7) Writing with Expertise, Authority, and Trust (OUTDATED)
As discussed before, several best writing practices help ensure content that is valuable for awareness and support.
In this discussion, we will understand how to ensure quality content alongside best writing practices through incorporating expertise, authority, and trust within the content.
Background
The internet is a primary place where users worldwide look for information and support. The topics searched up include those that fall into the health, safety, or financial domains. Consequently, false information or content that has quality problems such as those that violate best practices can be potentially damaging to significant levels thereby negatively impacting a user’s happiness, health, or wealth. To buffer this, the Google algorithm (and Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines) used to display top content pages considers factors that include: Expertise, Authority, and Trust to ensure protection from low-quality content. These factors are commonly known as EAT in short.
As mental health is part of the health domain and is a significant area searched, the EAT factors are vital to consider when developing content.
Since 2018, the EAT factors not only apply to a website’s main content pages but are also considered when reviewing the content creators (i.e. authors).
EAT and How To Incorporate EAT into Website Content:
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Expertise:
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When considering the expertise factor for website content, expertise refers to the extent to which the website or organization is known and has the suitable credentials and any expertise supporting factors such as awards or external recognition.
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Expert Content is Researched Based: consider stepping into the shoes of your audience and perform a keyword research whilst thinking about their needs. Through your keyword research, grasp why the audience has searched for those keywords (topics). Knowing the intent of the topic queried helps you guide content on solutions and helpful information that can not only meet but exceed the user’s needs.
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Expert Content is Comprehensive yet Digestible: Try to ensure your content is simple and has good formatting, avoid confusing structures or things that are too difficult to understand unless you break down and explain difficult concepts.
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Expert Content is Supplementary: After answering the main intent of a searcher’s query or possible needs regarding a content topic, supplement your content by thinking about further supporting/supplementary content that could further enhance and support the topic: this is when back-linking comes in handy! Audit your existing content and identify which of your published pages can be backlinks to the new content piece. Think of what further topics/content pieces can be branched from existing content and include them on your content development agenda.
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Authority
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Authority refers to the ratings the website and its content get on the basis of genuine ratings as well as content relevance.
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Authoritative Content is Cited: External pages rely upon and cite the content as their sources of information. Citations include external back-linking as well as mentions on the news or social media.
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Authoritative Content is Widely Shared: This is where marketing can help boost the content to build authority. Content with authority is regularly and widely shared and mentioned across social media. Engagement efforts can help drive this factor.
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A Wikipedia Page Boosts Authority: A Wikipedia page for the brand, organization, or even people in a company helps boost authority.
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Brand Authority Matters: A signal to authority is when users search your brand name for their content needs.
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Trust
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Trust refers to validity - a website can have validation pages such as an About Us page or other main pages. Trustworthiness is also determined through positive reviews and user support.
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In terms of content, trust can be boosted through the inclusion of an author's biography as well as external sources being cited, especially if they are other authoritative sources.
Feel welcome to share your opinions on each of the EAT factors or ask any questions!
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This post is brought to you by the Content Development and Marketing Program, find out more information about the program here
@SoulfullyAButterfly these are great reminders for a perfect and responsible content.
@SoulfullyAButterfly I think the EAT is very useful for me. I have been writing a lot of blogs and academic papers but this is the first time for me to find them. I am glad I have joined this program. Personally, I know them already as we have to apply them in the academe, but you made them much more simple and easier to digest.
In terms of the Wikipedia page though, do you mean the organization's wikipage? I think that is the only part I got confused about. I will reread again. Anywho, thank you so much for this!
@crang17 yes, the Wikipedia page can be for the organization but it can also be an individual or brand's page too if applicable.
Interesting and valuable information. Really enjoyed learning about this. Thank you💛
@SoulfullyAButterfly
Such a smart and well thought out shortcut to remember useful and effective tips. I love how easy it is to remember and incorporate "EAT" into the context of the website.
This information was very valuable! I've never hear of EAT factors until now. It's an interesting concept, and I will definitely keep this in mind when writing.
@SoulfullyAButterfly
Just wanted to know about the Wikipedia page boost authority. I know that Wikipedia is not a source to really use when citing. Can someone aid with some clarity, thanks?
@KBeauty12
Hi K, it's a user-generated site, so if you have more reliable source, it would be great. But, if not, as long as the content is correct it's okay for this exercise. Hope it helps. 💜
@SoulfullyAButterfly
Thanks so much for this post! I think that EAT is definitely something I will take with me to other classes and not just use in the CDM program! I never knew about EAT before, but I think that it is really useful and helpful!
@SoulfullyAButterfly
Greatful, Thanks!
@SoulfullyAButterfly Thanks for sharing!
@SoulfullyAButterfly When thinking about EAT on an individual, I think the Trust factor is something difficult to establish for new content writers. While the website’s credibility may be high, new content writers will have to work towards ensuring their write-ups match up with those of the more experienced writers on the site.
As new writers, I feel it is also important to find a balance when it comes to
how many external sources are backlinked in their content. Too many backlinks
might not help with the Authority factor.
@Huriya those are great insights. It is great to have a trusted platform like 7 Cups to publish work on but yes, we do need to find balance in the content we write out in terms of relevance, etc. We are all ready to help edit and mentor/support new writers and so I love the growth and learning part in all of this.
