Hungry for more website traffic and better search engine rankings?

Let’s E-A-T—ahem—let’s talk about Google’s E-A-T, that is. 

Google’s E-A-T is a new(ish) ranking framework and the KEY to driving more qualified traffic to your website.

What does E-A-T stand for?

Initially, the E-A-T acronym stood for Expertise, Authority, and Trust and was created by Google to measure the quality of a website. It assesses a website’s level of expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness, and uniqueness of the page content and creator. In addition, these three metrics are designed to help Google determine if a website has the right to be considered an authority in its field.

If a website meets all three criteria, it has a better chance of ranking on the first page or two search engine results pages (SERPs). 

E-A-T is not Google’s only ranking factor. In fact, Google has at least 200 ranking factors, but E-A-T is unique in that it is directly related to determining if the content is valuable. 

The E-A-T factor measures the quality and credibility of a website’s content, which is a top priority for Google in providing valuable search results for users. Unlike other ranking factors, such as keyword optimization or backlinks, which can be easily manipulated, E-A-T is harder to fake and demonstrates a commitment to providing high-quality, trustworthy information.

The new “E” in E-A-T

There’s a new “E” in town, making Google’s famous acronym E-E-A-T. The extra E stands for experience. Google wants to know whether you have enough experience to be considered an expert within your industry.

For example, you write about the top trade shows in your industry. Have you been to these shows? Exhibited there? Include that. It shows your first-hand experience. (If this sounds like it will be harder for off-shore writers to simply create copy on your brand’s behalf and for the website to still rank well, you are right.)

Why is E-E-A-T so important? 

E-E-A-T is an essential factor in Google’s algorithm and is used to measure a website’s or page’s quality and determine whether users should trust it. When a domain or page lacks experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness, Google will look elsewhere for an alternative to better satisfy its user’s needs. B2B companies must ensure their websites are up to par if they want to remain competitive in SERPs.

Google considers various factors when assessing E-E-A-T, such as content quality, reputation, customer reviews, and feedback. All these elements contribute to the overall trustworthiness of a website or page and can make or break its success in the SERPs. To this end, businesses must ensure they provide the highest quality content that is accurate and trustworthy to stay ahead of their competition. Additionally, having positive customer reviews can help boost credibility and increase its chances of appearing higher up in the search engine rankings.

Why is E-E-A-T important for B2B SEO?

For B2Bs, content marketing is the king (or queen) because it rules almost every aspect of defining your place in SERPs. Since the majority of buyers use Google as their gateway, websites with the best rankings are most likely to be clicked on (meaning a higher click-through rate). Strong SERP performance is key to any B2B marketing strategy. 

E-E-A-T is here to help B2B SEO professionals understand what makes content high-quality—and it’s not just about having a higher word count or more images; it’s about creating accurate, authoritative, and trustworthy content. Ultimately, investing in improving your website’s E-E-A-T score can lead to increased organic traffic and better visibility in SERPs.

How earned media and E-E-A-T come together

Earned media and E-E-A-T are heavily related, with earned media being the ingredients—so to speak—that E-E-A-T measures as part of its content assessment. Earned media is a form of marketing that relies on word-of-mouth, earned press hits, and other forms of organic promotion to build brand awareness and trust. E-E-A-T is Google’s way of measuring the culmination of earned media assets, along with your owned media—like your website—to determine trustworthiness. 

By combining earned media with E-E-A-T, you can create an effective SEO strategy that will increase organic traffic, reinforce your credibility, and skyrocket your visibility. 

Basically, this is PR. And it doesn’t matter if they link back to your website or not. Google knows.

Related Reading: What is Earned Media? A How-To Guide

7 ways to improve your B2B website’s E-E-A-T

1. Audit and update your content.

B2B content marketing is still king. It is an integral part of any website or blog, and it’s essential to ensure that your content remains up-to-date. This includes checking for typos, outdated facts, broken links, and other errors. While it may seem that these minor updates will go unnoticed by users and are, therefore, unnecessary—even if users don’t notice, Google will. 

Updating your content also helps keep your readers engaged by providing them with new information. For example, you can add new sections or topics to existing posts, update old posts with new examples, or even delete outdated posts. Additionally, updating your content allows you to optimize it for search engine rankings so that more people can find it. Finally, taking the time to audit and update your content will help you ensure that it remains valid, increasing your credibility. 

