When you search for something on Google, how does Google determine the order (rankings) of the web pages listed?
It scores sites according to its E-A-T guidelines. The acronym stands for:
- Expertise (content author’s and site owner’s)
- Authoritativeness (e.g. other experts refer to you)
- Trustworthy (e.g. has good reviews, is a secure site).
Because you’re a dentist, you and your site need to have an extremely high E-A-T (score) in order for your page to appear higher in the stack of results.
Here’s why. Google likely categorizes your website as a YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) site; that is, a site offering financial, medical, or legal advice.
Since the quality or accuracy of the information in these types of sites could positively or negatively affect a visitor’s health, wealth or happiness, Google (search algorithms) hold them at much higher E-A-T standards than other types of sites.
Google is constantly changing its algorithm in efforts to improve the quality of its search results. The most recent changes seem to focus on putting even more weight on a sites E-A-T score.
Here are a few things that will improve your and your site’s E-A-T level (to improve your ranking on Google/ site’s SEO).
- High quality content. Create well-written content your audience wants and understands. Also, creating a video or podcast that allows you to demonstrate your expertise in a subject and provide answers to frequently asked questions will help establish your expertise.
- Links to your site from other respected dental-related websites will help establish authoritativeness.
- Lots of positive reviews (e.g. on Facebook, Google), addressing negative ones; and having a secure website domain (https) increase your and your site’s trustworthiness.
Interested in learning more? Reach out to Lasso today!