Properly Utilize E-E-A-T Signals - We Have SEO Recipe Suggestions

The world of organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO for short) is constantly evolving. Especially after the AI/AI wave that made a splash at the beginning of the year, there's a need to rethink the conceptual and strategic direction of a website.

With the annual updates of search engine algorithms, especially from Google, website owners and SEOs need to stay continuously informed to meet the requirements. One term that has become particularly prominent in recent years is E-E-A-T. But what does this term mean, and why has it become so important?

What master plan does Google have behind it? This article will detail Google EEAT, define concrete implementation measures on pages, and even take a peek into the crystal ball.

What is Google E-E-A-T?

Google recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. Since its founding in 1998, the search engine has continuously evolved to provide users with the most relevant and highest quality information.

Over the years, the way Google evaluates the quality of websites has changed and been refined. EEAT has emerged as one of the decisive factors in Google's quality evaluation. But let's take a closer look at the acronym.

What does E-E-A-T mean?

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. These criteria play a crucial role in evaluating content and websites.

Experience: Experience refers to how much direct knowledge or practical experience the authors have about a product, service, or the content of a webpage. Simply put: Are there really specialized skills on a particular topic?

Expertise: This means that the content is written or created by someone with deep expertise in a specific area.

Authoritativeness: This refers to the reputation of a website or author. Content written by a recognized authority or expert in a field is seen as more credible.

Trustworthiness: This addresses how safe and trustworthy a website is. This includes both technical aspects (like a secure connection) and content aspects.

When examining the individual factors, it becomes clear that differentiation of the four core themes is not always possible. There are many overlaps in SEO EEAT. The basic principle, however, should always be kept in mind.

Figure 1: Composition of EEAT

How long has E-E-A-T been around?

The concept of E-E-A-T is not new. It was first introduced in the so-called "Quality Rater Guidelines" in 2014. However, it has gained significant importance in recent years as Google places increased value on high-quality content. With the latest Helpful Content Update (September 2023) from Google, the importance of the four Google EEAT factors has been emphasized once again.

Why is E-E-A-T so important for SEO?

With an increased focus on experience, expertise, trust, and authority, Google has made it clear that quality is at the heart of its evaluation criteria. Websites that follow the E-E-A-T signals have a better chance of ranking higher in search results. Therefore, it is crucial for anyone dealing with these factors to understand, apply, and, of course, measure the successes associated with the E-E-A-T principles.

Take a look at the manual - Google's Quality Rater Guidelines

Google uses a complex algorithm to determine the order of search results—and thus the relevance. The algorithm is one of the best-guarded secrets in the world; it is constantly adjusted and updated. Often this happens quietly or with a "Core Update" bang. 

To ensure that the algorithm works effectively and to incorporate human feedback into the process, Google deploys so-called "Quality Raters." With the AI/AI wave, Google still relies on real people of flesh and blood. These raters follow a specific guide, known as the Search Quality Rater Guidelines (SQRG for short).

What are the Search Quality Rater Guidelines?

The guidelines are a detailed document provided by Google to help Quality Raters evaluate websites and search results. They are not direct instructions for the algorithm, but rather a guide that helps raters evaluate the quality of websites in relation to user queries. However, the ratings defined by the raters can certainly influence the Google algorithm.

"Our Search Quality Rating Process measures the quality of Search results on an ongoing basis. We work with ~16,000 external Search Quality Raters who provide ratings based on our guidelines and represent real users and their likely information needs, using their best judgment to represent their locale."

Source: https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/hsw-sqrg.pdf

In Detail:

Raters are instructed to identify and evaluate the main content of a page to determine if it fulfills its intended purpose. 

Possible intentions could be: 

• Clarification: Content that aims to clarify misunderstandings or debunk myths.

• Inspiration: Posts that serve to motivate people, find new ideas, or encourage creative thoughts.

• Education: Content that conveys specific knowledge or skills.

• Persuasion: Texts or presentations aiming to change opinions or encourage action.

• Reflection: Content that shares personal thoughts, feelings, or life experiences.

• Criticism: Analyses or reviews highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of products, services, or ideas.

• Interaction: Posts that encourage active audience participation.

The Google EEAT factors are a significant part of the guidelines. Raters are instructed to evaluate the main content in terms of how well it meets these criteria.

These criteria include, for example, page quality and search results. 

