What Is E-E-A-T? (And Why It Matters for Your Ottawa Small Business)
E-E-A-T provides a framework to follow that helps build trust in your Ottawa small-business website with search engines - which is directly related to your SEO. Google needs to trust your website before it sends searchers to it. Google (and other search engines) is here to serve searchers the BEST answers to their queries. So, how do you show that your website is the one to trust?
Let’s keep this really simple.
What is E-E-A-T?
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. Officially - it’s authoritativeness according to Google - but let’s keep things reasonable here.
Experience
Google wants to read real-life, real-lived experience, not just theory. Instead of “Doulas offer support to growing families,” what if you wrote, “In my experience as a doula in Ottawa since 2012, the families who reach out most are the ones who value a,b,c.”
Photographers: Instead of “The Arboretum is beautiful in the spring,” write, “After 10 years of photographing Ottawa families at the Arboretum, here are my top tips to get the most beautiful photos during blossom season.” Sharing actual images of varying families you’ve photographed at the Arboretum is key here.
Expertise
Demonstrate what you know about your work. If you offer doula services, create content (blog posts, social media posts, website pages) about your knowledge. This isn’t about a list of credentials; it’s about demonstrating what you know in a way that is helpful to your readers / future clients.
Clear, specific content signals to search engines (Google is the one that introduced EEAT as a ranking factor) that you know what you are doing.
Authoritativeness (or Authority if that word doesn’t roll well for you)
Client reviews, testimonials, mentions on social media, blogs, podcasts, other websites, etc. Backlinks (which happen when someone links to your website from theirs for example) show Google that you are a trusted source for those websites, so it increases your authoritativeness.
This one takes time, but it is a very powerful factor in your website’s SEO.
When we work together, I give you many options specific to your small business where you can reach out or build relationships to build your authoritativeness. Again, it takes time, but a simple option is Google Reviews on your Google Business Profile. Your happy clients will be happy to help you out most of the time with a 5-star review.
Trustworthiness
Can we trust your website? This is a big one. Do you have your name, address (if applicable), and phone number on your website? Are you a real business?
Side note: I just went through a huge mess because my old photography website was copied and put back online using my old URL. I didn’t realize how damaging that could be to my own SEO. Because someone copied my work and created a fake website using my name and work, the SEO on my new website tanked. It’s a long story - but it’s real evidence that Google wants trustworthy websites out there. Because there were two sites in my name, Google didn’t trust either one of them. The problem has now been solved, but it was a huge mess that needed cleaning up, and I’m rebuilding my trustworthiness even though I wasn’t the one who “lied” online.
What else matters for trustworthiness?
A real name (yours or your business name)
Contact info that actually works (does your contact form work?)
A clear privacy policy and terms of service on your website (yes, this matters and is now required in many countries!!)
Honest descriptions of what you do
A secure https:// site (called an SSL certificate). Most sites now provide it automatically, but it's worth checking, especially if your website is older.
Why does E-E-A-T matter to you and your small business website?
When Google sees E-E-A-T on your website, it's more likely to show your site to the people already searching for what you do. Google is crawling our websites all the time, so you can fix this now if you need to.
With the influx of AI, people are searching for real support and answers from real people, and so is Google. Your small business website will be the result that your clients are looking for. Don’t be afraid to be YOU on your website and share what makes you different, share your perspective and your experience - it makes a huge impact on your EEAT. (and I write this from experience - ha ha).
When you want to show up more often in search results, look at your E-E-A-T on your site and see where you can make some improvements.
Next Steps for E-E-A-T and you:
Include your photo and name on your website. It’s nice to see who we are “working” with when we are reading a website.
Write about your work from your own experience.
Ask happy clients for testimonials and post them on your website and Google Business Profile. Clients can leave reviews directly on Google Business Profile, making them even more trustworthy.
Include your contact information and full name in the footer of your website. So many small business owners forget this step.
That’s it! Start there. The E-E-A-T framework is a great guide as you set up your website for success, so more clients can find you and book.
Want help making your website clearer so Google (and the right people) can find you? Join me for a VIP DAY to find your next steps and get guidance while you optimize your website and online presence.
