Understanding Google’s expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (EAT) guidelines is essential for any functional medicine website. This method of improving search engine rankings helps Google understand whether your content is valuable to readers. Last year, they made a significant update to their guidelines. Here’s everything you need to know about how the EAT Google update can benefit your medical practice.
What Is the EAT Google Update?
Last year, Google updated their search rater quality guidelines, including an added letter to their EAT concepts. Now called EEAT, this update can help improve user quality and enhance content for readers. While the ideas in the concept are not new, the ratings can help you improve the experience for your readers and grow your practice.
Experience
When people search for valuable medical information, they want to read content from an experienced source. That is the purpose behind Google adding the additional “E” to their EAT concept. Quality content should reflect real-life experience to prove the subject matter is authentic for your target audience.
Expertise
While expertise and experience may sound similar, they rank differently in Google’s EAT concept. When search quality raters review online content for rankings, they want to know if the writers have the topical expertise and are qualified to write about the topic.
Authoritativeness
The more you write on functional medicine topics, guest post, and gain online reviews, the more your authority will grow. Quality raters will scan your website content for authoritativeness to enhance the reader experience. You can boost authoritativeness by creating links to reputable sources within your content.
Trustworthiness
This last part of the EEAT concept is crucial for your website. When quality raters scan your content, they look for source credit. For example, they will look for the author, content accuracy, and ensure you don’t have too many ads on your website.
Navigating Changes In Search Rankings
Highlight Your Experience
If you want to improve your search rankings and grow your functional medicine practice, you must highlight your experience. Google’s quality raters will scan your website to search for real-life experience within your content. Mention your experience in your content and it will boost your SEO.
Showcase Your Expertise
Potential patients want to know you have experience in the topic they’re reading. Therefore, include clear experience such as your biography, education, and any awards. The search engine wants to know if you have the knowledge and experience to publish the content. Your About page is a great place to showcase your expertise.
Demonstrate Authority
Creating backlinks is the best way to demonstrate authority in your website content. Also, if other websites link back to your website, it boosts your authority. Writing testimonials, guest posting, podcast interviews, and infographics are also ways to demonstrate authority in your field.
Focus On Trustworthiness
While Google added experience to their EAT concept, the search engine still considers trustworthiness as most important. The history of your practice, memberships, awards, and detailed information can improve your trustworthiness with Google and your readers.
Contact Functional Medicine SEO Today
The team at Functional Medicine SEO specializes in website strategies to help your medical practice gain online visibility. Contact us for a strategy session today and learn how we can help you grow a successful practice.
