Google implemented a broad core update at the end of May 2022 to its search engine algorithm. Core updates are significant because it means Google is refining how its search engine interprets webpages, which impacts websites rankings, traffic and, subsequently, revenue. 

Unsurprisingly Google doesn’t give anything away so it’s difficult to prepare for a core update and ​​fully know what adjustments and changes you should make to make sure your website aligns with the new algorithm.

However, they do offer us some advice, their What site owners should know about Google’s core updates article from 2019 still rings true today. They advise anyone who might have been negatively affected by the core update to “get to know the quality rater guidelines & E-A-T.” 

Although it’s not an official ranking factor, Google has confirmed that E-A-T is indeed a very important part of their algorithm. 

So, what is E-A-T? 

E-A-T is one of many guidelines Google uses to determine whether the content is valuable to readers and whether it should rank well. 

• The expertise of the creator of the content.
• The authoritativeness of the creator of the content, the content itself, and the website.
• The trustworthiness of the creator of the content, the content itself, and the website.

In other words, E-A-T is a characteristic that suggests if a page is high-quality, making it helpful to users. 

Why is E-A-T important for SEO?

We all know that a good user experience and high quality content are essential when it comes to SEO and ranking highly on serps, but what exactly is high quality content? Google has given us some insight on what it considers high-quality content to be, which can have huge implications for content marketing and SEO professionals.

According to Google’s guidelines, great content should:

• Help users
• Be created by an expert
• Be posted on an authoritative site
• Be trustworthy
• Be updated regularly

E-A-T helps determine credibility and enables you to establish brand authority and enables you to create real value for your users through the content you’re producing. Google wants to serve up the pages with the most value in relation to a specific search query, because that’s what keeps people coming back and therefore helps with your search engine rankings.

E-A-T should play a big part in your SEO strategy as it will help you create a more enjoyable user experience by producing content that is helpful, trustworthy and authoritative.

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