authoritativeness. You can make several simple changes to your site today that will have a lasting impact. Start with my E-E-A-T checklist and go through it step by step. It’s that simple.

Google is increasingly ranking people, not just content. They want content written by experts. Think about it: would you rather read an article about football by John Elway or an average Joe? You don’t need to be Bill Gates to get your content to rank. Here’s how to do it:

First, write about topics in your niche. The more content you create, the more you build topical relevance and authority. This results in expertise. Google values content that shows direct, practical involvement with the topic it addresses. This is where you can outshine AI-driven content because AI can’t show real experience.

When writing, consider shooting a video and summarizing it in an article. Top-ranking websites usually follow this pattern, including quality backlinks. Backlinks, or links from one site to another, are seen as endorsements by Google. The more quality backlinks you have, the higher your content will rank.

One classic strategy for building backlinks is guest blogging. If you want to learn more about link-building, a quick Google search will provide thousands of articles. Stay tuned; I’ll be dedicating a future post to link building.

In conclusion, Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines act as a compass, helping you create high-quality content that resonates with your audience. If you keep producing great content, Google will reward you with more leads. That’s all for now!