Google’s goal is to provide users with the best results for quality and relevance.
To refine search results and ensure a perfect SERP, Google performs updates to the algorithms, almost daily thanks also to the work of quality raters. Sometimes, however, basic updates are made that have a considerable impact on the ranking of thousands and millions of websites.
The Google algorithm takes hundreds of different factors into account to understand exactly what the user is looking for and will return the most suitable and relevant results. More than an algorithm, it is actually machine learning system able to learn from data, search terms, time, geographical area and draw its own conclusions.
What does the term E.A.T mean?
On August 1, 2018, Google made updates to the EAT core algorithm, also known as the “Medic update”, yet whatever it might seem, it has nothing to do with food.
The acronym E.A.T stands for:
- Expertise:
- Authoritativeness
- Trustworthiness
Google has detailed the guidelines for quality raters specifying that demonstrating a high level of experience, authority and reliability must be one of the most important features of high quality content.
What does YMYL mean when it comes to websites?
YMYL stands for “Your Money or Your Life”, that is, those sites that can potentially have an impact on people’s future, health or finances. If the information on these sites is false or wrong, the impact on people’s lives could be negative and catastrophic.
These types of websites are subject to more updates from the E.A.T algorithm that aims precisely at the penalization of low quality YMYL websites.
Does the EAT algorithm only apply to YMYL websites or to all websites?
As we have already mentioned YMYL sites are those that could damage an individual’s health, make him, or her lose money or even ruin a family situation.
These are obviously the sites where the impact of the algorithm is greater as seen from the first reports on the topic.
Examples of these websites are those that offer slimming products, medicine not supported by the medical community, etc.
Although the first websites to be subject to penalties are the nutrition ones, diet and medicines are not excluded, indeed it is certain that all websites will have to follow the criteria of EAT to position themselves on Google at all.
What to do to ensure that a website is E.A.T.?
Demonstrating a high level of experience, authority and reliability is not a simple thing especially when it comes to a small company or startups. Relying on SEO experts and Content Writers who know in depth the search engines and the ranking criteria is essential to avoid incurring penalties and be successful compared to the competition.