Since their creation, search engines have aimed to provide users with information as quickly and accurately as possible. Google continues to push toward this overall goal by studying user behavior and updating its algorithm to present the most relevant and helpful websites for each search query. As these updates roll out, people often wonder what exactly Google is looking for when determining which sites to rank. While it isn’t always immediately clear what each algorithm update means, we do know that all updates large and small aim to emphasize and reward websites that demonstrate Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness, or E-A-T.
Expertise 
To determine whether a website displays expertise, Google looks to see if the content on the site presents high-quality, relevant information. As an expert in your industry, your content should not only meet but exceed users’ needs. By demonstrating thorough and accurate knowledge about a subject, you can prove your expertise to both users and search engines.
Questions to Consider:
- Does the content on your website fully explain the subject in detail?
- Does your site provide original content or information that your competitors may not have?
- Is this the sort of page someone might bookmark and refer back to later? Would someone share it with a friend or recommend it to someone looking for similar answers?
Authority
Establishing authority can be done by maintaining your presence online, locally, and within your industry overall. Having that expert content is the first step, but Google also places importance on things like:
- Accuracy and consistency of your online listings
- Reviews and other online mentions
- Inbound links and recommendations from other relevant, authoritative websites
- Overall website quality and user experience
Authority can take a long time to establish, but ensuring that these on- and off-site elements are in order plays a key role. Building your brand recognition can help you establish yourself as an authority to search engines sooner.
Questions to Consider:
- Is your brand clear and consistent throughout your website?
- Are your online listings on websites like Google, Yelp, and the Better Business Bureau up to date with accurate information and photos?
- Does your website incorporate reviews from previous customers and clients? Is there a link to the Google review page to encourage feedback?
Trustworthiness
Trustworthiness is crucial for SEO. Users that land on your site are likely to bounce away if they feel it is not safe for any reason. Even if your content is rock-solid, this can cause Google to believe your site isn’t relevant or helpful in answering the search query. The first step in establishing a trustworthy presence is ensuring your website’s URL is secure (https instead of http). Google has favored secure sites for a while now, and recent algorithm updates have only continued to emphasize and highlight the importance of security.
Questions to Consider:
- Does your website have a secure https URL?
- Is your information up to date? Do users have a clear way to contact you?
- Is your content spammy? Are there excessive ads?
- If there are e-commerce or online ordering capabilities, are they secure? Would you feel comfortable providing your own credit card information?
E-A-T in Practice
Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness all work together and are very closely related. Understanding this and putting E-A-T into practice will help ensure your site is in line with Google’s standards, which can help you climb in the rankings and position yourself for SEO success. Our team is available to help. Click here to learn more about how our SEO solutions can work for your business.”
