You may have heard the term E.A.T (Expertise, Authority, Trust - Google’s search quality guidelines for determining high quality content) bandied about over the last year or so and how it is so important for us as SEO’s to ensure our brand or the brand we are representing is seen as the leading expert in the industry. When E.A.T rolled out in August 2018 many in the industry noticed that YMYL (Your Money Your Life) results were impacted.
But here’s the thing – E.A.T doesn’t just impact YMYL websites such as finance, law and health, it impacts nearly every website where a user will be required to a) in-put personal data and b) spend money.
This means it is now crucial that e-Commerce SEO’s need to have E.A.T as the solid foundation that forms their content and link building strategy.
THE FUTURE IS LINK EARNING
Let’s step away from the term “link building” because that doesn’t specifically marry up to what E.A.T is about. Yes, we still need to perform core backlink health management tasks such as reclamation - but E.A.T now means we really have to earn those high value links.
We know our content needs to be relevant and informative, but it also needs to trigger an emotional response. The person we are reaching out to needs to think, “I feel safe knowing that if I link to this source it will help the people who read my content” – that is the secret to earning great backlinks.
FOUR TIPS TO EARNING LINKS FOR E.A.T
Being fresh and thorough is key when creating quality content. So, where should we start?
DO SOME HOUSEKEEPING
Accuracy, freshness and relevancy means we need to constantly review and reactivate our content. Take note of these 5 key quarterly housekeeping chores:
- If you are an expert in your field, have you stamped your credentials on any opinion pieces?
- Can you back up any factual claims with sources, citations or links?
- Is the content too thin? Could you consolidate it or bulk it out to make it as comprehensive as possible?
- Can you group related content through internal linking to solidify a running theme?
- Is your content out of date? When last was it updated? Should you update it or delete it entirely – does it have value?
Once you have completed the above you will be able to see where the clear content gaps are. Align this with updated keyword research, particularly for informational search queries and you can reactivate your content strategy for E.A.T.
FACT - PEOPLE LOVE DATA-DRIVEN CONTENT
From League Tables to Unique Sales Reports, everyone loves data! Finding a way to create and share data-driven content without giving away the crown jewels could pose a challenge for many of us but there is always a way to bring data to life.
Using tools such as Google Search Trends or running surveys to find out what information our target audiences engage with is key. And if you’re lucky enough to have access to sample data then take advantage of Search Console and Google Analytics.
The secret to securing links using data is the method of delivery. It’s all well and good creating long, articulated blog posts but not everyone consumes information in the same way. Re-purposing the same data into an infographic, video or even podcast can make it much more interactive.
And we must target where our audience hangs out by making use of high-quality forums, social media, email, whitepaper, press, blogs – the list is endless. Just keep mobile in mind as no one wants to zoom in now-a-days. We do live in a mobile-first world after all!
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