2. Build a framework for content.

Building a framework is essential for any strategy you want to create. When it comes to creating new content, that foundation becomes a stepping stone. So, while creating content for a website can be daunting, it doesn’t have to be. By building a framework or tasklist for future content creation, you can ensure that all of your content is expertly researched and written and meets the standards of E-E-A-T.

This framework should include researching customer needs, creating content that matches those needs, and ensuring that each piece is well-structured, easy to read, and includes links to other web pages or domains that validate your claims or statistics. Most importantly, have an expert sign off on the content if it is created by someone who cannot claim to be one. 

While it may be tempting to load each post with SEO keywords, it’s important to remember that the goal of content should be to help customers along their journey through the sales funnel. If you write a post that is too keyword-heavy to the point that it doesn’t make sense, Google will flag it and reduce your rank. The same will happen if you unnecessarily add a heap of unrelated links to content.

To get Google’s buy-in, make sure you follow a strong framework for content creation that focuses on creating high-quality and helpful content.

Related Reading: The Ultimate Guide to B2B Content Marketing

 3. Moderate user-generated content.

User-generated content (UGC) can be a great way to engage with your audience and build relationships. It can also help boost your SEO, giving you more visibility in the SERPs. From hashtags to comments on your blog, there are plenty of ways to get people involved with your content.

However, it’s important to moderate UGC so that it doesn’t become a free for all. Spam comments can quickly turn away potential customers and readers, so you should have a system to monitor and remove inappropriate or irrelevant content. Also, consider setting up guidelines for what kind of comments are allowed on your blog or website. This will help users know what is expected of them when they post or comment. By moderating user-generated content, you can ensure that it remains an effective tool for marketing and SEO purposes.

Related Reading: How Your B2B Can Leverage User-Generated Content To Build Credibility

4. Add an experience page to your website.

You probably have an About Us page. I recommend adding an experience page. Why is your team QUALIFIED to talk about this? Link out to articles on other sites to bolster those claims. By showcasing the knowledge and experience of your team, you can demonstrate to visitors that you are a reliable source of information. Additionally, promote the writers, researchers, and experts contributing to your website. Highlighting the credentials of your employees and contributors will help to further establish your brand as an expert in the field.

Related Reading: How to Monetize Your Media Coverage

5. Include multiple viewpoints.

It is essential to consider multiple viewpoints to be trustworthy when it comes to content. For example, there is no correct answer when discussing the best types of ice cream. Some people may prefer locally made vegan ice cream, while others may opt for a boozy collection from OddFellows Ice Cream or go classic with chocolate, vanilla, or Neapolitan. The possibilities are endless, and by exploring each angle, you can establish trust with your audience and make it look like you’re an unbiased expert.

By looking at a problem from multiple angles, you can gain insight into different perspectives and understand how they contribute to the overall conversation. Not only does this increase one’s knowledge on the topic, but it also allows you to create more comprehensive and accurate content and provide your readers with valuable information they can use in their own lives. In addition, this approach will help you build credibility with your audience because they will see that you have taken the time to research the topic thoroughly and present all sides of the argument.

6. Pay attention to your online reputation.

Your online reputation is an integral part of your business. It can quite literally make or break the trustworthiness of your site and content. Therefore, paying attention to what people are saying about you online is essential. One way to protect your brand reputation is by keeping an eye out for any negative press or reviews that may be circulating. Respond promptly and professionally to show potential customers that you take customer service seriously if you come across any negative reviews.

Another way to ensure an excellent online reputation is by claiming your social profiles with your brand name.

Good reviews help you build a solid online presence and create a positive impression for potential customers.

Related Reading: How to Manage and Repair Your Online Reputation

7. Invest in Strategic Communications, i.e, PR

Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust.

What do all four of these have in common? They are literally the outcomes of earned media.

When your company lands in Inc, Forbes, Newsweek, or even industry publications like American Banker, MarTech, or HRCube, you increase your EEAT score. It doesn’t matter if these third-party websites link back to you or not.

Google has long made it clear that they pick up on these signals.

Ignore E-E-A-T at your own peril.

Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines will soon be the difference between sites that grow and those that don’t.

Don’t overthink the process or try to game the system; instead, focus on creating quality content that provides value to readers. This means ensuring your sources are reliable and trustworthy, your writing style is clear and concise, and your content is relevant and helpful to your readers. Invest in PR.

By following these steps, you can ensure that your content meets Google’s standards, and with Google on your side, you’re one step closer to the qualified leads you need to drive your company’s sales goals. 
 Looking to improve your content marketing strategy? Reach out today!