E-E-A-T to Increase B2B Success & Visibility

Executive Summary

In today's highly competitive digital landscape, businesses in technology, SaaS, and professional services must optimise their online presence to improve search visibility (SEO) to attract more clients. Google's Expertise, Experience, Authority, and Trust (E-E-A-T.) guidelines offer a valuable framework for achieving these objectives.

This article explores the key aspects of E-E-A-T. and provides actionable insights your business can adopt to enhance your digital presence, and ultimately increase your profitability.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to Applying E-E-A-T
2. Expertise
3. Experience
4. Authority
5. Trust
6. Assessing E-E-A-T. Performance
7. Key Takeaways
8. FAQs
9. Conclusion

1. Introduction to Applying E-E-A-T

Google's Expertise, Experience, Authority, and Trust (E-E-A-T.) guidelines play a crucial role in determining search rankings and website visibility. As a business-to-business (B2B) sales and marketing consultancy, salesXchange Ltd understands the importance of adhering to these guidelines, especially for businesses operating in technology, SaaS, and professional services sectors. This article looks into the E-E-A-T. framework, offering detailed explanations and practical tips for businesses to implement these principles and achieve online success.

It is important to understand that Google is not trying to make things difficult for anyone as they are constantly striving to provide the best experience for THEIR customers, not your.  As users of free Google search, we, as business owners have no alternative other than to adhere to Google's guidelines if we want to share their customers.  Yes I know it might sound a strange concept, however, businesses can try and trade without Google, but it would require paying vast amounts of money for radio, T.V., magazine and newspaper advertising and it's not financially viable.

That said, having reviewed the E-E-A-T guidelines, they simply ensure that your, our, prospects are able to evaluate us as efficiently as possible and once that's out of the way, they are able to ascertain if we are going to be the right supplier/vendor for them, so it's not all bad.  

Google's web page 

"E-E-A-T — or "Double-E-A-T," if you prefer, is now part of the updated search rater guidelines we've just released. You'll also see clearer guidance throughout the guidelines underscoring the importance of content created to be original and helpful for people, and explaining that helpful information can come in a variety of different formats and from a range of sources."

2. Expertise

Expertise refers to the depth of knowledge and skill demonstrated by the content creators on a particular subject matter. Showcasing expertise is vital for businesses in technology, SaaS, and professional services as it establishes credibility and demonstrates competence.

How to demonstrate expertise:

• Showcasing credentials and achievements: Highlight the qualifications, certifications, and professional accomplishments of your content creators to build trust and credibility.  Simply notating an article with an authors name is not sufficient.  It is best to create specific and detailed Author's Biographies, which can appear at the bottom of every article they write.

• Publishing well-researched and accurate content: Ensure that your content is backed by research and data, and includes citations from reputable sources and ensuring the external links are active and live as well as referencing internal professional content such as white papers.

• Including expert opinions and citations: Collaborate with industry experts and include their insights and opinions in your content to further strengthen your expertise.

• Ensure you implement Structured Data: Establish your business with high E-E-A-T as structured data can simply define the author or an article or can be a complete Schema for Person which include a reft of additional information about the authors. 

3. Experience

Experience within the E-E-A-T framework refers to the overall user experience of a website. A positive user experience can lead to higher search rankings and improved customer engagement.

Strategies to improve user experience:

• Mobile optimisation: Ensure that your website is responsive and user-friendly on mobile devices, as a significant portion of online traffic comes from smartphones and tablets.

• Page speed improvements: Optimise your website for faster load times to reduce bounce rates and enhance user experience.

• Intuitive site navigation: Make it easy for users to find the information they are looking for by creating a logical and straightforward site structure.

• Clear and concise content presentation: Present your content in a well-organised, easy-to-read format with appropriate headings, bullet points, and white space.

Years of Experience in Signals, in the context of SEO, refers to the age of a domain or website and its accumulated online presence over time. It's an indirect factor that can influence a website's search rankings, credibility, and authority. While not a direct ranking signal used by search engines like Google, it still has an impact on a website's SEO performance. Here's how:

1. Domain Age: Older domains are often perceived as more trustworthy and authoritative, as they have been around for a longer period and have had time to establish their presence in the industry. However, domain age alone does not guarantee higher rankings. A website with high-quality content and strong backlinks can outperform an older domain with less valuable content.

2. Historical Backlinks: Over time, a website with years of experience will have acquired backlinks from various sources, which can contribute to its overall domain authority. These backlinks serve as "votes of confidence" from other websites, indicating the credibility and quality of the content. The more high-quality backlinks a website has, the more likely it is to rank higher in search results.

3. Content Archive: A website with years of experience will have built up a comprehensive archive of content, which can improve its visibility in search engines. This extensive content library can help the website rank for a wider range of keywords and attract more organic traffic.

4. Brand Recognition and Reputation: Over time, a website with years of experience will have built a strong brand reputation, both online and offline. This brand recognition can help improve click-through rates (CTR) from search results, as users are more likely to click on a familiar and trusted brand.

5. User Engagement Metrics: A website with years of experience is more likely to have a solid user base and higher engagement metrics, such as time on site, pages per session, and lower bounce rates. These metrics can indirectly influence search rankings, as search engines tend to favour websites that offer a positive user experience.

While years of experience in signals can contribute to better SEO performance, it's essential to continue implementing best practices in content creation, on-page optimisation, and off-page strategies to maintain and improve search rankings.

