Is Your Small Business EEAT-ing Right?

We’re not talking about fresh fruit vs. chips and candy bars in the breakroom (hey, some of us need that sweet, sweet afternoon sugar rush). We’re talking about Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness — the backbone of a successful SEO strategy.

Now, you’ve probably heard all kinds of different theories, “facts,” and advice about E-E-A-T and its predecessor, E-A-T. Some are true, some are misleading, and others are outright wrong. 

So let’s set the record straight about why E-E-A-T matters for your small business, how it affects your search engine rankings, and what a strategic E-E-A-T approach looks like.

Why E-E-A-T matters for small businesses, now more than ever before

The development of large language models (LLMs), like ChatGPT, Jasper, and Claude, turned content creation and optimization on its head. Almost overnight, companies of all sizes started pumping out low-effort, low-authority, AI-generated content. 

Instead of providing authentic, useful resources designed to actually help readers, the majority of this content is designed for one thing only: ranking high in the SERPs using mass keyword coverage and excessive backlinking.

Some of this content is produced by unethical companies looking to rake in advertising fees. But other content is created by business owners who are simply looking for a cheap, fast, and simple way to boost their SEO and drive more traffic to their sites.

Either way, the end result is the same — millions of generic, unhelpful articles, blog posts, and web pages clogging up the top spots on Google. That is, until Google released its March 2024 core update, deindexing hundreds of websites within days.

How Google’s updates may affect your SEO

Google’s current goal is to reduce spam in search results by 40%. Their ongoing multisystem updates will allow them to better identify websites that are “unhelpful, have a poor user experience or feel like they were created for search engines instead of people.”

Although Google is not explicitly targeting AI content, Originality.AI found that every single one of the deindexed sites had at least some AI-generated posts, while half of them had 90-100% AI-generated content. 

Now, you’re probably thinking, “No AI content, no problem, right?” But the real issue lies in why Google is removing so much of this AI content. LLMs don’t actually understand what they’re writing about, they have no hands-on expertise, they’re not subject-matter experts, and they tend to lie or hallucinate. 

In other words, AI-generated content doesn’t offer Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, or Trustworthiness — and your human-written content might not either. As Google continues to roll out updates to cut down on spam, E-E-A-T is going to become more important than ever if you want your website to rank.

Uncomplicating E-E-A-T

We’ve gone over what E-E-A-T stands for, but what does it actually mean? In reality, the answer isn’t all that complicated. In fact, Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines explain E-E-A-T pretty clearly. 

These guidelines provide a framework for Google’s human raters (yes, actual humans) to evaluate the quality of search results. Here’s a breakdown of Google’s E-E-A-T criteria:

• Experience: Does the content creator have personal experience with the product or topic? 
• Expertise: Does the content creator have the knowledge or skills to provide readers with trustworthy advice?
• Authoritativeness: Would you consider the website or content creator to be a trustworthy or reliable source?
• Trustworthiness: Is the web page “accurate, honest, safe, and reliable?”

Of course, all of these questions are subjective, and the criteria might look different depending on the content and its purpose, so let’s look at a couple of practical examples. 

Example 1: A local doctor’s office

Medical advice and services falls under YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) content, so it’s more heavily scrutinized since following bad advice can have devastating consequences. When analyzing a website for a medical practice, Google raters may look at:

• The “About us” page: Does the website have an “About us” page introducing the staff and highlighting their education, experience, and qualifications?
• Client reviews: Does the practice have authentic, positive reviews from patients with real experience using the doctor’s services?
• Content accuracy: If the website offers medical advice, is it accurate and safe?
• Site security: Is the website HIPAA-compliant and secure?
• External resources: Can you confirm the credibility of the doctor or practice through external sources, such as peer-reviewed articles and certification databases?

Example 2: A small e-commerce brand

Establishing E-E-A-T for an e-commerce brand centers more around the customer experience and safe handling of customer data, including payment information. For this type of website, Google raters might focus on:

• Customer reviews: Are there honest, positive reviews from real users — not just influencers or paid reviewers?
• Privacy policy: Does the website clearly explain how the company will collect, use, and store customer data?
• Payment security: Does the website provide secure payment options?
• Behind-the-scenes information: Does the website show where the products are made or sourced from?
• Customer service accessibility: Is it easy for customers to contact the company for questions, issues, or product support?

