These days, one of the biggest buzzwords in SEO is EAT. No, Google doesn’t care what you’re having for dinner, but it is concerned with the Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness of your website. EAT is a pretty big deal to Google and we can’t blame them for wanting to give searchers high-quality content.
What does this mean for your website? If you’re serious about SEO, you should continuously build your website’s EAT with a smart content strategy.
What is EAT?
You may know what the letters stand for, but what does the EAT acronym really mean? Simply put, Google is looking for high-quality pages that provide trustworthy answers to searchers’ questions. If you want your site to rank in the search results, you need to show Google that your brand is a trusted online authority with legitimate and reliable content that’s valuable to your website’s visitors.
A content strategy focused on building your website’s EAT should address all three components:
- Expertise: Your content should establish your company as an expert in your field. If all of your website content was fact-checked by a third-party expert in your industry, would it pass the test?
- Authoritativeness: Your company and your staff know their stuff. A content strategy that lets other people know it helps you become a recognized authority in your field.
- Trustworthiness: Show your visitors they can trust your company with clear, credible content and contact information. Trust is essential if you want to convince your website visitors to become customers.
Developing an EAT Content Strategy
If you want to prove to Google just how authoritative your website is, you need a content strategy that highlights your expertise and competitive advantages. High-quality content is key when it comes to Google’s EAT guidelines.
While blog posts are probably what you think of first when you hear “content strategy,” they’re not the only type of content you need to infuse with expertise. Each one of your site’s pages should benefit your users with relevant and factual information. Whether you’re posting a blog, updating a product page or improving your “About” section, there should be elements of credibility in your copy. Give your readers a reason to trust you with information about your background and experience in a short author bio. If it doesn’t make sense to list an author, make sure your business contact information is visible on the page. Cite facts by linking to other reliable sources.
Updating your website with fresh content regularly will keep you on Google’s mind and invite visitors back for more. We’re big believers of content calendars, where you can flesh out all of your content ideas and details. With a consistent schedule outlined ahead of time, you’ll be able to make content production a priority. This gives you more room to think about how your content will showcase how much you know and establish you as a trustworthy authority in the eyes of both Google and your visitors!
