What is E-A-T Optimization: Powerful SEO Secrets [2024]

Did you know that the number 1 result in the organic SERPs receives an average of 31.7% of the traffic for that keyword?

That’s why nailing your E-A-T game is crucial! E-A-T, which stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, has become a major player in Google’s ranking algorithm.

In this on-page SEO guide, we’ll dive deep into E-A-T optimization strategies that can skyrocket your website’s credibility in Google’s eyes and help you reach that coveted top spot. 

Whether you’re a small business owner or a seasoned SEO pro, these tips and tools will help you stay ahead of the curve. 

Ready to become an E-A-T expert? Let’s get started!

Understanding E-A-T: Google’s Quality Guidelines

Let’s dive into the nuts and bolts of E-A-T, shall we?

Now, I’ll be the first to admit, when I heard about E-A-T, I thought it was some fancy new diet trend. 

Turns out, it’s the secret sauce to Google’s ranking recipe.

E-A-T stands for “Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness”. 

It’s like the holy trinity of SEO, but don’t worry, you don’t need to be a saint to nail it. In search results, Google uses this concept to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Google these days has become like that picky friend who only recommends the “best” restaurants. And E-A-T is its way of deciding what’s “best” online.

Now, why should you care? Well, as a blogger or small site owner, unless you’re cool with your website being absolutely buried in the SERPs, E-A-T matters. A lot.

Different industries feel the E-A-T impact differently. 

Here’s the lowdown:

• YMYL Niches: If you’re in health, finance, or any field that impacts people’s lives or wallets, buckle up. Google’s got its magnifying glass out for you.
• Algorithm Integration: E-A-T isn’t just a standalone factor. It’s woven into Google’s algorithm like chocolate chips in a cookie – it’s everywhere.
• Core Updates: Every time Google tweaks its core algorithm, E-A-T seems to flex its muscles even more. It’s like it’s hitting the SEO gym and getting buffer with each update.

So, what’s a savvy website owner to do? Here’s your E-A-T playbook.

Content is King

Look, we’ve all heard “quality content is king” a million times. But here’s the deal: it’s truer now than ever. Focus on creating stuff that genuinely helps your readers.

Don’t just copy what everyone else is saying. Bring your own flavor to the table. Your unique take is what’ll make you stand out online.

Flaunt Your Expertise

Don’t be shy about your know-how. If you’ve got fancy credentials, let them shine.

No wall full of diplomas? No worries.

Real-world experience is just as valuable to Google and your users.

Whether you learned in a classroom or the school of hard knocks, share that journey.

Your unique path is what sets your expertise apart and makes it truly valuable to your audience

Build Trust Like It’s Your Job

Being open about who you are and what you do builds trust and can open up opportunities to collaborate with people in your niche or industry.

Don’t hide or lie to people. Remember, your audience is made up of real people, not just numbers.

Talk to them: answer comments, ask what they think, and make real connections.

Building trust goes both ways and needs ongoing work. Be real and consistent in your efforts.

Remember, building a solid E-A-T score is like tending a bonsai tree:

• It takes time (sorry, no overnight success here)
• Requires patience (Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is E-A-T)
• Needs constant care (set it and forget it? Nope, not with E-A-T)

Stick with it, though, and you’ll end up with a website that not only ranks well but deserves to be at the top. 

And isn’t that the whole point? 

To actually be the best resource out there, not just trick Google into thinking you are.

Expertise: Showcasing Your Knowledge and Skills

Let’s chat about expertise for a bit. It’s that thing that makes your content stand out ahead of the competition

When it comes to optimizing your EAT score with every piece of content you write, your knowledge needs to be clear and visible.

Creating solid, informative content is key. It’s not about writing novels – I’ve seen short articles that really hit the mark. 

Focus on sharing insights and your unique take on things.

I’ll let you in on something. 

When I started out, I was nervous about putting my work out there. 

Felt like I didn’t belong, and had serious imposter syndrome. 

But I figured out that it’s okay to start somewhere. If you know your stuff, just share it.

Want to boost your expertise in Google’s eyes? Here are some ideas:

• Write clear author bios
• Use structured data (it’s easier than it sounds)
• Do some guest posts on other sites
• Invite experts to contribute to your content
• Mention your qualifications or experience

Don’t worry if you don’t have a bunch of fancy degrees. 

Real-world experience counts for a lot. If you’ve been doing the work and learning on the job, that’s valuable. 

Use that knowledge in your content.

Sharing your expertise is really about helping others. 

You’re saying, “I know about this stuff, and I want to help you understand it too.” 

So go ahead and share what you know. Your readers (and Google) will appreciate it.

