Your Page Quality Rating Depends on More Than Just E-A-T


One of the most powerful ways to draw in traffic for your website is by increasing your rankings on Google’s Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs). That’s why so many promotional strategies for online platforms focus on improving SEO. However, it can be difficult to do so effectively without a proper understanding of how Google determines page quality rating in the first place.

Toledo SEO for Growth conducted a thorough investigation into Google’s methods by dissecting their E-A-T acronym, which plays a critical role in determining how well your page is rated, in addition to other overlooked factors. Even though E-A-T is not an actual component of Google’s algorithm, it still has a huge impact on where your site is listed in the SERPs.

When considering SEO strategies, most people tend to focus on appealing to Google’s algorithms. While they are certainly responsible for assessing various aspects of your page, they are by no means the only factors. In addition to algorithms, Google relies on ratings made by actual human beings when ranking their results. Under the title of Search Quality Raters, these people are dedicated to determining the quality of each page they review by evaluating how well they align with Google’s criteria.

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The Significance of Google’s E-A-T

So how does E-A-T figure into all of this? E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, and it serves as a set of guidelines for raters as they assess your content.

Let’s break E-A-T down further:

  • Expertise refers to how knowledgeable the content creator is in regard to what they’ve written. For example, a website about quantum physics would be rated more highly if authored by an experienced researcher who has been studying the subject for over a decade, as opposed to someone whose understanding of the subject is limited to a few online searches.
  • Authoritativeness is in reference to how respected your opinion is within your field. For example, a page published by a well-known, highly recognized institution is going to do better in this category than one published by an obscure, independent organization.
  • Trustworthiness is more about consistency in providing quality content and delivering on your promises. Large amounts of negative reviews and feedback are an immediate red flag to raters looking through your site.

E-A-T is primarily considered when raters are looking at pages within YMYL websites – “Your Money, Your Life.” These are sites that impact various components of people’s finances and lives, such as websites that allow online transactions or articles about how to deal with medical conditions.

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What Else Do Search Quality Raters Consider?

Outside of E-A-T, other factors determine how well your page is rated. After all, they’re role is to ensure that the page is as relevant and useful as possible to those performing queries on Google. Some of those criteria include the following:

  • Page Purpose. The object here is to verify your page has a clearly identifiable purpose, and that it aligns with user queries
  • Main Content. This involves the quality of your main content, which encompasses verifying the functionality of all site components and confirming the readability of written sections
  • Supplementary Content. The quality of your supplementary content is another important consideration.
  • Website Information. Content and data on websites should be easily accessible and include such data as contact information, publishing date, etc.
  • Web Design. Attractive website design that is easy to navigate is also one element of how websites are rated.
  • Page Maintenance. Google pays attention to all your site’s changes. Your content should be kept current and regularly updated to reflect any relevant changes.

Ignoring any of the above will ultimately indicate to search engines that your website isn’t the most ideal result for users, causing your website to rank lower. Keep in mind that the overall goal of Search Quality Raters is to guarantee users on Google have the best experience. For your website to rank highest amongst other results, it must meet their expectations. That means adding minor, superficial elements to your site won’t help you achieve your desired results. Instead, you should build a strategy of web development focused on these criteria.

At Toledo SEO for Growth, we can help you develop and implement that strategy. We can ensure every aspect of your website meets and exceeds the requirements set for by Google’s quality raters while simultaneously appealing to Google’s algorithms.

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Let’s get to work. Call (419) 540.4437 or email toledoseoforgrowth@gmail.com to get started today.

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Toledo SEO for Growth offers a wide range of digital marketing solutions for companies of all sizes, including business-to-consumer and business-to-business brands. Contact us today for more details about how we can help you enhance your SEO strategy. Call (419) 540.4437 or email toledoseoforgrowth@gmail.com.

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