Search engine optimization (SEO) is an important part of any digital marketing strategy. It involves making sure that your website and content are optimized for search engines so that they appear higher in the rankings when people search for relevant terms. This is incredibly important in the real estate world, as higher traffic to your website and better rankings on Google will lead more clients straight into your awaiting arms.
One key component of SEO is E-E-A-T, which stands for Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. In this article, we will discuss what E-E-A-T means and why it matters to both you and Google
What is E-E-A-T?
As we already mentioned, E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. When Google is indexing websites and determining which ones should appear at the top of their search results, they look at various factors to determine if a website is qualified enough to be ranked higher. These are collectively referred to as E-E-A-T metrics.
Google’s algorithm considers E-E-A-T when ranking websites in search engine results pages, meaning higher E-E-A-T scores can lead to increased visibility and more traffic to a real estate agent’s website. The better your E-E-A-T score, the more likely it is that potential clients will find you and choose to do business with you.
Let’s take a closer look at what each aspect of E-E-A-T means and how you can make the most of it to get results:
Experience
Experience refers to how long a website or author has been around and the amount of knowledge they possess in their field. Having experience in the field you’re writing about is essential for SEO success. Not only does it demonstrate to Google that your website or author has a good understanding of their topic, but it also helps build trust with readers.
Having a long-standing presence online can help boost your credibility and authority, which will improve your site’s rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs).
Having experience and expertise in the form of published articles, blog posts, podcasts, or videos can show potential clients that you have an authoritative voice when discussing topics related to real estate or reviewing areas that you’re trying to sell. This will not only increase the visibility of your content but also create more opportunities for conversions.
Expertise
Expertise refers to the expertise of the content creator or author. Is this person an expert in their field? Are they knowledgeable about the topic they are writing about? Expertise shows that you have a deep understanding of the subject matter, and this is something Google looks for when it comes to ranking websites—not to mention something home buyers look for in a real estate agent.
Having expertise means having an in-depth knowledge of a particular topic—which, as it turns out, is a highly attractive quality for a real estate agent—as well as being able to provide readers with valuable insights and information.
This can be achieved by creating content that is well-researched, concise, and informative. Having a portfolio of published works can help boost your credibility and authority in the eyes of Google.
Authoritativeness
Authority refers to the level of influence or respect that a person has in their field of expertise. It’s often referred to as “influencer marketing” and can have a great impact on SEO ranking.
An authoritative source is seen as a reliable source of information and will be looked upon more favourably by Google. You can gain authority by having a large following or being mentioned in reputable publications.
Trustworthiness
Trustworthiness refers to whether or not readers feel they can trust the information they’re reading. Is the content accurate and up-to-date? Does the author source their facts or use evidence to back up their claims? Are there any sources of bias that could impact how readers interpret the content?
The trustworthiness of a website is something that Google takes into account when ranking
websites. Readers should be able to trust the information they find on the website and feel confident in their decisions based on it—especially if they’re considering hiring or working with the owner of the site.
Building up your trustworthiness can be done by making sure your content is accurate and well-researched, as well as being transparent with the readers by citing sources and linking out to reputable websites.
Y-M-Y-L
This is another acronym you’re going to want to understand when it comes to E-E-A-T in SEO, though it doesn’t directly affect real estate agents. Google looks at Y-M-Y-L, or Your Money Your Life, pages, which are pages that contain information that could potentially affect readers’ financial or medical well-being, to rank content.
While it’s safe to say that most real estate agents are not providing content that will in any way alter or influence a person’s finances or medical state, it’s still important to understand Google’s ranking system. It’s best to be as informed as possible when it comes to the success of your business!
Why is E-E-A-T Important?
E-E-A-T is an important factor for real estate SEO purposes because it helps to improve a website’s rankings on search engine results pages. If you’re in the top ranking on Google when people search for homes in your area, you can bet they’ll be clicking on your name. It also shows potential clients that you’re knowledgeable and credible—something that many aspiring homeowners will take very seriously.
Real estate agents deal with high-stakes transactions and clients are going to want to really know who they’re trusting with such a big purchase. This makes E-E-A-T essential to building that trust and credibility. Having high E-E-A-T scores will help ensure that Google ranks your website more favourably and increases both visibility and opportunities for conversions.
How Does Google Rank E-E-A-T?
Google ranks E-E-A-T by using algorithms that assess several web page attributes. Google considers the quality of content, the authoritativeness of the website, the experience and expertise of the content creator and reviewers, as well as website design and user experience.
