A guide to Google E-A-T and YMYL in SEO

Google has referenced both E-A-T and YMYL concepts heavily in their Search Quality Rater Guidelines. Which is a document that users in the SEO world use to evaluate the effectiveness of search results.

What Is E-A-T?

E-A-T stands for “Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness”. Google’s search quality raters use this principal to determine the quality and effectiveness of search results. Quality raters are users who determine how well Google’s search results meet users’ needs based on the search quality rater guidelines.

The feedback from quality raters doesn’t impact your rankings directly. However, it does help Google make algorithm improvements over a course of time. E-A-T is not a direct Google ranking factor, but it still goes together with SEO. Google introduced the guidelines back in 2014 and has made yearly updates since. In the May 2019 search quality rater guidelines update, the importance of E-A-T was slightly changed. Now, it is one factor in determining page quality, rather than a synonym for page quality.

Now let’s have a look into the three components of E-A-T and how they intersect with your content.

Expertise – To determine expertise, the search quality raters review the creator of the Main Content (MC) of a page. They base it around similar questions to “Is the author an expert on the topic?” “Do they have the expertise, qualifications, and credentials?”

The quality raters also evaluate for “everyday expertise”. This means that someone is well-versed in a topic without necessarily having expert credentials. Everyday expertise could refer to a food blogger who provides informative, useful reviews for specific restaurants, which requires less formal expertise or education. Forum participants that share stories about their loved ones living with some sort of cancer. Google will use this as an example of everyday expertise in its forum.

This subject on Reddit features other people sharing their cancer experiences and they have gained expertise because they’ve been through it, however, it is not considered legitimate medical advice.

If people without medical degrees posted unsubstantiated medical advice on those same forums, they would not be considered experts.

Though Google has stricter rules when it comes to YMYL content, they still expect “everyday expertise” for non-YMYL content.

Authoritativeness – This refers to your overall reputation in your industry. This is especially among experts and influencers in your niche. Google quality raters are instructed to review the authoritativeness of the creator of the MC, the MC itself, and the website.

For example, an article on headaches from the NHS website is authoritative because:

• NHS website is a well-known publication for medical advice
• The advice and editorial contributors are wellness professionals such as doctors or nurses
• Other authorities in your industry link to your content because it provides value.
• In other words, people know you, know your background, and look to you as a leader in your industry. They accept you as a good source of information.

Trustworthiness – The Quality raters also review the creator of the MC, the MC itself, and the website to gauge trustworthiness. It would be good to be clear about who wrote your content, edit for factual accuracy, cite trustworthy sources, and avoid hiding content behind a wall of ads. In section 6.1 of the quality rater guidelines, Google refers to “a shopping checkout page that has an insecure connection” as untrustworthy.

To make consumers know your website is trustworthy, you can add similar things that say to “all transactions are secure and encrypted” to build trust. It is also important to provide contact information on your website, particularly for YMYL topics or online stores.

What Is YMYL?

YMYL stands for “Your Money or Your Life” and these topics could significantly impact readers’ health, financial stability, safety, or well-being. The common YMYL topics include finance, medicine, and current events. E-A-T is equally as important for YMYL websites because misinformation on such topics can cause harm to users. In section 2.3 of the quality rater guidelines, YMYL topics can cause harm to the following groups:

• The person viewing the content
• Others affected by the person who viewed the content
• Groups of people affected by the actions of those who viewed the content

From the July 2022 update of the guidelines, Google clarified which topics fall under the YMYL umbrella. Furthermore, they also highlighted the importance of page quality and, therefore E-A-T when it comes to YMYL topics. You can See on page 12 of the quality rater guidelines on what Google considers YMYL (or not). Below are just a few of the examples:

• Clear YMYL topics – Evacuation routes for a tsunami, news about ongoing violence, information about purchasing prescription drugs
• Possible YMYL topics – The weather forecast, news about a car accident, information about how often to replace a toothbrush
• Unlikely YMYL topics – Music award winners, news about a local high school basketball game, a music video

There are many YMYL topics, but Google says quality evaluators need to use their judgment to determine whether a page qualifies as YMYL content. These pages need to demonstrate the highest levels of E-A-T. While E-A-T and YMYL aren’t SEO ranking factors, they are important things to consider when creating quality content, this is because Google considers this as extremely important.

If you are having trouble determining whether a topic falls under the YMYL category, you can see in the quality rater Guidelines, where Google recommends asking yourself these questions:

1. Would someone seek out experts on this topic to prevent harm, and would inaccuracies cause harm? If so, the topic is probably YMYL.
2. Would most people be content with only consulting friends casually about this topic? If so, it’s probably not YMYL.