As you evaluate your SEO practices, you can analyze what Google uses to train human content evaluators. See, in addition to a massive amount of algorithms, Google employs Quality Raters to improve the search engine experience for everyone.
Google explains in its evaluator guidelines that a high-quality page needs to possess a high level:
- expertise
- authority
- trustworthiness
Or, as this set of guidelines is more commonly known, EAT.
Subjective review of what makes a piece of content display EAT depends on the topic, background of those posting, reputation of the website, and more.
Though you may not have control over all of the factors from the get-go, keeping EAT in mind as you create content can help ensure your content is headed in that direction.
4 Tips for Improving Your EAT Score
- Do Your Research: This may seem obvious, but the best way to truly portray expertise, authority, and trustworthiness is to share accurate information. Bring in expert interviews or guest posts, when you’re able to. Make sure that the information you are sharing is correct, in context of the topic and for the audience who will be reading it. Doing otherwise is the quickest way to score low with these criteria.
- Be Thorough: Now that you’re sure that your information is accurate, you’ll also want to make sure it’s comprehensive. Answering a question with a short or simplistic post can feel dismissive. In order to be seen as an expert, your content needs to leave the reader feeling satisfied and equipped.
- Speak to What You Know: When you are developing content for your website, stick with what you’re about as a brand. Avoid shiny object syndrome and getting lost in content that isn’t relevant to what your website is about. Sticking to your topic of expertise will help build your reputation as the place to go for information about that.
- Speak to Your Audience’s Need: On a similar note, you’re only going to be able to build trustworthiness and authority in the mind of a reader if you actually speak to the topic that readers are coming to read. What is it about the topic that they need to know about? What problems can you solve? There’s a difference between being able to speak in-depth on a topic because you know it so well and being able to teach it in ways that feel accessible and relevant. The latter will help readers actually see you as an authority and someone they can trust.