Authoritativeness: Building Your Online Reputation

Building authority online is a bit like becoming the go-to person for advice in your friend group. It takes time, but it’s worth it. 

Let’s talk about how to make it happen.

Getting high-quality backlinks is a big part of this. Here’s a simple way to go about it:

1. Use Ahrefs to find your competitors’ backlinks
2. Check out Hunter.io to find email addresses for outreach
3. Look at the website itself for guest post opportunities or staff contact info
4. Reach out politely, explaining why a link from them would make sense
5. Follow up if you don’t hear back, but don’t be pushy

Guest posting is still a solid strategy.

I remember the first time I sent an outreach email. 

My heart was racing, and I kept second-guessing myself. 

But you know what? After some back-and-forth, they said yes. 

The feeling was brilliant and gave me the confidence to scale up my outreach efforts.

Getting mentioned by industry leaders in your niche can really boost your authority. 

Don’t pester them though. 

Engage with their content, share thoughtful comments, and create stuff they might want to reference. 

It takes time, but it can pay off.

Industry events and conferences are good for more than just the free pens. 

They’re chances to meet people, learn new things, and maybe get your name out there. 

Even if you’re not speaking, you can still network and pick up valuable insights.

Don’t forget about your own site. A well-crafted “About Us” page and author bios can attract backlinks too. 

People like to know who they’re learning from.

The only caveat with this tactic is the fact that backlinks to your homepage are not the most valuable links in the world.

You can negotiate with the client and ask if it is ok to instead place a link to one of your pillar articles or better yet a money-making affiliate post!

Trustworthiness: Establishing Credibility and User Confidence

Let’s talk about trust. For Google, it’s like a currency. The more you have, the better you do. 

So how do you build it? It’s not rocket science, but it does take some effort.

Firstly, security. Adding HTTPS to your site is like putting a lock on your front door. 

It shows your users that you care about their safety. 

To get HTTPS on your site, obtain and install an SSL/TLS certificate from a trusted Certificate Authority and configure your web server to use it. 

Most modern web hosting providers like WPX or Bluehost offer free SSL/TLS certificates and easy HTTPS setup as part of their standard hosting packages. 

As you can see from WPX’s pricing page here, they offer this on all plans and levels.

This is often done through automated integration with Let’s Encrypt or similar services. 

And don’t forget to create a page for your privacy policy. It’s not the most exciting read, but it tells people you’re playing by the rules.

To get a privacy policy for your website:

1. Understand your data practices: Identify what user data you collect and how you use it.
2. Use a generator: There are free and paid online privacy policy generators that create a basic policy based on your inputs. You can also use AI to generate a policy for you. 
3. Customize: Edit and personalize the generated policy to fit your specific needs and practices.
4. Consider legal review: For more complex sites or businesses, have a lawyer review your policy if possible.
5. Make it accessible: Put a link to your privacy policy in a visible location on your site, usually in the footer.

As mentioned above, you can also ask an AI tool to generate a privacy policy for you with a simple prompt and include your domain name and some basic details so the AI puts that in.

Ideally, as you grow, you should pay for a professional to write one for you but if you are just starting out, this is the most convenient option.

Here are some additional things to make sure you tick off your website build checklist so it is nailing those EAT optimization factors:

1. Contact Information

Make it easy for people to reach you. Clear contact details and good customer support options are crucial.

2. Honesty and Transparency

Be upfront about who you are and what you do. No smoke and mirrors – it’s a solid strategy that builds trust.

3. Managing Reviews and Feedback

Embrace all feedback, good or bad. Respond to reviews and show you’re listening and care.

4. About Us and Team Information

Share some background about your company and team. It helps visitors connect with you.

5. Ethical Practices

Stick to white hat tactics. Quick gains from black hat methods aren’t worth the risk. Play by the rules for long-term success.

Building trust with Google takes time, but it’s worth the effort. Be consistent, honest, and helpful, and your reputation will grow naturally.

E-A-T Optimization Tactics for Different Websites Types

E-A-T isn’t a one-size-fits-all deal. 

Different industries and niches have their own quirks when it comes to showing expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. Let’s break it down into a few key areas.

E-commerce: Product Expertise and Customer Trust

For online stores, it’s all about knowing your products inside out and making customers feel safe. Here are some quick tips:

• Detailed product descriptions from people who’ve actually used the products
• Clear return policies and secure checkout processes
• Customer reviews – the good, the bad, and the ugly

News and Media: Fact-checking and Source Credibility

News sites need to be on top of their game when it comes to accuracy. It’s not just about being first, it’s about being right. 

