Introduction to EEAT
Google’s John Mueller recently discussed the concept of EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) at the Search Central Live NYC event. He explained that EEAT is not a ranking factor that SEOs can add to a website, but rather a way for third-party quality raters to evaluate the quality of search results.
What is EEAT?
EEAT is an acronym that stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It is used by Google’s quality raters to assess the quality of a website’s content, particularly for topics that affect users’ finances or health, known as Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) topics. Mueller emphasized that EEAT is not something that can be added to a website like keywords or internal links.
Relation to Quality Raters and YMYL Websites
Mueller explained that EEAT is used by third-party quality raters to provide a more objective judgment about the quality of search results. He also stated that EEAT comes into play algorithmically for sites that are in YMYL topics, such as health or finance websites. This means that Google’s algorithm takes into account the experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness of a website when evaluating its quality.
EEAT is Not Something You Can Add to Your Website
Mueller dismissed the idea that SEOs can add EEAT to their websites. He stated that EEAT is not something that can be added like a sprinkle of fairy dust, and that it’s not possible to simply create a bio or link to a fake LinkedIn profile and call it EEAT. Instead, trustworthiness and expertise are earned over time through high-quality content and recommendations from others.
EEAT and Non-YMYL Websites
Mueller also emphasized that EEAT is not necessary for non-YMYL websites, such as recipe blogs or other types of non-critical content. While it’s still important to have high-quality content, EEAT is not a ranking factor for these types of websites. He used the example of a recipe website, stating that it’s not necessary to have a bio that says the author has been creating cookies for 27 years.
Takeaways
The main takeaways from Mueller’s discussion on EEAT are:
- EEAT is used by third-party quality raters to assess the quality of search results
- EEAT is not something that can be added to a website like keywords or internal links
- EEAT is particularly important for YMYL topics, such as health or finance websites
- EEAT is not necessary for non-YMYL websites, such as recipe blogs or other types of non-critical content
Conclusion
In conclusion, EEAT is an important concept in search engine optimization, but it’s not something that can be added to a website like a ranking factor. Instead, it’s a way for third-party quality raters to evaluate the quality of search results, particularly for YMYL topics. By focusing on creating high-quality content and earning trustworthiness and expertise over time, websites can improve their chances of ranking well in search engine results. However, it’s not necessary to try to add EEAT to a website, as it’s not something that can be faked or manufactured.