Google E-E-A-T: How to Create People-First Content

In today’s competitive digital landscape, creating content that ranks well in search results is not just about keyword optimization. Google’s algorithms are increasingly focused on rewarding content that prioritizes user experience, relevance, and trustworthiness. To achieve this, Google introduced the concept of E-E-A-T, which stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. These factors are essential for websites looking to rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs) and deliver content that genuinely serves users.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into what E-E-A-T means, how it influences search rankings, and—most importantly—how you can create people-first content that satisfies these criteria. Plus, we’ll offer a free audit template to help you assess your content and ensure it meets Google’s expectations.

1. What is Google E-E-A-T?

Google introduced the concept of E-E-A-T as part of its Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines, which are used to train Google’s search algorithm to identify high-quality content. Initially, it was E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), but in 2022, Google added another “E” for Experience, recognizing that a user’s personal experience with a topic can also be a key indicator of valuable content.

Here’s a breakdown of each component:

• Experience: Demonstrates that the content creator has first-hand knowledge of the subject matter.
• Expertise: Reflects the level of knowledge, skill, or competence of the content creator in a specific field.
• Authoritativeness: Shows the recognition or credibility the creator or website has in its industry or niche.
• Trustworthiness: Refers to how reliable and transparent the content is, based on factors like citations, reviews, and accuracy.

Google uses these criteria to assess whether your website offers high-quality, people-first content that delivers real value to users. Let’s take a closer look at why E-E-A-T is so important.

2. Why is E-E-A-T Important?

Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. To fulfill this mission, the search engine constantly updates its algorithm to ensure it surfaces content that is helpful, accurate, and trustworthy.

With the rise of misinformation, clickbait, and low-quality content, Google has doubled down on rewarding content that offers true value to its users. This is where E-E-A-T comes in. Websites that excel in these four areas are more likely to rank higher on Google’s SERPs.

E-E-A-T is especially crucial for Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) content, which includes any web pages that offer medical, financial, or legal advice. Google holds these pages to higher standards because inaccurate information in these areas can have serious real-world consequences.

However, even if your content doesn’t fall into the YMYL category, focusing on E-E-A-T can significantly improve your site’s overall authority and trust, leading to better rankings and increased traffic.

3. How to Implement E-E-A-T in Your Content Strategy

Experience

The newest addition to the framework, Experience, underscores the importance of first-hand experience. For example, if you’re reviewing a product or service, your insights will be more valuable if you’ve personally used it.

To demonstrate experience, you can:

• Share personal anecdotes or case studies to back up your claims.
• Include original photos, videos, or documentation that shows you’ve personally interacted with the product or topic.
• Conduct interviews with experts or people who have direct experience to lend credibility to your content.

Expertise

Expertise is all about demonstrating a high level of knowledge on a particular subject. It’s essential that the content creator is recognized as an expert or has verifiable credentials in the field they are writing about.

To highlight expertise, consider:

• Citing author bios that include relevant qualifications, degrees, or professional experience.
• Publishing content by industry experts or professionals who have verifiable knowledge in the field.
• Providing in-depth analyses or guides that showcase the author’s deep understanding of the topic.

Authoritativeness

Authoritativeness refers to how well-recognized you or your website is within your niche. This is typically measured by the number of backlinks from reputable sources, social proof, and external references to your site or brand.

You can build authoritativeness by:

• Earning backlinks from high-authority domains in your niche.
• Citing credible sources like government sites, academic journals, or trusted publications.
• Getting mentioned in industry publications or interviews that highlight your expertise.

Trustworthiness

Without Trustworthiness, the other three components won’t matter much. Trustworthiness relates to the transparency, accuracy, and reliability of your content.

To ensure your content is trustworthy:

• Use accurate and up-to-date information with sources from credible websites.
• Add references and citations to back up any claims you make, especially for YMYL content.
• Make your website secure with HTTPS encryption.
• Display contact information and ensure your business details are easy to find and accurate.
• Include customer reviews and testimonials to establish trust.

4. Tips for Creating People-First Content

The core philosophy behind E-E-A-T is that your content should put the user first. Here are some actionable tips for ensuring your content is optimized for people rather than just search engines:

• Understand your audience: Before creating any content, research your target audience’s pain points, needs, and questions. Content that solves real problems will naturally attract more engagement and rank better.
• Create content with depth: Shallow or superficial content won’t build trust or authority. Invest in well-researched, long-form content that offers in-depth analysis, guides, or how-tos.
• Be transparent: Avoid clickbait or misleading headlines. Be clear about what users will get from your content.
• Ensure accessibility: Make your content easy to read with clear headings, bullet points, and appropriate use of images or videos.
• Focus on user experience: Your website should load quickly, be mobile-friendly, and have easy navigation to enhance the overall user experience.

5. SEO vs. E-E-A-T: Striking the Right Balance

There’s often a misconception that you have to choose between SEO and E-E-A-T. In reality, these two work together to boost your website’s rankings. Here’s how to strike the right balance:

• Optimize for user intent: When selecting keywords, focus on long-tail keywords that answer specific user queries. This not only helps with SEO but also aligns with creating people-first content.
• Use structured data: Incorporate schema markup to help Google understand your content better, which in turn supports your E-E-A-T efforts.
• Update old content: Regularly audit and update your content to ensure it’s still relevant, especially for time-sensitive topics like medical advice or legal information.

6. Common Mistakes to Avoid

When implementing E-E-A-T, avoid these common pitfalls:

• Ignoring user feedback: Content that doesn’t resonate with your audience won’t perform well, no matter how optimized it is for search engines.
• Focusing only on SEO: Overloading your content with keywords or backlinks while neglecting the user experience will lead to lower rankings over time.
• Failing to cite sources: Especially in YMYL topics, always back up your claims with trusted sources.
• Over-promoting products: People-first content focuses on solving problems, not just promoting products or services. Avoid coming across as too salesy.

7. Free E-E-A-T Content Audit

Here’s a simple audit template to help you evaluate whether your content meets Google’s E-E-A-T standards:

E-E-A-T Content Audit Template:

By conducting this audit, you’ll be able to identify areas where your content needs improvement to meet E-E-A-T standards.