Using Content Marketing to Build Brand Stewardship and Authority

If you are well versed in the art and science of SEO (search engine optimization), you have likely heard of E-E-A-T (or E-A-T). Read on for a brief overview of E-E-A-T and its valuable role in modern SEO.

Understanding E-E-A-T in SEO and Content Marketing

A list of SEO guidelines that is constantly updated by Google, E-E-A-T (formerly E-A-T) is short for experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness. E-E-A-T serves as a handbook for marketing professionals who want to place a specific website at or near the top of relevant organic searches by Google users. Such placement has tremendous value, as search engine rankings have a huge impact on incoming website traffic. Google originally introduced E-A-T (expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness) guidelines in March 2014. In December 2022, Google added the fourth category of “experience” and an extra “E” in its acronym to create E-E-A-T in its current form.

The Importance of User Experience in E-E-A-T

Adding that extra “E” to Google’s SEO recommendations was a very good idea for many reasons. Google revealed that its SERP (search engine results page) ranking algorithm favors organizations with websites that convey a high level of experience in their respective fields of operation. E-E-A-T guidelines have also revealed a preference for websites that promote positive and productive user experiences (UX).

Demonstrating Expertise in Your Content

Beyond experience, Google values websites that are recognized as authoritative sources. An organization can get the most SEO power out of its established expertise by showcasing credentials, qualifications, reviews and other elements that speak to its strong reputation within a given industry or among the general public. Expert opinions, backed by credible sources, contribute to building a website’s authority and visibility.

Building Authority in Your Niche

If you can offer satisfying experiences to users and demonstrate expertise in your field, you can enjoy a position as a go-to resource for people and/or organizations looking for products and/or services in your area of operations. Google places noteworthy importance on the authority of a website. A positive online reputation tells Google that your content deserves a higher ranking. The number and quality of your peer citations and website links play important roles in Google’s evaluation of authoritativeness.

Cultivating Trustworthiness Through Transparency

Clear and honest communication with users is essential for any organization that wants to gain the trust of users and search engines alike. By providing accurate, reliable, unbiased information, websites can cultivate trustworthiness through transparency. Other trust signals that enhance credibility include well-cited sources, solid website security and privacy policies that demonstrate professional integrity. If you reflect this integrity in your content creation, you will be more likely to enjoy the rewards of higher search engine rankings.

Content Strategies That Reflect E-E-A-T Principles

First and foremost, use specialists as your go-to content writers, and consider including short author bios that showcase their credentials. Google also favors content that is grammatically well-written and updated regularly. Google algorithms consider a website less authoritative and trustworthy if it fails to name a well-defined owner and provide clear contact information. Websites with posted guarantees, return policies, insurance policies, billing plans and terms/conditions also fare well, according to E-E-A-T criteria.

SEO Techniques to Support E-E-A-T

In coordination with its content creation strategies, a savvy marketing agency will employ a broad spectrum of on-page and off-page SEO tactics to enhance E-E-A-T results. Because the Google algorithm grades each website page based on the number and quality of its links, you should ensure that all of your website’s outbound links and backlinks lead visitors to sites that are both authoritative and trustworthy. As a rule, good websites usually link to other good websites. Spammy websites do not. 

From title tags and meta descriptions to Open Graph and Twitter Cards, the metadata on your website can have a massive impact on your E-E-A-T efforts. You can benefit from structuring your metadata to make analysis more efficient. For example, a structured schema markup can help search engines better understand the context of the meaningful content on your website.

Monitoring and Measuring E-E-A-T Impact

To assess the effectiveness of your E-E-A-T strategies, you must determine metrics that can accurately monitor and measure your campaign success. These metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs) include traffic sources, bounce rate, time on page and final conversion rate. To measure these KPIs, marketers use tools that range from Google Analytics to Majestic Backlink Checker.

Harness the Power of E-E-A-T with a Leading Digital Marketing Agency

Let Lucid Advertising show you what a content marketing campaign with a focus on E-E-A-T can do. For more information, take a close look at our strategic content writing services and our best-in-class SEO practices.  You can also contact Lucid directly by telephone or email.