As the desire to rank higher in Google’s search results grows, so does the importance of understanding the search engine’s ranking factors. While there are numerous factors that Google considers, there is one that holds the most weight in determining your website’s ranking: the #1 Ranking Factor. In this Ultimate Guide, we will delve into what exactly this ranking factor is, why it’s so crucial, and how you can optimize your website to achieve the coveted top spot in Google’s search results. So, without further ado, here is my official stance on understanding Google’s #1 Ranking Factor.
The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Google’s #1 Ranking Factor: My Official Stance
Introduction
When it comes to ranking well on Google, E-A-T is the buzzword that everyone is talking about. E-A-T stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. It is a concept in SEO that has gained immense importance in recent years. Google’s mission is to deliver the best possible search experience to its users, and E-A-T is a crucial factor in achieving this goal. In this guide, we will look at everything you need to know about E-A-T and how to establish it for your website.
What is E-A-T?
E-A-T is the acronym for the factors that Google looks for when assessing the quality of a website. It is a way to measure the expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness of a website and its content. Google has mentioned E-A-T 126 times in its quality rating guidelines. These guidelines are used to train search quality raters who evaluate webpages based on specific criteria.
Why is E-A-T Important?
E-A-T is crucial for websites that provide information on sensitive topics such as health, finance, or law. Google wants to ensure that the information provided on such websites is reliable, accurate, and trustworthy. That’s why they put a lot of emphasis on websites that have high levels of E-A-T. Websites that lack E-A-T may not rank well on Google and may even be penalized.
How to Establish E-A-T for Your Website
- Focus on Author Expertise and Relevance
The quality rating guidelines emphasize the importance of author expertise and relevance. To establish E-A-T, it’s important to have content that is written by experts in their field. If you have a finance website, for example, your authors should have a background in finance and be able to write from an expert perspective. Additionally, your content should be relevant to your industry or niche.
- Build Backlinks from Trustworthy and Authoritative Sites
Google search liaison Gary Elias has said that E-A-T is largely based on links and mentions on authoritative sites. One way to establish E-A-T is to build backlinks from trustworthy and authoritative sites. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the higher your E-A-T score will be. Some effective techniques to build backlinks are help a reporter out (HARO), digital PR, and replying to outreach emails.
- Transparent Ownership of your Website
Transparent ownership of a website is also an important factor for assessing E-A-T. Users and Google want to know who is providing the information on a website. Therefore, there should be information about who created the website and how to contact them. A solid about and contact page can future-proof a website for future algorithmic updates.
Conclusion
E-A-T is a critical factor that must be considered when creating content and optimizing websites. By focusing on experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness, you can establish E-A-T for your website and improve its ranking on Google. Remember to write high-quality content, build backlinks from trustworthy sites, and ensure transparent ownership of your website. By doing so, you’ll be on the right path to increasing your website’s visibility and credibility on the web.
FAQs
Q1. What is E-A-T in SEO?
Answer: E-A-T stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. It is a concept in SEO that has gained immense importance in recent years.
Q2. Why is E-A-T important?
Answer: E-A-T is important for websites that provide information on sensitive topics such as health, finance, or law. Google wants to ensure that the information provided on such websites is reliable, accurate, and trustworthy.
Q3. What are the techniques to build E-A-T through backlinks?
Answer: Three techniques to build E-A-T through backlinks are help a reporter out (HARO), digital PR, and replying to outreach emails.
Q4. Is author expertise and relevance an important factor for E-A-T?
Answer: Yes, the quality rating guidelines emphasize the importance of author expertise and relevance.
Q5. Is transparent ownership of a website an important factor for E-A-T assessment?
Answer: Yes, transparent ownership of a website is an important factor for assessing E-A-T.