Page Quality: This refers to the overall impression of a website, including the main content, user experience/usability, and other factors. A high-quality page should have a clear purpose and provide genuine value to users.

Search Results: Raters assess whether the displayed search results are useful for a given search query. The goal is to ensure that the results help users find the information, content, or answers they are seeking.

YMYL (Your Money or Your Life): Google identifies certain pages as particularly important because they can significantly impact users' lives, health, or financial well-being. Such pages are evaluated against higher standards—also in terms of E-E-A-T. Simply put: Websites with YMYL content have a higher status in ratings according to EEAT criteria—Google takes a close look. 

Figure 2: User Intention with the Keyword Batman: Superhero vs. City in Turkey

In summary, the Google Search Quality Rater Guidelines are an essential document for anyone who wants to understand how Google works and the requirements for high-quality web content. By familiarizing oneself with these guidelines and following their principles, one can increase their chances of being more visible in search results and providing real value to users.

Optimizing the Website According to E-E-A-T Signals

The concrete question now arises: How should the content of a page be optimized so that users can find it, the human Quality Raters rate the page as relevant and positive, and the world's leading search engine, Google, is satisfied?

Here are some specific recommendations for optimization according to SEO EEAT signals.

Author Boxes – Don't Hide Your Expertise

A classic author box is a small, prominent box usually found at the end of an article or post. It briefly contains information about the authors in the form of a short biography, an appealing photo, and links to social media or other relevant sites.

The benefit is clear. The element gives the entire article a face as a trust-building measure. It demonstrates clear (professional) expertise, which has weight in the E-E-A-T signals based on qualifications and links. Links to possible social media profiles, such as LinkedIn, strengthen the credibility and thus the entire user experience on the website itself. 

In summary, it provides a genuine added value with a seemingly small element. A stronger influence on EEAT in SEO can be achieved if these info boxes link to complete author subpages. These pages offer the opportunity for ranking those authors' names explicitly or in combination with potential field-specific keyword combinations.

Figure 3: Sample Author Box

Reviews are Good – Trust is Better

Reviews on websites (even in combination with tools like Trusted Shops etc.) are still an important indicator for users to assess a website's trustworthiness. 

• Building Trust: Reviews, especially positive ones, help strengthen users' trust in a brand or company. 

• Indicator of Quality Content: Reviews can serve as an indication of the quality of products, services, or content.

• User Engagement: Reviews promote user engagement, which can be a positive signal to Google that the content is relevant and valuable.

Therefore, companies should strive to obtain genuine and predominantly positive reviews from their clients and appropriately manage and respond to them. 

It's important that the review profile remains realistic. Users are naturally skeptical, and consistently 5-star reviews are more likely to be viewed with suspicion.

Figure 4: Sample Google Reviews

No Excuses – The Technology Must Work

Just like a train can't run on broken tracks, a website can't have organic visibility if it has significant technical issues. 

The technology of a website is crucial for the EEAT concept in search engine optimization as it forms the basis for a high-quality user experience and determines the integrity and credibility of a website.

The following points are of importance:

• A Secure and Accessible Website: One would think that this topic has reached everywhere by now. Unfortunately, many pages on the web still lack basic security measures. Secure access via HTTPS shows that a website takes data protection and security seriously, which increases trustworthiness. Accessibility ensures that search engines can easily crawl and index the content.

• Avoidance of Technical Errors: Errors like dead links, 4xx/5xx errors, or issues with duplicate content can impact the trustworthiness of a website. The health of a website should be regularly critically reviewed. Information from the Google Search Console provides many helpful insights. 

• Fast Loading Times: A fast load time enhances the user experience and can increase trust in the site.

Overall, a solid technical foundation forms the basis for a website to be seen as authoritative and trustworthy. If the technical foundation or CMS of a website is not up to date, the EEAT profile may suffer, regardless of the content quality.

Conclusion in Dealing with E-E-A-T

For implementing EEAT factors, the derivations and reasons (from Google) are of interest. This information should be kept in mind by anyone optimizing their website. Also crucial are the regularly published updates or significant adjustments from Google that may affect the search algorithm or the appearance of search results.  

In summary, however, E-E-A-T is crucial for creating and presenting high-quality content on the web.

Websites that provide content with high expertise, authority, and trustworthiness tend to have a better chance of ranking well in Google's search results.

If you want to optimize your website according to Google EEAT signals, we can significantly support you in the implementation. Contact our experts in this area and schedule an appointment.