Search Engine Journal, discover the role of E-A-T in Google algorithms and tactics to build trust in a website.
Lily Ray is one of the figures in the industry who talks about the concept of E-A-T of Google. If you worked with SEO for a long time, you have experienced the broad core algorithm updates of Google that rolled out. E-A-T is the common factor behind many updates.
Ray discussed in her recent SEJ eSummit presentation the role of E-A-T in the Google algorithm. Also, the top-performing websites demonstrating good E-A-T are presented by this director and identify the strategies and tactics that create trust issues with your website.
What does E-A-T mean?
Google defined E-A-T as:
Not a ranking factor
Not a keyword in the title tag, a page speed, and using HTTPS
It is a growing trend in SEO that you must pay attention with
Does E-A-T matter?
E-A-T was mentioned 135 times in the GSQG (Google Search Quality Guidelines). A white paper was published by Google last year named How Google Fights Disinformation. It discusses E-A-T and its role in the algorithm of Google. During a core update, Google shares an article, a dedicated section to E-A-T and why you must consider it when your site is affected by the core algorithm update.
Where does E-A-T start?
E-A-T comes from the 2014 version of GSQG (Google Search Quality Guidelines), it consists of a 160-page document that defines what Google guidelines are used to educate the search quality raters. The raters will submit the answers. Google will use the feedback to measure and inform future algorithms.
Algorithms can identify signals correlating with E-A-T. When you ask Google about E-A-T, you can find a common language.
Google did not confirm what these signals are except for the links and PageRank. It doesn’t imply that the on-page signals are not part of evaluations performed by E-A-T.
Google measuring E-A-T
Ray didn’t get a straight answer from the Googlers after asking how it measures it. Ray’s statement:
Google doesn’t want to talk more about the E-A-T specifics. What is the case? It is SEO’s love to spam.
Google is up to
Social media companies and search engines were facing government scrutiny because of disinformation abounding on the platforms. They tried to know how they reduce bad info and surface high-quality content.
Symptom Cards were created in 2016, a search feature allowing users to get more info directly in the search results. Google collaborated with a team of medical doctors to source information that made up part of their Knowledge Graph.
Ray thinks E-A-T is the criteria of Google to analyze the trustworthiness of content from the publisher to mitigate the spread of misinformation online.
Only Google knows which signals have a part in their E-A-T evaluation leaving SEO professionals to rely on the data, assumptions, and patents.
Analyze E-A-T for SEO
SEO professionals think specifically about the signals aligning with E-A-T and look at the qualities of the websites with winning core algorithm updates. Ray analyzed websites for E-A-T using a methodology.