As the top SEO specialists in Philadelphia, here at Studio x., we genuinely understand how difficult it can be to navigate the ever-changing web of, well, the world wide web.
Between launching a new site, getting on social media, and then finally getting to climb the search engine results pages- establishing an online presence from scratch, or even re-branding one, can surely be a trial and tribulation for business owners.
And yeah – we know – these digital issues aren't even the ones at the core of your business! You're also dealing with hiring, emails that should be meetings, logistics, inventory, meetings that should be emails, so on and forth.
Not to mention, keeping up with said digital issues can include a whole lot of time, effort, and research to know what you are doing.
At Studio x., we hear questions like these and so many more from our current and prospective clients every day. We are the team with the time, effort, and research to tackle all of them for you. Because no doubt, having an active and efficient online presence is key to having a successful business in 2020.
Okay, so, what we wanted to discuss today with you was something that related to the last question above, concerning EATING and GOOGLE.
What?!
Are we talking Google placing restaurants or recipes above your medical website?
No, well, not really.
E-A-T is an acronym that stands for Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthy. It is part of a set of guidelines that Google utilizes to help in its search quality evaluations and developing future algorithms.
In other words, you should be creating content on your website that displays your EXPERTISE in a field. That you are an AUTHORITY on the subject. And that your content is TRUSTWORTHY. If you do, you might have a shot at ranking higher than another website with similar content or vibes as yours.
Now, that is not to say that websites with less knowledge on related topics that you have on your website can't rank higher than you. They can and will, plain and simple.
E-A-T is just a mere segment of factors, or a variety of signals, that Google uses to rank websites and is an attempt for them to combat misinformation as well. E-A-T isn't necessarily any more important than having a secure or fast website or using targeted keywords across your website.
Developing content that follows E-A-T standards also shouldn't 100% replace any technical SEO edits you might make on your website. Honestly, it also doesn't apply to every single website out there.
If you are creating an artist's portfolio website, the odds are that you might not have a ton of E-A-T content to add. On the other hand, if you are a doctor's office writing about a specialty of yours, having this type of content could indeed help in gaining you a few slots higher in Google rankings.
With all of this talking about E-A-T, you must be HUNGRY for details on how to develop this content …right? Here are a few pointers from your SEO specialists in Philly, Studio x.:
How do you demonstrate to not only Google but your target audience that you are an expert in a subject? The answer can be more technical than you may wish, but here we go:
Just because you know something doesn't always mean you know how to communicate it effectively. I'm sure we all know some people who are just BRILLIANT or borderline GENIUS, but they have a hard time expressing concepts in plaintive ways to ordinary people, or just anyone at all.
To show your audience, as well as Google, that you are an expert, it will require balance in your writing. You must be able to clearly and concisely write articles (or blogs or page content) that not only answer questions that your audience may be seeking but exceeds their expectations too.
Make sure you understand where in the sales funnel or stage of information gathering your target audience might be at it while compiling your content.
Are you trying to sell to a novice with no idea of your business? Or to a veteran in the biz who is just looking to switch to a company like yours?
Do your research before putting anything together, and make sure to include helpful media pieces (videos or infographics) with internal links to related content for the user to stumble from one page of your site to another.
Being an expert at something is great an all, but when other experts come to you for answers, that identifies you as an AUTHORITY on a subject. So how do you go from E to the A?
Linking is enormous in this space. Getting links to your articles and content from other websites that are also considered an authority is going to build that "score" for you, big time. For instance, if you are the local grocery, just opening up, and the Carnegie Deli links to something you wrote about the "Marbleization of Corned Beef and How it Impacts Flavor" – big points to you.
Sorry, it's almost lunchtime. Anyway-
Use social media and networking to get your content mentioned by bigger fish and establish your brand and voice online. Do you have friends in the industry that have been doing it longer than you have? Ask for a shout-out to get some traffic and eyes on your soon-to-be-authoritative content. If possible (they have some restrictions), you can create a Wikipedia page for your company, too, as Wikipedia is one of the higher-ranking authoritative sites on the internet.
Lastly, something that every one of us users has to battle with daily on the internet in 2020 is the issue of integrity. Is this article "fake news" or a scam or just plain old spam? If Google suspects you fall into one of the latter categories, it could adversely impact your SEO ranking.
One of the most significant ways that Google sees you as trustworthy? Online reviews. Their spiders and bots can scan information about your business website via Facebook, Google My Business, Tripadvisor, Yelp, and other review websites to see if you are legit. Too many negative reviews can be an indicator that you are providing untrustworthy, low-quality content- so monitoring your online review presence is ESSENTIAL.
Besides that, also make sure to have easy-to-locate, up-to-date contact information on your website so that customers can reach out to you. Nothing screams "shady" like an 800 number that goes to a busy signal non-stop (remember those?) or a "We're sorry the number you dialed cannot be…" message from the operator.
Also, be sure to include a privacy policy, terms of service page, information about refunds or returns if you are making transactions, and yeah, maybe some version of an "About Me" page. Let the user, and the web, know your business is on the UP and UP, and that you are a real-life (team of?) human being(s)!
If you need help with ANY of the above suggestions for creating E-A-T content: from setting up a brand-new website to writing digestible content. Monitoring your social media reputation, gaining authoritative links, or anything else we mentioned- don't hesitate to contact the top search engine optimization specialists in Philadelphia, Studio x., today!