As you can see, E-E-A-T is not nearly as complex as some people make it out to be. The issue is that, while a lot of these factors may seem basic, you’d be surprised by how many businesses overlook them. Of course, it’s always helpful to see concepts in action, so stick with us, and we’ll show you some real-life examples later on.

The role of “entities” in E-E-A-T

Now let’s shift to the algorithmic side of Google. One thing you probably noticed in the above section is the repeated use of the term “content creator.” When Google analyzes websites and determines search results, it’s not just looking at the content itself. It’s looking at the individuals, businesses, and concepts associated with the content, also known as “entities.”

The Knowledge Graph is a massive database that Google uses to understand the relationships between people, places, things, concepts, facts, etc. This database helps Google determine the context and meaning of search queries so it can deliver accurate, relevant results. 

When Google can associate content with a recognized entity — like a subject-matter expert or authoritative organization — it increases the credibility of the content. In other words, Google needs to understand the entities behind or related to the content to determine whether it demonstrates experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. 

E-E-A-T factors that make a difference 

So how does Google actually determine a web page’s E-E-A-T? It uses hundreds of different factors called “signals.” There’s no exhaustive list of signals, but based on Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines, SEO best practices, and our own extensive marketing experience, these are some of the most influential factors.

1. Author expertise

• Author credentials: Is the author qualified to write on the topic, based on their bio, professional experience, certifications, education, etc.?
• Author reputation: Is the author a reputable source of information, based on their contributions to other websites or publications?

2. Content quality and depth

• Comprehensive coverage: Does the content thoroughly cover the topic, providing depth, insights, and practical value to the reader?
• Accuracy and fact-checking: Is the content accurate and supported by evidence or citations from authoritative sources?
• Originality: Does the content provide unique insights, analyses, or information — or does it simply repeat what’s available on numerous other sites?

3. Website and content authoritativeness

• Site reputation: Does the website have good reviews, ratings, or references from other reputable sites?
• Links: Does the website or content include links to valuable, authoritative content on other sites, and do other reputable sites link to it?
• Recognition and awards: Have the website, organization, or authors received any industry recognition, awards, or endorsements?

4. Trustworthiness and security

• Site security: Does the website prioritize users’ data security?
• Contact information: Does the site provide clear, easy-to-find contact information, like phone numbers, email addresses, and physical locations?
• Privacy policy and transparency: Does the website offer a transparent privacy policy, terms of service, and details on how the company uses customer data?

5. User experience

• Website Usability: Is the site well-designed, mobile-friendly, and accessible to all users?
• Content presentation: Is the website well-organized and easy to navigate?

6. Social proof and user engagement

• User reviews and testimonials: Does the website feature positive, authentic user or client reviews?
• Engagement metrics: Does the site have low bounce rates and high levels of user engagement, such as comments, shares, and time on page?

7. Content updates and maintenance

• Freshness: Is the content regularly updated to ensure accuracy and relevance?
• Historical performance: Does the site have a consistent history of providing high-quality, reliable content?

Human decision-making and the “N-EEAT-T” model

E-E-A-T is all about establishing credibility with Google, but N-EEAT-T takes it a step further by considering human decision-making. As Jason Barnard explains in SEJ, people tend to give more credibility to those who are Notable and Transparent, and while those attributes are implied in E-E-A-T, this model explicitly incorporates them.

8. Notability

Before you start trying to get your name in the news, know that notability does not necessarily equal fame. Google looks at notability on a micro level — so you don’t have to be known around the world, just within your highly specific niche. 

Let’s examine that idea on a local level, so you can get a clearer picture. Say you run a dog-walking service in your city. You also helped organize an adoption drive in your community, and the local paper published your editorial supporting the establishment of a dog park. If your competitors don’t have similar accomplishments, then congratulations — you’re notable in your micro-niche!

9. Transparency

Transparency is a little easier to define. It’s simply being open and honest about your policies, operations, actions, and the way you do business. Of course, some industries can be more transparent than others — an investment company can’t exactly violate NDAs and give away trade secrets. So an organization’s transparency is measured by how it compares to other businesses within that industry.

Looking at another example, let’s say you have a sustainable fashion brand. You break down your supply chain to show customers exactly where you source your materials, how you ensure the people who manufacture your clothes are paid a fair wage, and why your shipping processes are environmentally friendly. 

Some of your competitors also claim to be sustainable, but they don’t show any behind-the-scenes details to prove it. Therefore, you’re more transparent than they are.

