The E-E-A-T Advantage: Rank Higher, Build Trust! 📈

What is E-E-A-T and why does it matter for my small business?

Hi, I’m Linda Donnelly. For over a decade, my team at Business Solutions Marketing Group has been helping small businesses with their marketing, and I’ve seen a lot of things change. One thing, however, remains true: if you want to be successful online, you have to build trust.

You’ve probably heard a lot of fancy words in marketing, but today I want to talk about four letters that are more important than ever: E-E-A-T. These letters stand for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.

Think of it like this: If you’re looking for a doctor, would you trust someone who just read a book, or would you trust someone who has treated thousands of patients? The doctor with experience and expertise is the one you’ll go to.

Google is the same way. When it’s deciding what websites to show people, it wants to make sure the information is coming from someone who knows what they’re talking about. Google uses E-E-A-T as its way of deciding what content is high quality and what isn’t. The more you show your E-E-A-T, the more Google will trust you and the higher you will rank.

How do I show Google my content has E-E-A-T?

This is the big question. You have to prove to Google (and your customers) that you are a real, trustworthy business. It’s not just about what you say, but about what others say about you and what you can show. Let’s break down each letter.

Experience: Have you done this before?

This is the newest part of E-E-A-T that Google added. It’s about having real, first-hand knowledge. It’s the difference between a blogger who reads a recipe and a chef who has cooked it a hundred times.

Show, don’t just tell: Use photos and videos to show yourself or your team doing the work. If you’re a plumber, a video of you fixing a leaky faucet is a powerful way to show your experience. This is a core part of our Video Marketing services.
Share your story: Tell your story in your blog posts. Talk about a time you solved a difficult problem for a client. Mention a time when you learned a new skill and how it helped you do your job better.
Case studies: The best way to show experience is through case studies. These are stories about how you helped a specific client solve a specific problem. They show your results and your process.

Expertise: Are you a professional?

Expertise is about having the right skills and knowledge. This can be formal, like a degree or a certification, or it can be a lot of hands-on experience in your field.

Create author bios: Make sure every piece of content you create has a clear author with a photo and a bio. In your bio, mention your years of experience, your professional title, and any special skills or training you have. This tells Google and your readers that a real person with real knowledge wrote the article.
Create helpful content: This is where we at Business Solutions Marketing Group really focus. Don’t just write to sell something. Write to help. Create content that answers your customers’ questions in a clear, easy-to-understand way.
Use your professional voice: Write about your content as a professional. Explain why you made certain choices or why one method is better than another.

Authoritativeness: Are you a go-to source?

Authority is about your reputation. It’s what others in your industry or community think of you. It’s not about what you say about yourself, but what others say about you.

Get mentions: When other trustworthy websites or local news outlets mention your business, it’s a huge boost to your authority.
Get reviews: We talk about this a lot, but it’s crucial. A large number of positive reviews on your Google Business Profile shows Google and new customers that you are a trusted authority in your area. Our Reputation Management services are all about this.
Get links from other websites: When another website links to your content, it’s like a vote of confidence. It tells Google that your content is good enough to be shared and referenced.

Trustworthiness: Are you safe and honest?

Trust is the most important part of E-E-A-T. It’s the foundation for everything else. Without trust, nothing else matters.

Secure your website: This is a simple but critical step. Make sure your website uses HTTPS. You’ll see a small lock icon in the web browser next to your website address. It means your site is secure, and Google trusts it.
Have an “About Us” page: A good “About Us” page with photos of your team and a story about your business makes you seem more human and trustworthy.
Show your contact information: Make it easy for people to find your business address and phone number. This is one of the easiest ways to build trust.
Cite your sources: When you use a statistic or a piece of information from another website, link to it! This shows that you are honest and that your information comes from a credible place.

What are some E-E-A-T stats that you don’t hear much about?

Everyone talks about how E-E-A-T is important, but there are some details that get missed. Did you know that when Google looks at a website, it pays close attention to whether the content has an identified author? One study showed that nearly half of the top-ranking results had a clear author bio (Search Engine Journal). This is a simple thing to add, but it’s a big signal.

Here’s another one: in the past, Google would sometimes show pages with incorrect or harmful information. But now, with E-E-A-T, they have gotten much better at spotting this. A recent study showed that pages with high E-E-A-T consistently rank better than those with low E-E-A-T, especially on “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL) topics like health or financial advice.

And here’s a stat most people don’t think about: a study by AIOSEO found that content over 3,000 words wins 3x more traffic than shorter content. Why? Because long-form, detailed content is more likely to show Experience and Expertise, proving that you have a lot to say on a topic.

At Business Solutions Marketing Group, we help our clients build this trust with every piece of content they create. We can show you how to build a content plan that proves your authority and expertise to Google. This is more than just a marketing trend—it’s how the internet works now. We can help you with your Google Business Listing Optimization and even Review Removal services so that your online reputation truly shows your trustworthiness to Google and your customers.

Key Takeaways

E-E-A-T is Google’s way of judging if your content is high-quality.
Experience is about having real-world, first-hand knowledge. Show it with photos, videos, and case studies.
Expertise is about your skills and knowledge. Prove it with author bios and helpful content.
Authoritativeness is your reputation. Build it by getting good reviews and mentions on other websites.
Trustworthiness is the most important part. Make sure your website is secure, your contact info is clear, and you’re honest in your content.
A well-rounded content strategy that focuses on E-E-A-T will help you rank higher and build a lasting relationship with your audience.

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