For real estate agents, understanding how Google ranks E-E-A-T is essential since it can dramatically impact their website’s level of traffic and overall online success. If real estate agents fail to meet Google’s E-E-A-T criteria, their chances of ranking high on search engine results pages are significantly reduced.
Focusing on SEO strategies that align with Google’s guidelines, such as providing reliable and accurate content, demonstrating expertise in a given field, and fostering trust through transparent author information, can help real estate agents succeed and thrive.
How to Improve Your E-E-A-T
Quality Content
Google’s search algorithms are designed to reward websites that provide valuable, informative, and engaging content to their users. Creating quality content involves conducting thorough research, using credible sources, providing accurate and up-to-date information, and presenting it in a clear and concise manner. The more informative and helpful the content is, the more likely it is to be shared by other websites, which will increase your website’s visibility, authority, and credibility.
By investing in quality content, real estate agents can create a unique brand voice and establish themselves as experts in their field, attracting more followers and visitors to their websites.
Moreover, quality content helps establish a strong relationship with your readers and prospective clients, which can lead to increased engagement, loyalty, and trust, all of which are important factors in improving your E-E-A-T score.
By consistently producing high-quality content, you can demonstrate your experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness, which will help you rank higher on search engine results pages, attract more traffic, and ultimately drive more conversions to your website.
Transparent Author Info
In addition to high-quality content, it’s important to be transparent about who is writing the content. Providing author information that includes a biography, a picture of the author, and contact details can help build trust with readers and show them that you are accountable for your work.
This transparency also helps establish authority because readers will know who they are reading and be able to research the person’s credentials.
Apart from this, transparent author information allows for opportunities to link to authoritative external websites and social media profiles, increasing a website’s overall domain authority.
Reliable Sources
Using reliable sources is another way to demonstrate the credibility of the content on your website. When linking out to other websites, make sure they are reputable and provide accurate information.
When real estate agents use unreliable sources, it can significantly impact their website’s SEO ranking, as Google’s algorithm is designed to penalize websites that provide inaccurate or low-quality information.
Ultimately, utilizing reliable sources is important for building a positive reputation, fostering trust with consumers, and demonstrating your expertise and authority in the real estate industry.
Positive Brand Reputation
In a highly competitive industry like real estate, a good brand reputation is integral for success. This positive reputation indicates that your business is reliable, knowledgeable, and trustworthy, obviously something that homeowners will be looking for when they need to buy or sell their homes.
By building up your brand’s reputation, you’ll result in more referrals, repeat business, and an increased number of leads. A positive brand reputation can also serve as a differentiator, helping agents stand out from their competitors. A strong reputation can help agents establish themselves as experts in their field, leading to increased authority, recognition, and respect.
All of this positive feedback and attention on your brand will inevitably improve a real estate agent’s online visibility by increasing website traffic and search engine ranking.
Monitor Content
When it comes to real estate SEO and Google’s E-E-A-T, the quality of your content is key. The quality of content published on a website is a significant criterion that Google considers when ranking websites, and authority and trustworthiness of content are critical elements.
Monitoring your content regularly can help ensure that your website offers value to your visitors by providing them with accurate, up-to-date, and relevant information. For example, if you publish an article about the top trends in new construction design, you’re going to want to check back in a few months to ensure those are, in fact, still trending in the real estate world.
Monitoring and updating your content can also enhance the overall user experience, leading to more engaged visitors, increased dwell time, and potentially more conversions for real estate agents.
Authoritative Backlinking
Authoritative backlinking is when you link to authoritative websites and sources which boosts your credibility. Why is this important to real estate agents? Because you can establish yourself as an expert in the field by linking to sources that are trusted and having them link back to you.
Begin by creating high-quality, relevant, and shareable content that can attract authoritative sites in your industry to link back to your website. Use your professional network to reach out to authoritative websites and bloggers in your field, offering to provide insights on your area of expertise. Guest blogging and forum posting on respected websites in your industry can also provide great opportunities for backlinking.
It’s essential to stay away from low-quality websites that can damage your website’s reputation. By prioritizing authoritative backlinking, you can establish your website’s relevance, increase your website’s traffic, and enhance your online authority, ultimately driving success to your real estate business.
Real estate agents need to be aware of the power that Google’s E-E-A-T holds when it comes to search engine rankings. By monitoring their content, building up a positive brand reputation, and prioritizing authoritative backlinking, real estate agents can increase website traffic and enhance their online authority.
However, this is no easy feat—if you’re looking for help in executing these principles on your own website or marketing plan, there are real estate SEO services available to you! Reach out to Asterisk today! Our team of experts will partner with you to create a marketing strategy tailored specifically for the success of your business. What steps have you taken towards increasing your presence in the real estate industry?