Supercharging on-page SEO is a complex task requiring an in-depth understanding of Google’s ever-changing algorithms. The search engine emphasises genuinely valuable content rather than keyword saturation or black hat link-building practices. Leveraging E-E-A-T principles is the most effective strategy to ensure your content has real-world value and boosts site rankings.
Websites must demonstrate they can honestly help readers in their particular niche with accurate, informative, and engaging writing. This is exceptionally important across all industries, especially regarding “Your Money Your Life” content. Content Lab explored the principles behind successful YMYL writing in a previous blog post. Throughout the following article, we’ll zero in on E-E-A-T.
How do you follow Google’s demand for “helpful, reliable, people-first content”? The E-E-A-T acronym illuminates the four most important qualities to consider: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Ticking these boxes will demonstrate comprehensive know-how and show Google that your website genuinely deserves high SERP positioning.
At Content Lab, we’re passionate about dynamic, forward-thinking, and exhaustive SEO strategies. Our work in the iGaming industry requires careful analysis of YMYL characteristics so we can deliver the best content possible for online gambling brands, affiliate websites, and operators. Get in contact to see how we can help transform your digital footprint and optimise your content for the best results.
But first, stay with us for a comprehensive breakdown of the best ways to improve your website’s E-E-A-T. We’ll investigate the shifting nature of Google’s algorithm, how to keep up-to-date with future developments, the top strategies to adapt content, and where AI’s role comes in. See you on the other side!
What Is E-E-A-T?
Adhering to E-E-A-T guidelines is impossible without knowing what the acronym signifies. Learning about Google’s definition of “Experiences. Expertise. Authoritativeness. Trustworthiness” is integral to developing a successful SEO strategy.
This is particularly important in the commonly saturated and poor-quality iGaming content niche, where businesses may be routinely punished for overselling, illegitimate information, and a failure to appreciate responsible gambling measures. Before moving any further, here is a breakdown of each E-E-A-T building block:
Experience
The easiest and, in many ways, the only way to become a true expert on something like iGaming is to have a true lived experience of online casinos and sports betting platforms. Experience is the newest addition to Google’s E-E-A-T concept, focusing on evident first-hand experience in written content. An easy way to instil your writing with demonstrable experience is taking readers on a journey through an online casino’s layout or providing step-by-step guides on registering, depositing, or claiming a bonus.
Expertise
Top-quality content will ooze expertise. Google looks for obvious expertise on subject matters, prioritising high-level writing. For example, our writing experts at Content Lab are well-versed in all parts of the iGaming industry. One great way of showing expertise can be delving deep into online casino bonus terms and conditions, especially regarding wagering requirements. These factors can be confusing and ultimately quite dangerous for first-time gamblers, so our expertise is greatly valued.
Authoritativeness
Authority is a must across your website, not just specific content. This points to your business’ reliability, reputation, and general market standing. Aside from ensuring all the copy on your website is entirely accurate, up-to-date, and engaging, building a solid backlink profile is also fundamental. Citing authoritative sources is an easy way to back up your own factual information, boosting your ability to speak with authority on your specific niche. Authority is built upon foundations of experience and expertise, so all three factors are crucial to each other.
Trustworthiness
Trustworthiness is the last and arguably most important part of your website’s E-E-A-T profile. No matter what your experience, expertise, or authoritativeness is, you must gain readers’ trust with genuine, impartial, and up-to-date information. This should come from proper adherence to the first three E-E-A-T building blocks, but you must also take care at every opportunity to ensure all content is factually correct and unbiased. It’s even more critical in the iGaming sphere, where predatory tactics and obscure information are often used to attract players. Content Lab is passionate about creating player-first iGaming content, fully appreciating negative site aspects alongside positive benefits.
E-E-A-T: At The Forefront Of Google’s Algorithmic Evolution
Google added “Experience” to its pre-existing E-A-T outline on December 12th, demonstrating how the algorithm evolves in its continued pursuit of high-quality, people-first information. The goalposts for successful SEO have narrowed in many ways, with copy also needing to exhibit genuine experience of your specific niche. As the Google Web Developer guidelines state:
“Does content also demonstrate that it was produced with some degree of experience, such as with actual use of a product, having actually visited a place or communicating what a person experienced? There are some situations where really what you value most is content produced by someone who has first-hand, life experience on the topic at hand.”
Adding another “E” into the mix compels content writers and digital marketing strategists to fully demonstrate first-hand experience. This makes comprehensive research and direct testing even more important in the online gambling and sports betting niches,
These platforms are classed as “Your Money Your Life” websites, so following the E-E-A-T principles is absolutely crucial. Keeping tabs on how the concept evolves is the first step towards improving your score, as you can quickly get left behind by any developments. Aside from creating top-quality content for our clients, we’re also determined to keep our fingers on the pulse as much as possible.
Leveraging E-E-A-T Principles: 7 Top Tips
Understanding the E-E-A-T fundamentals generates vital foundations, but successfully leveraging these principles and achieving higher SERP rankings requires more than just simple knowledge.