Years of Experience in B2B SEO terms involves the main seven components below:

• The foundation date of the company is a B2B SEO factor for demonstrating company experience.
• The intensity of the length of experience involves the value of the length of experience. A company with two years of experience might have better value than a company with 10 years of experience.
• Company success stories involve case studies, research, publications, books, webinars, seminars, education sessions, and social responsibility campaigns to demonstrate the business value to the industry. Company success stories help B2B SEO by creating brand value, and better E-E-A-T.
• Company press releases and coverage helps B2B SEO by providing a corporate image by demonstrating the company’s value.
• Company CEO’s Length of Experience helps to strengthen the experience of the company. A company with 0 years of experience takes advantage of a high-level, experienced CEO.
• Company product line involves the products that the company produces. A long product line shows the success of the company with variations of the same product.
• Company Review Count and Review Deepness demonstrate the business feedback. Older reviews and detailed reviews show the experience level of the company in satisfying the clients and customers. B2B SEO and company reviews are connected due to E-E-A-T, and conversion funnels.

The experience 'signals' help with B2B SEO to boost organic search visibility for small and large businesses, including enterprises with a faster conversion path.

4. Authority

Authority relates to the credibility and influence of a website within its industry. Establishing authority is particularly crucial for businesses in technology, SaaS, and professional services sectors, as it can lead to increased trust and higher search rankings.

Ways to build authority:

• Gaining high-quality backlinks: Obtain backlinks from reputable websites in your industry to boost your domain authority and search visibility.

• Consistently publishing valuable content: Regularly create and share informative, engaging, and helpful content that addresses the needs and challenges of your target audience.

• Engaging with the online community: Participate in industry forums, social media discussions, and online events to showcase your knowledge and foster relationships with other industry professionals. Please Note: Google cannot crawl Javascript based Comments systems such as Disqus (Yes I know we use Disqus!), but if you have the opportunity to use and moderate your own Commenting system within your CMS, then each new comment adds to your indexable content and to your authority. 

• Collaborating with other industry leaders: Partner with well-respected experts and businesses in your sector to produce content, host webinars, or conduct joint research. These collaborations can help reinforce your authority in the industry.

5. Trust

Trust is an essential component of the E-E-A-T. framework, as it directly impacts a website's credibility and search ranking. Building trust with users and Google is crucial for businesses in technology, SaaS, and professional services industries.  The fundamental website and company trust elements for B2B SEO are listed below: -

• Success Stories
• CEO Background
• Social Responsibility Projects
• Citations of the Company name in reliable sources
• Positive user and customer feedback
• Strong social media existence
• Having a live customer support
• Having an open address, phone number, and email address on the website
• Expertise signals such as unique research and rewards.
• Reliable partners in the business world

Methods to increase trustworthiness:

• Secure website (HTTPS): Implement HTTPS to protect user data and signal to users and search engines that your site is secure.

• Transparent and easy-to-find contact information: Provide clear and accessible contact information, including phone numbers, email addresses, and physical locations, to demonstrate transparency and credibility.

• Clear policies on privacy and data usage: Create and display easy-to-understand privacy policies and data usage terms to reassure users that their information is safe with your business.

• Displaying testimonials and user reviews: Showcase positive customer testimonials and reviews to provide social proof and demonstrate the value of your products or services.

6. Assessing E-E-A-T. Performance

Regular evaluation of your website's E-E-A-T. score is crucial to ensure ongoing adherence to Google's guidelines and maintain high search rankings.

• Tools and methods to evaluate a website's E-E-A-T. score: Utilise SEO tools, user feedback, and expert evaluations to assess your website's E-E-A-T. performance.

• Importance of regular evaluation and updates: Stay up-to-date with algorithm changes and industry trends by periodically reviewing and updating your website and content.

7. Key Takeaways

1. E-E-A-T. guidelines are essential for businesses in technology, SaaS, and professional services industries to enhance their online presence and search visibility.
2. Expertise, experience, authority, and trust are the four critical components of the E-E-A-T. framework that need to be addressed to improve search rankings and user engagement.
3. Regular assessment and updating of your website's E-E-A-T. performance ensure long-term success and adaptability to changes in search algorithms and industry trends.

8. FAQs

Q: What is the E-E-A-T. framework?

A: E-E-A-T. stands for Expertise, Experience, Authority, and Trust. It is a set of guidelines used by Google to evaluate the quality of websites and determine their search rankings.

Q: How can I showcase my expertise in my content?

A: You can showcase your expertise by highlighting your credentials, publishing well-researched and accurate content, and including expert opinions and citations.

Q: Why is website user experience important?

A: A positive user experience can lead to higher search rankings, improved customer engagement, and increased conversions.

Q: How can I build authority for my website?

A: You can build authority by gaining high-quality backlinks, consistently publishing valuable content, engaging with the online community, and collaborating with other industry leaders.

9. Conclusion

Implementing Google's E-E-A-T. guidelines is crucial for businesses in technology, SaaS, and professional services sectors to enhance their online presence, improve search rankings, and ultimately increase profitability.

By following the detailed explanations and actionable tips provided in this article, businesses can effectively adopt E-E-A-T. principles and achieve long-term success because it's in the interest of your prospects to know more about you and in your interests to attact more new business.

To learn more about leveraging the E-E-A-T. framework for your business and blending it with Digital Selling, get in touch with us at salesXchange to talk about your business and future plans.