Creating Content that Ranks - A Guide to E-E-A-T & The Helpful Content System
What Is E-E-A-T
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. It's a set of criteria that Google uses to assess the quality and reliability of websites.
E-E-A-T is particularly important for YMYL websites that provide content related to health, finance, news, and other areas that could impact a person’s health, financial stability, safety or wellbeing.
E-E-A-T is not a direct ranking factor but rather a set of guidelines used by Google's search quality raters to evaluate the quality of search results. Websites that demonstrate high levels of expertise, authority, and trustworthiness are more likely to rank well.
E-E-A-T enforces the importance of first hand experience in content assessment. For SEO, this emphasizes the need to produce content that reflects genuine expertise and experience.
Experience
Experience refers to the practical experience and firsthand knowledge that the content creator has on a subject. Content backed by personal experience or hands-on knowledge tends to be more reliable and insightful. It helps ensure that the content is not only accurate but also enriched by real-world application.
In Google’s words: “Consider the extent to which the content creator has the necessary first-hand or life experience for the topic. Many types of pages are trustworthy and achieve their purpose well when created by people with a wealth of personal experience. For example, which would you trust: a product review from someone who has personally used the product or a “review” by someone who has not?”
Check out Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines (PDF) section 3.4 Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust (E-E-A-T).
Expertise
Expertise denotes the specialized knowledge and skills that a content creator possesses in a particular field or subject.
Google quality raters evaluate whether the content creator demonstrates expertise in their field. This includes assessing the qualifications, experience, and knowledge level of the authors. Content written by professionals with relevant credentials and experience is considered more trustworthy.
“Consider the extent to which the content creator has the necessary knowledge or skill for the topic. Different topics require different levels and types of expertise to be trustworthy. For example, which would you trust: home electrical rewiring advice from a skilled electrician or from an antique homes enthusiast who has no knowledge of electrical wiring?” ~Google
Authority
Authority refers to the recognition, respect and influence a content creator or website has within its’ industry or niche. Google looks for signals such as backlinks from other reputable websites, mentions in the media, and positive reviews or testimonials. Websites that are recognized as authorities in their field are more likely to rank higher in search results.
Trust
Trustworthiness relates to the reliability and credibility of the content and the website itself. Google considers factors such as transparency, accuracy, and the overall reputation of the website.
Trust signals include: clear and accurate information, secure HTTPS connections, privacy policies, and a lack of spammy or deceptive practices.
Actionable Tips to Improve E-E-A-T
Showcase the Experience & Expertise of the Founder & Top Team Members
Display the qualifications and experience of the founder and team members on your About page (or your version of it: Our Story, Meet the Team, Our Mission etc..).
Name the founder and top team members on your About page.
Include detailed professional bios, certifications, and professional achievements for each founder or member.
Link to external sites that verify the identity and qualifications of the founder or member. These links can include LinkedIn & social media profiles, or other publications that highlight the individuals’ accomplishments.
Showcase the Experience & Expertise of Blog Authors
It is important for blog posts to name an author that is a real person, rather than being listed as something generic like “staff”.
Articles authored by experts like lawyers, veterinarians or certified dog trainers imply real-world knowledge. Google's E-E-A-T underscores the importance of first hand experience in content assessment.
Attribute an Author to your blog posts.
Link the authors name to a URL that showcases their experience and expertise. Include a professional biography, credentials and achievements.
Example Author URL: …com/author/jane-doe
Link to external sites that verify the identity and qualifications of the author, such as LinkedIn, Twitter (X), or Instagram. If the author has their own website or has been highlighted in other publications, you can include links to those as well.
Blog Author Example: Home & Garden Website
The author "Halee Miller Van Ryswyk" links to a page that lists her education, experience and credentials. Click the link to check out this example of an excellent author URL.
Blog Author Example: Health Website
For health related content, you will often see a medical reviewer as well as an author. The author will likely be someone with industry or writing experience such as a journalist. The medical reviewer will have a medical degree. When publishing content that can affect a persons health, naming an author and/or medical reviewer with real qualifications is an absolute must for Google to consider the content trustworthy. If it is not deemed to be trustworthy, it won’t rank.
Check out these great examples of health content authors and a medical reviewer from Healthline:
Medical Reviewer: Angelica Balingit, MD
Author: Brian Krans & Kimberly Holland
For more on authorship for SEO, check out this great article by Noble Studios. Because after all, sometimes, what needs to be said has already been said as well as it can be said.
Demonstrate First Hand Experience Within Your Content
Write from the perspective of first hand experience. First hand insights or personal anecdotes demonstrate credibility by showcasing the authors' direct experience.
Experience can also be highlighted on homepages and service pages.
Example: A roofing contractor might highlight their experience with the heading: - Serving Dade County for 25+ years.
Provide Accurate and Well-Researched Content
If you make any sort of claim in your content beyond first hand experience, link to the source of the claim.
Example: If I made the claim that “only 16 percent of people read webpages word for word, 79% scan. I would need to link that claim to the source. In doing so, both users and Google can verify the claim by clicking through to the study published by NN/g.
Establish Authority
Obtain Backlinks from Reputable Relevant Sites: Earn backlinks from high-authority websites in your niche. This signals to search engines that your site is a trusted source.
Collaborate with Industry Influencers: Work with recognized experts or influencers in your field to contribute to or endorse your content.
Feature Industry Awards and Recognitions: Highlight any awards or recognitions your business or content has received.
Establish Trust
Ensure Site Security: Use HTTPS to secure your site and protect user data. Display security badges if applicable.
Provide Clear Contact Information: Make it easy for users to contact you through a visible contact page with a physical address, phone number, and email.
Include Privacy Policies and Terms of Service: Clearly outline your privacy policies and terms of service to reassure visitors about how their data is handled.
Leverage Social Proof
Show User Reviews and Testimonials: Display genuine reviews and testimonials from satisfied customers to build credibility.
Share Case Studies and Success Stories: Showcase real-life examples of how your products or services have helped others.
By prioritizing E-E-A-T principles, you can enhance the quality and credibility of your website, which can ultimately lead to better rankings and increased visibility in Google search results.
The Helpful Content System
Google's Helpful Content System is a set of algorithms designed to prioritize content that is genuinely valuable to users. Launched in August 2022, the system aims to improve search results by rewarding original, high-quality, relevant content that provides real value. The system seeks to reduce the visibility of content that is primarily created to rank well in search results without offering substantial value.
How to Create Helpful Content
Provide accurate and up-to-date information on topics relevant to your audience.
Take a deep dive into search intent based keyword research to create content that meets your audiences specific needs.
Address common questions, concerns, and pain points with your content.
Offer original insights, practical tips, and solutions to users' problems.
Demonstrate experience & expertise by writing from the perspective of first hand experience.
Organize your content in a way that is easy to scan.
If a user can’t find information quickly, they are likely to bounce. (which suggests the content was not very helpful.) A high bounce rate is an indication that either the content does not meet the users needs, or the user experience is poor.
Break up text with clear headings, bullet points, infographics, images, or video.
Add a table of contents with jump links so users can quickly find what they are looking for.
Use clear and concise language, visuals, and multimedia elements to enhance comprehension and engagement.
Prioritize user experience by optimizing for mobile, improving page speed, and enhancing site navigation.
Establish your brand as a trusted resource in your industry or niche, by publishing helpful, people-first content with strong E-E-A-T!
It’s always a good idea to read what Google has to say on the matter, they did write the algorithm after all. Check out Google’s Guide to writing Helpful Content.
