Anyone who is into SEO knows that Google changes its algorithm over 500 times each year, and most of those updates are minor. But, occasionally, they roll out a major algorithm update that affects millions of websites and their rankings in a significant way.
In 2013, Google introduced the YMYL in its quality evaluator guidelines. At that time, the update had very little information about it and confused many SEO and digital marketing experts. Later in 2014, Google verified that E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) is crucial for YMYL pages and the search quality guidelines. This blog post outlines the impact of E-A-T and how one can improve it for YMYL pages. However, first, let’s take a look at what YMYL pages are and why they are essential.
What is an YMYL Page?
YMYL pages are a special category of pages that Google has highlighted as being particularly important. YMYL stands for ‘Your Money or Your Life,’ which refers to pages that could impact a person’s future happiness, health, financial stability, or safety. Because of the personal nature of YMYL search queries, Google wants to ensure that they’re directing users toward high-quality information. The YMYL category includes the following types of web pages:
- Shopping, financial-related subjects, and financial transaction web pages.
- Web pages providing medical information.
- Pages that offer advice on major life decisions, such as marriage, legal issues, education, relocation, employment, etc.
- Web pages offering news reports/political opinions.
- Web pages offering advice on important life events, such as childbirth, parenting, retirement, death, and dying.
YMYL (your money or your life) pages are held to higher standards of accuracy by Google and thus require more effort to rank well in search results.
The Importance of E-A-T for YMYL Pages?
E-A-T is the acronym for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. These qualities are vital for all kinds of websites, but they are especially significant for YMYL pages, where poor advice can lead to instability in someone’s personal life and matters. Google, therefore, wants to see E-A-T (expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness) on pages that fall under the YMYL category.
Expertise: A website should have the knowledge/skills needed to carry out its purpose. For example, most sites about medicine should have authors who are qualified doctors identified with their credentials.
Authoritativeness: A website that has been established as having a reputation for being trustworthy and reliable. For example, a website with multiple quality links from other trusted websites would be considered more authoritative than one that lacks such links.
Trustworthiness: A website should be composed in such a way that visitors feel it is worth trusting – a safe place to share personal information. That would include things like a Privacy Policy or an About Us page that clearly describes who owns the website and how they can be contacted if needed.
When it comes to SEO and search rankings, E-A-T is considered a significant ranking factor for any page with YMYL content. Google uses E-A-T to assess and establish the quality of a website and its pages. If the website has a high E-A-T score, it ranks well in search results. If it has a low E-A-T score, it ranks poorly in search results.
Tips to Improve E-A-T for Your Money Your Life Pages
E-A-T and YMYL are directly related to each other. Website owners should ensure that their site demonstrates expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness to rank highly in SERPs. Here are some fundamental guidelines you can follow to improve the E-A-T of your content:
- If you’re going to publish content on a YMYL topic, you need to show that you have the necessary expertise. It is especially true if you provide information that could directly impact someone’s health or financial security. The best way to show your expertise is to include author bylines on your content that include credentials and experience related to the topic. Your digital marketing agency can also link out to other places where people can find out more about the author’s background and qualifications.
- Make sure your content comes from a trusted source. That includes linking to sources that back up any claims made in your content – be it quotes from subject matter experts or research from credible institutions or publications. Put yourself in your readers’ shoes and ask yourself if they would be able to trust the information. You can also consider conducting interviews with subject matter experts and including their expertise in your content. It will help add authority to your post and establish yourself as a trusted resource in your industry.
- Research and write in line with the latest guidelines on the subject you’re writing about. In addition to being experts in their field, content creators must be transparent about who they are and what they do. For instance, if you’re running a site for a product or service, ensure that you have sufficient reviews from customers, experts, and influencers. And if the information is subjective, such as parenting advice or self-help techniques, support your statements with examples and personal experiences.
- To demonstrate Authoritativeness (one element of E-A-T), Google suggests you “link to authoritative sources where appropriate.” In other words, your digital marketing agency should back up your claims with reputable third-party sources.
- Various studies show that consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. They search for brands online to find out more about them and check their credibility before making a purchase. To optimize your site’s E-A-T, you should start collecting reviews on sites like Google My Business, Yelp, and Facebook. Also, encourage customers to review your products on e-commerce platforms like Amazon.
- Your site’s ‘About Page’ is a perfect place to display your company’s contact information, including your phone number, email address, and physical location. This page also helps the visitor identify the owner and/or author of a website and trust the business. However, if you don’t have an about page, consider putting your contact details in the footer and header of your site. You can also feature your business’s name, address, and phone number on the contact page.