What Is E-E-A-T & YMYL in SEO?

Digital marketing loves an acronym, but what do they all mean? We’re here to help decipher and give you the knowledge so you’re not left Googling the terms under the table in that quarterly marketing meeting.

Let’s say you’re looking for flu advice online, and you stumble upon conflicting information. How do you figure out which source to trust? This is where E-E-A-T and YMYL come into play—two key ideas in SEO that help boost your website's credibility and ranking on search engines like Google.

What Is E-E-A-T?

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. These might sound like big words, but they’re just fancy ways of saying, “Is this content reliable?”

Experience: Imagine you’re reading a travel blog. Would you rather hear from someone who’s actually been to those places or from someone who just Googled the destinations? Google thinks the same way. It values content that shows firsthand experience because it feels more real and relatable.

Expertise: This is all about knowing your stuff. If you’re searching for medical advice, you’d probably trust a doctor over a random blogger, right? That’s expertise — having the right qualifications or deep knowledge in a particular area.

Authoritativeness: Think of this as your reputation. Are other people in your field talking about you or sharing your work? If so, Google sees you as an authority, and that’s a good thing for your website’s rankings.

Trustworthiness: Trust is everything. If a website is transparent about who’s behind the content, shows accurate information, and has a secure site (like using HTTPS), it’s more likely to be trusted by both users and Google.

What Is YMYL?

YMYL stands for Your Money or Your Life. This is about content that could impact your health, finances, or safety. Google takes this type of content very seriously because bad information here can lead to real harm.

Health and Medical Info: If you’re reading about a medical treatment, you want that info to be spot-on. Inaccurate advice could be dangerous.

Financial Advice: Think about investment tips or loan advice. Trustworthy information here is crucial because it affects your money.

Legal Info: Legal guidance should come from credible sources, especially when it’s about your rights or important decisions.

Safety Tips: Imagine reading about what to do in an emergency. That info needs to be accurate and reliable—no room for errors.

Why E-E-A-T and YMYL matter together

For topics that fall under YMYL, having strong E-E-A-T is super important. Google’s going to look at your content more closely to make sure it’s accurate, up-to-date, and written by people who know what they’re talking about. If your site is trustworthy and reliable, you’re more likely to rank higher in search results.

How to Boost E-E-A-T on your website

Create Quality Content: Make sure your content is well-researched, accurate, and helpful. Keep it updated with the latest info so it stays relevant.

Get Backlinks: When other reputable websites link to your content, it boosts your credibility in Google’s eyes.

Be Transparent: Let people know who’s behind the content. Show off your expertise and make it easy for users to contact you. And, of course, make sure your website is secure.

Keep It Fresh: Especially with YMYL topics, regularly updating your content shows that your site is active and trustworthy.

E-E-A-T and YMYL might sound complicated, but they’re really about making sure the information on your website is reliable and trustworthy. By focusing on creating high-quality, expert-backed content and being transparent with your audience, you can build trust and improve your website’s ranking on search engines. And remember, when it comes to YMYL topics, accuracy is everything—so make sure you’re getting it right!