Despite E-E-A-T signals being more important than ever in earning your right to rank on the SERPs, many sites are still barely getting the basics right when it comes to demonstrating these. In some ways, E-E-A-T requires a mindset shift away from SEO and towards establishing subject matter experts and thought leaders -- and building a brand... but beneath this, there are stacks of tactical things you can work into your strategy. This is true for demonstrating E-E-A-T at each of the content, author and brand levels, yet these signals too frequently get spoken about as one, rather than what’s effective at each of these. Join James Brockbank, Managing Director & Founder at Digitaloft, to learn practical ways to demonstrate E-E-A-T that go beyond the basics, covering tactics you’re (probably) not yet using but should be. After this session, you’ll be able to: - Differentiate between what it takes to demonstrate E-E-A-T at the content, author and brand levels - Understand practical ways of building signals that show these into your existing workflow - Integrate your SEO, PR and social efforts around a common goal of stronger E-E-A-T signals

1. PRACTICAL WAYS TO DEMONSTRATE
E-E-A-T AT THE CONTENT, AUTHOR &
BRAND LEVELS.
James Brockbank, Digitaloft

2. Google owe
you nothing!

4. September’s Helpful
Content Update
looked like this for
some sites…

5. but for many more
sites, it meant
stability or growth.

6. This could have been called the real
business update.

7. It’s likely that the
Helpful Content
System has been
trained on content
with high / very high
E-E-A-T.

9. Why are
SEOs so
surprised?!

10. 2002
2023
The fundamentals
of SEO haven’t
changed in 21
years.
https://x.com/searchliaison/status/1677006067098845185?s=20

11. The bar just keeps
getting raised on what
deserves to rank.

12. Page 27, Google Quality Rater Guidelines: https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/guidelines.raterhub.com/en//searchqualityevaluatorguidelines.pdf

13. Page 27, Google Quality Rater Guidelines: https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/guidelines.raterhub.com/en//searchqualityevaluatorguidelines.pdf
CONTENT

14. Page 27, Google Quality Rater Guidelines: https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/guidelines.raterhub.com/en//searchqualityevaluatorguidelines.pdf
CONTENT AUTHOR

15. Page 27, Google Quality Rater Guidelines: https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/guidelines.raterhub.com/en//searchqualityevaluatorguidelines.pdf
CONTENT AUTHOR BRAND

16. Page 27, Google Quality Rater Guidelines: https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/guidelines.raterhub.com/en//searchqualityevaluatorguidelines.pdf
CONTENT AUTHOR BRAND
ON-PAGE

17. Page 27, Google Quality Rater Guidelines: https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/guidelines.raterhub.com/en//searchqualityevaluatorguidelines.pdf
CONTENT AUTHOR BRAND
ON-PAGE OFF-PAGE

18. Think of E-E-A-T as
corroborating what you say with
evidence from third parties.

19. Content.
Author.
Brand.
Demonstrating
E-E-A-T isn’t a choice
between one or the
other…

20. SITE 1.
Content =
high E-E-A-T
signals.
Author = high E-E-A-T
signals.
Brand = low E-E-A-T
signals & untrustworthy.
WHICH SITE’S CONTENT WOULD YOU TRUST MORE?

21. SITE 1.
Content =
high E-E-A-T
signals.
Author = high E-E-A-T
signals.
Brand = low E-E-A-T
signals & untrustworthy.
Content =
high E-E-A-T
signals.
Author = no E-E-A-T
signals (yet).
Brand = high E-E-A-T
signals.
WHICH SITE’S CONTENT WOULD YOU TRUST MORE?
SITE 2.

22. SITE 1.
Content =
high E-E-A-T
signals.
Author = high E-E-A-T
signals.
Brand = low E-E-A-T
signals & untrustworthy.
Content =
high E-E-A-T
signals.
Author = no E-E-A-T
signals (yet).
Brand = high E-E-A-T
signals.
SITE 2.
WHICH SITE’S CONTENT WOULD YOU TRUST MORE?

23. Help Google to understand that your
content is helpful to searchers, has been
written by experts with first-hand
experience and is published by a trusted
source.

24. E-E-A-T signals
aren’t ranking
factors.

25. Set the gold standard for what very high
E-E-A-T looks like in your industry.

27. (MAIN) CONTENT LEVEL.
E-E-A-T AT THE

28. CHOOSE THE RIGHT AUTHOR.
● Is it easy to find out who wrote the content?

29. CHOOSE THE RIGHT AUTHOR.
● Is it easy to find out who wrote the content?
● Content must be authored by a real person who is a
subject matter expert - name them on the page.
○ Don’t have a subject matter expert in the
business? Collaborate with one.

30. CHOOSE THE RIGHT AUTHOR.
● Is it easy to find out who wrote the content?
● Content must be authored by a real person who is a
subject matter expert - name them on the page.
○ Don’t have a subject matter expert in the
business? Collaborate with one.
● Avoid the mistake of publishing content under
‘admin’ or the name of your marketing person.

31. CHOOSE THE RIGHT AUTHOR.
● Is it easy to find out who wrote the content?
● Content must be authored by a real person who is a
subject matter expert - name them on the page.
○ Don’t have a subject matter expert in the
business? Collaborate with one.
● Avoid the mistake of publishing content under
‘admin’ or the name of your marketing person.
● Use subject matter experts whose expertise can be
verified.

32. CHOOSE THE RIGHT AUTHOR.
● Is it easy to find out who wrote the content?
● Content must be authored by a real person who is a
subject matter expert - name them on the page.
○ Don’t have a subject matter expert in the
business? Collaborate with one.
● Avoid the mistake of publishing content under
‘admin’ or the name of your marketing person.
● Use subject matter experts whose expertise can be
verified.
● Think of this as the foundation of content-level
E-E-A-T.

