Since August 1, 2018, the Google search engine algorithm has evolved to give more importance to the EAT Score, an indicator that emphasizes three criteria: expertise, authority, and trustworthiness.
In other words, if you wish to optimize the referencing of your site, you must now seek to improve your EAT Score since offering quality content will be necessary but more sufficient.
Also, to help you with your project, here are 5 practices to implement to improve your EAT Score.
1. Include the names of the authors and their biography
Because Google wants to be able to rate web pages based on the criteria of expertise, authority, and trustworthiness, be sure to always include the name of the author when you post content. Similarly, provide a page on the site where you present the various contributors to the blog. Be sure that without this information, your EAT score will suffer.
But even if they are present, nothing guarantees you of obtaining a top score since Google will reward your page only if the author seems to have an expertise in the subject he has dealt with. In other words, there is no point in entrusting the writing of an article on financial investments to an IT specialist.
To be complete, note that on an e-commerce type page, the author’s name is not essential. However, contact information and customer service data must be readily available so that the EAT score does not drop sharply.
2. Work on your reputation as an author
To determine the EAT score of a page, Google also takes into account the reputation of the author. However, Google is well aware that this data is complex to define for the majority of them.
Also, Google will estimate it through what third parties “say”. In other words, if he is perceived as an author offering quality content, the page will be valued. Conversely, if he often communicates unreliable information, the page will be penalized.
Therefore, it will be essential to put in place a “personal branding” strategy in order to work on your reputation if you want the pages you create to obtain a good EAT score. This strategy can be articulated around 3 major axes:
- Work on your profiles on social networks by developing interactions with influencers but also with the public
- The affirmation of your leadership in your chosen field
- Using storytelling to connect with the audience
All of this should allow you to demonstrate that you are a reliable expert.
3. Give importance to security
Google takes into account the reliability of websites in order to rank them in the results of its search engine. Also, it’s no real surprise that security has a key role to play. Indeed, how could Google recommend an e-commerce website on which financial transactions are not secure.
This means that in 2020 if you want your site to obtain a good EAT score, you must have adopted the HTTPS protocol.
But there are other ways to prove that your page is “reliable”: company logo, full contact details, certifications obtained, etc.
4. Moderate user comments
Contrary to what some people claim, the presence of comments on a page does not necessarily affect its EAT score. On the other hand, what can harm it is that the latter are not moderate or receive no response.
Indeed, for Google, user-generated content – in this case, comments – is unreliable most of the time. However, if they are moderated or answered – it may be relevant to respond to comments with a link to a reliable source of information – it is possible to improve the EAT score.
5. Manage pages with a low EAT score well
Although the poor EAT score of one page has no influence on the EAT score of another page, it can, however, have an influence on the reputation of the website. Also, it is important to do everything possible to get rid of pages with a low EAT score.
You must then consult the traffic generated by these pages. If it is low, the simplest is simply to delete the said page from your site. On the other hand, if it is high, you cannot take the risk of deleting it. In this very precise case, you will have to try to modify it, why not by applying what you saw a little above.
One thing is certain, by managing your poorly rated pages as well as possible, the overall reputation of your website will only increase.
Conclusion
To improve your EAT score, there is no shortage of possibilities.
Indeed, whether by adding the identity of the author of your content, by working on the reputation of the creators of these, by managing your poorly rated pages, by modifying the comments or by strengthening the security of your site web, you will show Google that expertise, authority and trustworthiness are there.
About the Guest Author – Raunak Pandey
Raunak is a Mechanical Engineer by qualification & Marketer by passion. He is the founder of Maiden Stride, a leading digital marketing company that provides world-class search engine marketing services and website & application development.