While Google doesn’t explicitly include notability and transparency in its E-E-A-T model, these attributes are key to demonstrating experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. So it’s important to prioritize them in your SEO strategy.

Validating the importance of E-E-A-T with data

With the heavy focus over the last few years on establishing domain authority through backlinks, you might be skeptical about the effectiveness of E-E-A-T. Plenty of website owners have resorted to purchasing backlinks or obtaining them in other unethical ways just to get a boost in the SERPs.

We wanted to prove that establishing E-E-A-T can help you outrank competitors — even those with hundreds of backlinks and high domain authority. So we analyzed the SEO data to identify 100 “low domain authority” websites and content that outrank larger competitors, despite having fewer backlinks. 

We’ll highlight a few of them here, so you can see what E-E-A-T looks like in practice at both the content and overall website levels.

The Organic Skincare Co.

First, we’ll look at a niche e-commerce site. Despite having 0 backlinks and a domain rating of 29 (Ahrefs’ version of domain authority), The Organic Skin Co. holds the number two spot for searches of “organic skincare,” beating out companies with thousands of backlinks. Here’s how they do it:

First, they introduce the founder of the company, giving Google an entity to work with and giving customers a face behind the brand. They highlight her background, qualifications, and industry knowledge to help establish notability, experience, expertise, and authoritativeness.

Next, they explain in detail the science behind their products and how they developed them to further prove expertise and trustworthiness. They touch on their initial research, their development process, and what sets them apart.

They also feature authentic, user-generated content from actual customers using their products, simultaneously increasing engagement and proving their credibility and trustworthiness.

Finally, they highlight their product certifications, giving readers confidence in their offerings. They also detail why their products, packing, and supply chains are eco-friendly and sustainable, establishing transparency and trustworthiness.

Little Friends Pet Sitting

Now let’s look at E-E-A-T at the granular content level. This is an article by a local small business with zero backlinks and a DR of 18 — and it’s outperforming content from national corporations for the number eight spot on Google. Here’s what sets it apart:

Right off the bat, they explain why they are qualified to write on this topic by showing that they’re local to the area and work within the same industry, establishing the core principles of E-E-A-T.

They continue to show E-E-A-T within the content by providing in-depth, first-person insights into what each store offers — far beyond what readers could find through a simple Google search.

In contrast, take a look at what a lower-ranking competing article has to say:

As you can see, there’s nothing here that indicates any personal experience with this shop. In fact, there’s really no info provided beyond what you could probably get from the Google Business Profile. If you were looking for specific details on pet stores in the area, which of these articles would offer the most value? The first one, right? That’s E-E-A-T in action.

Huddleston Tax CPAs

Last is a Seattle-based CPA company ranking at number eight for the general keyword “small business CPA.” Notice that we didn’t specify any location in the keyword — despite only having a few offices in the Seattle area, this company is outcompeting national providers for a top spot in the SERPs. Here’s how:

First, they do an excellent job of providing Google with definable entities. Not only do they provide background information on the business itself — they take it a step further and include detailed bios for each employee at their firm, covering their education, qualifications, and individual specialties. 

Combined with their detailed tax guides and in-depth explanations of their offerings, this establishes — you guessed it —  expertise, experience, and authoritativeness. 

They also offer clear indications of trustworthiness. To start, they have a secure client portal for document sharing and communication, highlighting that they value their clients’ privacy and data security. Second, they include credible client reviews spanning a decade, showing a proven track record of first-class service.

As you can see from these examples, E-E-A-T in practice can vary quite a bit depending on the type of business and target audience. Which is why it’s so important to partner with a marketing company that understands your particular industry, customer base, and audience needs and preferences. 

Focusing on E-E-A-T for long-term success

There’s a lot of turmoil within the SEO and marketing world right now, and you’re probably seeing plenty of conflicting information about the future of optimizing for search engines. But based on the research we’ve covered here, we can confidently say that, with Google shifting its focus to prioritize content that truly delivers value, E-E-A-T is becoming more vital than ever. 

There will always be companies that leverage unethical black hat SEO techniques to increase their rankings, but as you can see from the examples above, what really matters is an E-E-A-T-centered strategy. Whether you run a global e-commerce store or a small local service agency, E-E-A-T is the key to consistent, long-term success. 

Looking for an SEO partner? SparkLaunch can help your business incorporate the principles of E-E-A-T into every part of your marketing strategy. Book a discovery call today!