What are EEAT and YMYL and what do they have to do with your website success and search engine ranking? Both of these concepts were created by Google and are designed to help content professionals ensure that the information they create and share, have the best chances to rank well.
EEAT stands for the four broad factors that Google judges a site against in order to help it rank. It stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trust. In short, this means that the author is knowledgeable and experienced in their industry and that they are considered an authority on the topic. Trustworthiness simply means that the author is honest and credible.
(Image: Google EEAT Requirements)
YMYL, on the other hand, stands for Your Money or Your Life. This is information that could have a crucial effect on someone’s decision and includes medical advice, legal advice or financial advice.
Even if you’re not in those specific industries, YMYL is still high-risk content that Google takes special care to ensure is accurate and reliable which is why it’s important that you take care to make sure that your YMYL content measures up to these very strict standards.
How Do You Improve Your EEAT and YMYL Content?
Generally, you’ll follow the same tips to optimise your content for EEAT and YMYL as you would optimise any SEO content, that includes:
Make sure your website is secure, well-designed and fast-loading – Security is one of the top factors when Google evaluates YMYL content. Ensure that you’re using a secure connection (https://) and that you have a strong password policy in place to prevent brute force intrusions. Also take steps to make sure that your site loads quickly on both mobile and desktop, and is well-designed and easy to navigate.
Create relevant, high-quality content – This should go without saying, but content that demonstrates expertise, authoritativeness and trust is content that’s consistently high quality, relevant and engaging. In the case of YMYL content, it’s important to be transparent about your sources and upfront about your biases. For example, if you have a personal or financial stake in what you’re sharing, be open and honest about it.
In addition, be respectful of your readers and be mindful not to mislead them. If you’re writing about a particularly complex topic, especially with regard to healthcare or finance, you may want to have a certified expert such as a doctor or financial planner to review your content to ensure its accuracy. Back up your content with evidence including charts, graphs and other statistics or research and studies that showcase its efficacy.
Ensure the content you create is up-to-date and accurate – Make sure that the content you create is always up-to-date and accurate. Information changes quickly and it’s always a good idea to go back and update old posts to keep them current. Pull from the latest research in the field rather than materials that are several years old. Even in industries that aren’t related to finance or medicine, information can change quickly and it’s important that you showcase your site as one that Google can trust.
Network with other experts in your field – Reach out to other experts in your field to network, share ideas and even invite guest posts on your blog. This helps you gain valuable backlinks as well as further boost your credibility and authority. Networking in this way can also help you build your reputation as an expert, giving you feedback on your work and possibly even leading to speaking engagement. Networking can also help you share your story and build your own personal brand. This, in turn, helps you share your expertise, thus further enhancing your EEAT.
Receive positive reviews and ratings from customers – Social proof like ratings, reviews and testimonials can help to further solidify your standing as a thought leader. These social “signals” signify to Google that your site is a credible source for information. Google doesn’t just base this on the number of positive reviews but rather it pulls from a variety of factors. Naturally, when people see that a website has received a number of positive reviews, they too are more likely to trust it when it comes to making a purchase or finding out more.
You should also respond to reviews, both positive and negative, and promote reviews across social media to ensure that others know about your high ratings.
Be transparent about your business practices – Let potential customers or subscribers know what to expect when they subscribe to your newsletter, place an order or take any other action on your site. What will happen as a result of submitting that form? What can they look forward to?
(Image: Improving EEAT and YMYL)
It Takes Time to Build EEAT and YMYL
Realise that just doing all of these things won’t guarantee your site will rank well overnight. It takes time to build EEAT and YMYL. You need to consistently create content, network with others in your field and do outreach in the form digital PR and backlink building and exchange. Additionally, sharing on social media will help you not only get your message out but will further showcase you as someone that’s truly an expert in their field and worth listening to.
If you’d like to learn more about EEAT and YMYL, or want help for your own business, reach out to an experienced SEO freelancer today.
