Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (EEAT)
Have you ever wondered what makes Google sit up and take notice of some websites more than others in its search results? Enter EEAT-friendly content! E-E-A-T is a framework that Google uses to assess the quality of your website content. It is an essential component of Google's algorithm that determines whether content should rank higher in Google search results based on its overall value and credibility.
Many factors come into play when it comes to user experience and content ranking, including site navigation, page speed, website security, content readability, etc. However, Google rolled out an algorithm update in August of 2023 that influences the priorities of all of these ranking factors. Consequently, the Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness of website content are more important than ever. Imagine EEAT as your secret sauce. It can be the game-changer that sets you a cut above the rest.
Why is EEAT Important For Your Website?
As we mentioned previously, there are many aspects that impact the ranking of website content on Google search results– so why do you need to invest in adding EEAT-friendly content on your site? EEAT ultimately contributes to how valuable Google deems your site to be to a very great extent.
By weaving in EEAT elements, you're essentially giving Google a nudge, saying, "Hey, my content is trustworthy and super useful for visitors." Such content shows Google that your website and its information is reliable and will benefit visitors. Continuing the chain, when your site resonates with its visitors, they will feel more comfortable engaging, sharing, and recommending your content. This is another green light for Google that your website is of good quality.
Think of EEAT as being the differentiating factor that will put your practice in a better position than that of your competitors simply because the experience visitors have on your site highly impacts how highly Google is likely to rank your content.
EEAT in the Veterinary Industry
Not only is EEAT-friendly essential for any type of website, but it is particularly emphasized in the veterinary industry due to something called Google's YMYL Pages. Your Money Your Life (YMYL) Pages are a part of Google's little guidebook on online content ranking. It encompasses topics related to medical advice, financial advice, legal advice, and much more.
How does this affect you as a veterinary practice? I’m glad you asked. Since much of the content typically found on veterinary websites relates to medical procedures, pet healthcare, and general wellness advice, Google greatly emphasizes the importance of having EEAT-friendly content, as the information you provide has the potential to affect your visitors’ decisions and satisfaction directly.
If a visitor feels safe and trusting toward your content and finds it to be a helpful solution for their search inquiry, you are doing something right! A sure way to guarantee this experience for your website visitors is to publish content that demonstrates experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.
How To Improve a Website’s EEAT
There are several strategies you can implement to establish yourself as a credible and trustworthy source of veterinary information. Let's dive into the top 5 ways you can bring these factors to life on your website:
1. Improve Your About Us Pages
Well-structured and detailed About Us pages are essential for any veterinary website. Your doctor and staff bios significantly influence how Google and website visitors perceive your practice. Not only should it be well built out, but your bios, in particular, should mention the qualifications of your staff members linking out to these credible institutions, effectively confirming their competency and experience. It is also essential to connect your staff bios to any and every platform on which your team members feature, be it Linkedin, Facebook, or Instagram. This enhances the transparency of your bios and reassures users of your authenticity.
2. Link Credible Sources in Content
In all content you publish on your site, include external links to authoritative sources to show both readers and Google that you did not simply suck the information you provide out of your thumb. Moreover, provide info about the author of your content to show Google that it comes from an expert and that you are comfortable enough with the quality of your content to be transparent about the source.
3. Create Content of Value & Quality
Google highly favors people-first content. Simply put, content directly addressing your visitors' questions, providing valuable insights, and satisfying the reader’s curiosity will likely achieve higher rankings. It's equally essential to refresh any dated items that may no longer be as relevant. Keeping content up to date ensures your content is original and helpful overall.
You may have heard that pages ranking at the top of Google searches today have 1200-1500 words of original content. For more busy practice owners, creating content like that could be pretty overwhelming – but don't worry, we have you covered! GeniusVets offers a unique solution: our patent-pending video content process. All you'll need to do to create top-quality content that maxes out your EEAT scores is log in to your MyGeniusVets platform, choose a topic, and download the interview script we provide. Then shoot a five minute video answering the questions on the script and upload it to us. We transcribe, edit, and post right to your website. And just like that – a top-quality page in only five minutes of your time!
4. Work On your Online Reputation
Your business’ online reputation ties in tightly with Trustworthiness. Consistently elevating your brand's image involves monitoring reviews and promptly responding to online interactions. Building a positive reputation isn't limited to just reviews; it extends to your social media presence as well. By actively showcasing your business's character and core values across various online platforms, you'll signal to both users and Google that you are a reliable entity.
Another critical component of enhancing your reputation is tapping into user-generated content. This effort involves monitoring and using clients’ feedback, comments, and testimonials to your highest advantage. Reviews are a great way to implement this strategy, but incorporating testimonials on your website is a surefire way to boost your reputation!
5. Gain Backlinks of High Authority
Think of backlinks as the digital equivalent of personal recommendations. When other websites link to your content, it's like they're vouching for you. These endorsements bolster your website's authority and build trust among readers and, importantly, Google. Why? Because they've been directed to your content from a source they already trust.
Want to boost those backlink numbers? The secret is in the content you produce. High-quality pieces, be it videos, infographics, step-by-step guides, or insightful research, are prime candidates for earning a robust backlink portfolio. So, focus on creating content that others deem worthy of sharing!
Consider this sentence:
“Eight to nine months is the average age that a dog should be spayed or neutered.”
Now read it again:
“Eight to nine months is the average age that a dog should be spayed or neutered, according to Dr. Broussard from The Waggin’ Train Veterinary Clinic.”
Nobody can deny that the second version automatically makes you, as a reader, trust the information provided to a greater extent than simply reading the facts without any expertise to back it up. This is exactly how we want websites of high authority to use your content.
In Closing
One could ramble on and on about the different Google ranking factors and how they apply to each industry, and in the ever-changing landscape of SEO, predicting the next big thing can be a challenge. However, right now, and likely for the foreseeable future, EEAT is an indispensable consideration that will make the difference between showing up on the top of Google search results and getting lost in the masses of competitors at the bottom.
And with that, I hope that this information has armed you with knowledge and given you the answers you were looking for with a touch of — you guessed it — expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. (wink-wink).