Successful digital marketers use various techniques to enhance on-page SEO, either through specific pieces of content or a more holistic approach to the entire business website. Some of the best tips we’ve picked up over the years include:
#1: Ensure All Content Is Top-Notch
It goes without saying, but ensuring absolutely top-notch written content is arguably the most important factor for boosting E-E-A-T. Take care to edit all copy to avoid spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and mundane text.
It must be engaging, accurate, and helpful, ideally also demonstrating a level of first-hand experience. Taking online casino reviews as an example, this can be as simple as describing your platform testing in more detail to prove you have genuine first-hand experience of what you’re writing about.
#2: Devise A Backlink Strategy
Building a first-rate backlink profile is one of the best ways to improve your site’s authority score. This requires careful competitor analysis and in-depth research to find the most relevant high-authority pages that could link back to your own.
Once you have identified some ideal platforms, inquire about any guest blogging opportunities or other ways you can feature your business on the website. This can pay serious dividends, but you must avoid blackhat link-building strategies that can seriously hurt your overall SERP ranking and site authority.
#3: Don’t Shy Away From Long-Form Content
Long-form content takes more time, effort, and financial resources, but it can make all the difference. Conveying a deep understanding of any given subject is challenging within 500 words, so how do you expect these shorter-form pieces to comprehensively tick the right E-E-A-T boxes?
While shorter-form copy can be brilliant for breaking news or concise game reviews, long-form content is a much better option for displaying true first-hand experience, authority, and deep knowledge.
#4: Follow Authoritative SEO Sources
Following influential SEO bloggers and websites is the best way to keep track of algorithm changes. As mentioned in the previous section, E-A-T only became E-E-A-T in December 2022, and the next update is bound to be just around the corner.
Google’s admirable pursuit of the best content results in constant tweaking, so you must keep your finger on the pulse. We investigated some of the best SEO influencers and authority sources in a previous blog article. Following these individuals and organisations is integral to stay updated.
#5: Thoroughly Research Your Niche
Successful digital marketing copy must display substantial expertise. The only way to confidently convey a mastery of any given subject is through dedicated research. Even if you think you know it all, there’s always a discovery waiting to be made that can accentuate your aptitude.
For example, top-quality iGaming content cannot be written without a deep understanding of the best software providers, games, gambling strategies, bonuses, and more. We take our position as online gambling specialists very seriously at Content Lab, constantly researching the latest trends and technological advances. This naturally results in a higher level of expertise shining through our content.
#6: Always Provide Source Information & Internal Linking
Following on from doing comprehensive research, you must also provide source information as much as possible via external linking. It’s not just the sites linking to your website that Google considers. The search engine also looks for high-quality outgoing links that can help readers further their understanding elsewhere on the web.
This is the catalyst for an incredibly useful and valuable online ecosystem, where various sources link together to create an unrivalled information nexus. Internal linking is also important and shows Google you’re helping readers past the sole page they’ve visited.
#7: Regularly Audit Old Content
Keeping things up-to-date is crucial to maintaining your trustworthiness and authoritativeness. We thoroughly recommend consistently auditing old content to bring it in line with modern SEO standards.
This is particularly important in the iGaming sphere, as site characteristics like welcome bonuses can change regularly over several months. Google will punish outdated and false information, so keeping on top of this is fundamental.
Understanding E-E-A-T & Its Benefits
By now, the practical benefits of Google’s E-E-A-T concept must be clear. Following these principles brings greater value to the overall online architecture, rewarding genuine quality, value, and knowledge over the rudimentary SEO tactics of the 2000s. As Google states in the introduction to its Search Quality Rater Guidelines:
“Search engines exist to help people find helpful, relevant, and reliable information. To do that, search engines must provide a diverse set of high quality search results, presented in the most helpful way.”
The E-E-A-T concept guarantees exactly that, influencing businesses to pay close attention to their content to create a better world for consumers. Following the tips listed in the previous section will not only help your SERP rankings, but it will also provide a healthier and more useful service for users. In the context of the YMYL iGaming niche we operate in, this is even more important than usual.
The Dangers Of AI Writing & E-E-A-T
This brings us onto the elephant in the room: AI writing. Although new technology like ChatGPT has caused a sensational burst within the copywriting world, is it really good enough to go above and beyond regarding E-E-A-T?
Our previous “What Does Google Say About AI Writing” blog post goes into more detail, but the answer is currently a resounding no. Think about it: can a machine truly demonstrate real-life experience? Not really. ChatGPT and other tools have become remarkably proficient at taking vast amounts of data and rehashing it into original text.
While this may read brilliantly on a surface level, delve deeper, and a lack of real understanding becomes easily apparent. Google’s algorithms are meticulous in their quest for top-quality E-E-A-T writing, so AI-generated copy can easily be punished.
Content Lab: Passionate iGaming & SEO Experts
Content Lab is passionate about combining deep iGaming knowledge and successful SEO principles, ultimately generating high-quality copy that helps our clients boost their overall SERP positioning. Check our introductory blog post for more information on how we can make a genuine difference.
Our skilled writing team has a proven track record supplying various services, from copywriting and translation to proofreading and SEO enhancement. Get in touch for more information on how we can help you achieve your goals.
See You Next Time!
We hope you enjoyed this instalment of the Content Lab blog. Check back for more useful information on the iGaming industry, SEO-based content creation, and other digital marketing techniques.
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