Showing you are an expert by illustrating your expertise in the web content you create is very important, as it shows you know what you’re talking about.
As you may know, Google wants the most relevant content to be shown at the top of its search results page. If you are looking for home remedies on how to treat poison ivy, you don’t want to read about the wildlife where poison ivy is found. You want to read about home remedies that will help you solve your problems.
Part of Google’s goal is to provide you with accurate, truthful, and helpful information. You want to find exactly what you are searching for, right? For this reason, Google EAT (expertise, authority, and trustworthiness) is the standards Google has to provide you with the right information.
So, when you are reading information about poison ivy, you want to hear from a source written by an expert in the field so that you get accurate information that will actually help you.
In this article, we’ll look at what you need to do to implement Google EAT in your content. Specifically, we’ll look at how to show you are an expert in the niche you are writing about.
Are You an Expert in Your Field?
The first thing you need to look at is whether you are, in fact, an expert on a topic. This is especially true when talking about important areas, like YMYL (Your Money, Your Life) websites.
Google has made it a goal to provide accurate information from experts, such as medical professionals. An expert is a person with extensive knowledge of a subject, such as a doctor or financial expert.
If you look for a topic on health, you want the person giving the advice to be a medical expert, so you can get accurate information, right?
So, what if you are not an expert on a topic (don’t have a degree or the right credentials to back yourself up)? While Google wants authors to be experts, it has released an exception for “everyday experts.”
An “everyday expert” means you have relevant life experience without formal training or education. This is only relevant for websites that are not related to YMYL content.
An example of someone with “everyday expertise” would be a foodie who decides to write a detailed, accurate, and helpful restaurant review.
So, there are two ways you can be an expert. If you have formal training or education, you can be an expert for a YMYL website. But, if you have “everyday expertise,” you can write about non-YMYL content, and you are considered to be an expert if you meet those qualifications.
Typically, an individual with everyday expertise has extensive knowledge or abilities on a topic. In other words, they know what they are talking about from their life experience or talents they have.
Top Tips to Show You are an Expert
- Represent yourself on your Home page.
On your home page, you should explain who you are, what you do, why you do it, and how you can best help readers with their problems or questions. Your Home page is your chance to brag about yourself a little and give readers a reason to read your blog posts.
This way, they know what you are all about and can decide if you are knowledgeable enough to offer them the advice or information they are looking for. - Provide an author biography and byline with your blog post.
Include a photo, too! You want people to be able to put a face to the person writing the information. This helps build your credibility with your audience. The byline and biography show readers who you are as an author and why you are an expert on the topic. - Ask the right questions.Your readers may not have a clear picture in their minds of what information they need. Help them determine what their needs are by asking the right questions and steering them in the right direction.
- Provide helpful, relevant answers.
As you answer the questions that you just asked, make sure you provide a variety of choices as answers or lead them in the right place to find the answers to their questions if you are unable to provide them with the answers. - Provide high-quality content.
Care about your writing; don’t just throw a bunch of words on the page to fill a quota. Do your research and write a useful blog post that’s well organized. - Show you’ve done your research.
You can do this in many ways. Cite any sources you use in your content; don’t just copy and paste. Provide insight from credible sources, such as journals or case studies. Remember that you are trying to provide readers with solutions and help them, so give them what they want to know or direct them onto the right path. - Explain your qualifications.
If you are an everyday expert or providing a summary of research from experts, explain the qualifications of whom you are getting your facts from. - Use expert information as your source material.
If you don’t have the expertise, use an expert as your qualified source material. Mention who they are and what their credentials are. Ask them for an interview or quote them. Make sure you provide links to reputable sources where readers can find more valuable information. Provide contributions from verifiable experts on the topic. - Have a valuable About page on your website.
On your About page, you can provide your credentials, any organizations you belong to, and the degrees or other qualifications you have. You want readers to have a clear picture of who you are and why you are writing the blog post. - Fulfill the reader’s search intent with your content.
When the reader entered keywords to find your blog post, what was their search intent? Determine what the intent of the reader is to make sure you are providing them with the right content. - Provide a way to contact you.
Offer readers a call to action at the end of your blog post and a clear Contact page, so it’s easy for them to contact you with further questions or comments. - Continue to publish valuable content.
Keep providing quality content to position yourself as an expert on the subject matter. Continuing to share valuable information will show that you know your stuff!
Conclusion
Remember to show your expertise when writing high-quality content on your website. Follow the tips above to show readers you are qualified to provide them with the information on your blog post. If you aren’t a formal expert, show you are an everyday expert through your life experience and talent.
Are you looking to boost the SEO (search engine optimization) of your website or blog? Did you know that Google EAT and SEO go hand in hand?
At Angry Ape Creative, we make small business a big deal! We can help you with your website or blogging needs, so be sure to reach out and contact us today for more information on how we can best help you!
Jay Bilunas is a graphic designer and marketing consultant. He loves helping small businesses succeed with great marketing and design. He also teaches and tries to help up and coming designers.