Follow these tips to stay on the right side of Google:

• Cite reliable sources for your information
• Have a clear process for fact-checking and corrections
• Show author bios that highlight relevant experience

YMYL Niches: Expertise and Accreditations

If you’re in health, finance, or any field that impacts people’s lives or wallets, make sure you keep your nose extra clean because Google holds you to an even higher standard than everyone else.

We call these YMYL (Your Money, Your Life) niches.

In the health niche for example, although you don’t need to be a doctor to run a health site, you do need to show you know what you’re talking about. 

Google outlines it here in their guidelines:

If this is you, then consider:

• Getting content reviewed by qualified health professionals
• Clearly stating any medical credentials or lack thereof
• Linking to reputable health organizations for more info

Anything related to health though, is going to be very hard to rank for small bloggers and sites as it relates to people’s wellbeing, it is scrutinized much more severely by Google.

Additionally, you would need so many more backlinks to compete with large health sites that it really isn’t worth it for a small individual site.

So I wouldn’t recommend it unless you were an actual health professional with the necessary accreditations.

Financial Services: Regulatory Compliance and Professional Certifications

Money matters are touchy. People want to know they can trust you with their financial info.

 Some ideas to improve authority in the Financial services space:

• Display any relevant licenses or certifications
• Explain complex financial terms in plain language
• Be upfront about fees and potential risks

Now, let’s compare these industries in a simple table:

Industry	Key E-A-T Factors	Challenges
E-commerce	Product knowledge, Customer reviews	Keeping up with product changes
News/Media	Fact-checking, Source reliability	Fast-paced news cycle
Health	Medical expertise, Professional reviews	Avoiding medical misinformation
Finance	Regulatory compliance, Certifications	Explaining complex topics simply

Remember, no matter what niche you’re in, being honest and helpful goes a long way and is just a good rule for life in general. 

You don’t need to pretend to know everything – just be clear about what you do know and where your info comes from. That’s what builds real trust with your audience and with Google.

Measuring and Tracking Your E-A-T Performance

Let’s talk about keeping tabs on the data and using it to give you potential insights into how to improve your EAT score with Google.

I know, I know – diving into data isn’t everyone’s idea of a good time. 

Trust me, I get it. For the longest time, I’d rather have watched paint dry than look at analytics. 

But here’s the thing: once you get the hang of it, it’s not so bad. And it’s pretty important.

Key Metrics to Track

You don’t need to track everything under the sun. 

Focus on these:

• Organic traffic growth
• Click-through rates from search results
• Time spent on page
• Bounce rates
• Number of quality backlinks you’re getting

Tools of the Trade

There are a bunch of tools out there, but you don’t need to use them all. Here’s a quick rundown:

Tool	Purpose
Google Search Console	Good starting point, is free, tracks impressions, clicks, etc
Ahrefs	Backlinks and detailed SEO analysis
SEMrush	Alternative to Ahrefs

Regular Content Audits

This is spring cleaning for your website. 

Every few months, take a look at your content and look for any potential improvements that can be made. 

For example, check for any content that is ranking on the first page of Google, maybe it’s time for you to update this article? 

Ask yourself; “Maybe I should add custom images, and affiliate links and maybe rewrite certain sections?

There are always potential opportunities to be had when you look into the minutiae of your site.

It’s not the most exciting job, but it keeps your site fresh and relevant. 

Here’s a quick checklist:

• Check which posts are performing well and why
• Identify outdated information that needs updating
• Look for thin content that could use beefing up
• Spot opportunities to interlink your content better
• Remove or improve underperforming pages

What’s working? What’s not? 

Maybe some older posts need updating. 

At the end of the day, it’s about quality, not just quantity, and tools like the ones mentioned and AI helpers can make this process a little easier. 

User Engagement

Keep an eye on how users interact with your site. Good engagement signs include:

• Longer time spent on page
• Low bounce rates
• Comments on posts
• Social media shares
• Return visitors

Did you know? Websites with a bounce rate in the range of are considered excellent. 

If your bounce rate is in the range of 26% to 40% then that is considered a good score.

Don’t sweat if you’re not hitting that yet. 

Start small, learn as you go. 

Pretty quickly, you’ll start spotting trends and making smarter decisions. 

These numbers are here to help, not stress you out. Use them as a guide, but don’t let them run the show. 

Your content strategy and quality are always the priority. Focus on the inputs, not the outputs. 

Final Thoughts

Getting your website’s E-A-T optimization strategy isn’t easy but it is straightforward. 

Focus on building expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness in your niche by providing high-quality, useful content to your readers that is accurate and fact-checked. 

Everything else, although important, is secondary.

Stay informed, keep refining your strategies, and watch your online persona grow!

If you liked this guide then check out some of my related reads below!