What is Google’s EEAT Framework?
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Google uses the EEAT framework to assess the quality of content.
We all know that Google ensures high-quality content ranks higher in search results. But then how do you define high quality?
EEAT framework is a part of the Google Search Quality Rater Guidelines Handbook.
Google's human reviewers use this framework to assess any content piece for its quality.
At the heart of EEAT lies Trustworthiness. Google aims to guarantee that readers can have confidence in both the content and the website hosting it.
What are the key components of EEAT?
Let us understand the EEAT framework in detail here:
Experience -
The first "E" in the EEAT Framework stands for Experience (literally).
Does the content creator/ poster have first-hand experience in the field of the topic that they are writing about? Is the content authentic, copied or generated by AI? Is the content piece telling the tried and tested ways or learnings that were identified by the author? Does the content piece contain a Unique Advice?
Expertise -
The second "E" stands for Expertise.
What is the level of Skill or Qualification that the author has? Do they command certain expertise and credentials in the field? Are they qualified to share Knowledge about this topic?
Authoritativeness –
“A” stands for Authoritativeness.
Checks if the website or the author is a Reliable or Reputed source in the field. Backlinks from Reputable websites, etc. can help increase the reputation and hence, authority.
Trustworthiness –
“T” in EEAT stands for Trustworthiness.
Trust measures the accuracy of the content shared. It is essentially a result of all the other 3 factors “EEA”, but it also considers if the website is secure, up-to-date, has contact information, etc.
Why EEAT is important?
EEAT is primarily designed keeping in mind Consumers and hence it helps in improving the User Experience. It checks for the quality of the content and ensures the correctness of information which helps in gaining the confidence of users.
Google also ensures that they are creating an Informed and Genuine Ecosystem by reducing the visibility of content that is misleading and increasing the visibility of credible content.
How to improve EEAT?
1. Get Experts as Authors: Needless to say the content should be genuine and written by an experienced person. If they cannot author the whole piece then at least add their quotes and references. Mention who created the content and their qualifications.
2. Don’t use AI-generated content: Google can easily identify content generated by AI. AI-generated content is also not unique and might not add genuine value as it would be repetitive and based on the information that AI tool gets from the internet.
3. Long-term Game: Keep posting genuine and unique content and Build a Reputation. Building a Reputation takes time and regular posting.
4. Mention Sources: If you use content pieces from some other page, website, podcast, etc. then ensure that you add sources.
5. Gain Authority: Getting mentions from other reputed websites can improve authority.
6. Use Original Images: If there are any images or media in the content apart from text, using original media helps.
7. Update Old Content: If we keep updating old content then it ensures its relevance.
8. Other Information: Basic information on the website like Contact Details, Terms and Conditions, Date of content creation, etc. help in improving Trust.
If you don’t follow any of the above like, use AI instead of an Expert. Don’t keep content updated or mention sources then these are common mistakes that can lead to poor trust and Google’s EEAT will identify the same.
Although it is not a direct factor in Google's ranking formula, EEAT helps create content that is a good search result in Google's definition. Hence, keep in mind the E-E-A-T framework when creating content.