Google Loves To EAT. What On Earth Does That Mean?

Google is notoriously tight-lipped on what it lets us know about how they rank the quality of the websites they list.

A couple of years back, however, they gave us an overview of the standards they would use, going forward. This was known as the EAT update and it caused quite a stir among SEO experts worldwide.

In reality, it turns out things weren't that dramatic – all it really means is that Google ranks pages based on their quality far more than it used to. That means that design, speed and, most importantly, information all need to be on point if Google's going to rank you highly. DotGO build all of our websites with these factors in mind, so you've got nothing to worry about at the beginning.

Making site changes down the line is up to you, however, so here's a breakdown of EAT for you to keep in mind while updating your site.

E – Expertise

This part is all about you (yes, you!). No doubt, as a successful business owner, you take pride in what you do and do a fantastic job every time. That's great! You've got the foundations of your expertise already laid. All that remains is to ensure that that comes through on the pages of your website. How best to do that? You've got plenty of options:

Niche industry information
Relevant statistics
Courses you've completed
Useful anecdotes
Industry experience

The more numerous and more varied ways you can demonstrate your expertise on whatever it is that you do, the more likely Google will be to consider you an expert in your field and boost you up the rankings.

A – Authority

This one's a little further out of your hands, in terms of what you can do with the website itself, but what you do outside of it is entirely up to you. This part is all about showing that people can trust you as an authority on your industry. The best way to show that is through what we call “backlinks.”

This means having other websites mention and link back to yours, showing that they trust what you have to say. It can't be from just any website, though! If you run an animal welfare centre, a backlink from a glue manufacturer isn't going to mean a whole lot to Google. A backlink from the RSPCA website, however, would be absolutely massive!

T - Trustworthiness

The ball's back in your court on this one. The more your customers trust you online, the more Google will, too. That's all down to how you interact with your customer base; assuaging their worries, acting in a respectful manner and delivering peace of mind. This includes:

Addressing complaints
Replying to comments on your blog posts
Using a live chat feature (if you don't have one, we highly recommend Tidio – It's free!)

Trust from real people leads to great interactions with the public, links to your website and, thanks to Google, a higher ranking in the search results. A higher-ranking website leads to more visits, which leads to more customers – all for simply telling the truth. Who said nice guys finish last?

If you want to rank well on Google, make sure you start EATing right. In time, you'll see your customer base grow and profits increase, all while providing a fantastic experience for your customers when they find your website. Looking for more hints and tips on how to improve your ranking in the search results?

There's always more you can do, so check out our article on 5 Free Tools to Improve Your Websites SEO and see how things change!