33. ADD VALUE BEYOND WHAT RANKS.
● “Consider the extent to which the content offers
unique, original content that is not available on
other websites.”
● “Consider the extent to which the content is
created with enough talent and skill to provide a
satisfying experience for people who visit the
page.”

34. ADD VALUE BEYOND WHAT RANKS.
● “Consider the extent to which the content offers
unique, original content that is not available on
other websites.”
● “Consider the extent to which the content is
created with enough talent and skill to provide a
satisfying experience for people who visit the
page.”
● Your content must add value beyond what
already ranks on the SERPs, but value must still
mean verifiable and backed-up statements.
● Add quotes & comments from your subject
matter experts, whilst matching consensus.

35. CONTENT-LEVEL E-E-A-T ELEMENTS.
● Author name clearly linked to an author’s profile
page on the site.

36. CONTENT-LEVEL E-E-A-T ELEMENTS.
● Author name clearly linked to an author’s profile
page on the site.
● Publish / last updated date displayed clearly to
show it’s current.

37. CONTENT-LEVEL E-E-A-T ELEMENTS.
● Author name clearly linked to an author’s profile
page on the site.
● Publish / last updated date displayed clearly to
show it’s current.
● ‘Reviewed by’ used in YMYL niches (where
necessary).

38. CONTENT-LEVEL E-E-A-T ELEMENTS.
● Author name clearly linked to an author’s profile
page on the site.
● Publish / last updated date displayed clearly to
show it’s current.
● ‘Reviewed by’ used in YMYL niches (where
necessary).
● Schema markup used to define the author name
and profile page URL (as a minimum).

39. UNIQUE IMAGES & VIDEO CONTENT.
Which
shows
first-hand
experience?

40. UNIQUE IMAGES & VIDEO CONTENT.
Which
shows
first-hand
experience?
● Stock images and footage don’t portray
first-hand experience.

41. UNIQUE IMAGES & VIDEO CONTENT.
Which
shows
first-hand
experience?
● Stock images and footage don’t portray
first-hand experience.
● Users want to consume content that’s
been produced by people with expertise
or who have experienced something
first-hand.

42. UNIQUE IMAGES & VIDEO CONTENT.
Which
shows
first-hand
experience?
● Stock images and footage don’t portray
first-hand experience.
● Users want to consume content that’s
been produced by people with expertise
or who have experienced something
first-hand.
● It takes effort to create or source unique
images, but it sets you apart.

43. UNIQUE IMAGES & VIDEO CONTENT.
Which
shows
first-hand
experience?
● Stock images and footage don’t portray
first-hand experience.
● Users want to consume content that’s
been produced by people with expertise
or who have experienced something
first-hand.
● It takes effort to create or source unique
images, but it sets you apart.
● Screenshots, video footage - it can all
show first-hand experience.

44. UNIQUE IMAGES & VIDEO CONTENT.
Which
shows
first-hand
experience?
● Stock images and footage don’t portray
first-hand experience.
● Users want to consume content that’s
been produced by people with expertise
or who have experienced something
first-hand.
● It takes effort to create or source unique
images, but it sets you apart.
● Screenshots, video footage - it can all
show first-hand experience.
● Apply a relevancy filter to images -
what’s their purpose?

45. ADVANCED SCHEMA MARKUP.
● datePublished to define original publish date.

46. ADVANCED SCHEMA MARKUP.
● datePublished to define original publish date.
● dateModified to define last updated date.

47. ADVANCED SCHEMA MARKUP.
● datePublished to define original publish date.
● dateModified to define last updated date.
● citation to define a reference to a source.

48. ADVANCED SCHEMA MARKUP.
● datePublished to define original publish date.
● dateModified to define last updated date.
● citation to define a reference to a source.
● reviewedBy to define the name and profile of the
reviewer.

49. ADVANCED SCHEMA MARKUP.
● datePublished to define original publish date.
● dateModified to define last updated date.
● citation to define a reference to a source.
● reviewedBy to define the name and profile of the
reviewer.
● about to define the subject matter of the content.

50. ADVANCED SCHEMA MARKUP.
● datePublished to define original publish date.
● dateModified to define last updated date.
● citation to define a reference to a source.
● reviewedBy to define the name and profile of the
reviewer.
● about to define the subject matter of the content.
● publisher to define the brand behind the content.

51. REVIEW HISTORY & SOURCES.
● Transparently show the review history of
content.
● Consider adding a timeline of reviews and
updates, including who reviewed the content.
● Additions like this make most sense in YMYL
niches.

52. REVIEW HISTORY & SOURCES.
● Transparently show the review history of
content.
● Consider adding a timeline of reviews and
updates, including who reviewed the content.
● Additions like this make most sense in YMYL
niches.
● A roundup of links to sources makes it clear
where key facts have come from.

53. RELEVANT LINKS TO THE CONTENT.
● Links that cite content as a source showcase
that third parties trust it enough to send their
users to it.
● Quality and relevancy are more important
factors than link volumes.
● Even small numbers of quality links to content
earned via outreach, PR or natural pickup
demonstrate the trust in a page.
● Analyze links at page-level for both your own
content and competitor’s ranking pages and
have a plan to consistently earn links.

54. AUTHOR (CREATOR) LEVEL.
E-E-A-T AT THE

55. ANALYZE THE PERSONAL SERP & NEWS SERP.

56. ANALYZE THE PERSONAL SERP & NEWS SERP.

57. https://searchengineland.com/google-2023-eeat-knowledge-graph-update-433623

58. A PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE PANEL.
● A personal knowledge panel shows that Google
understands who your author is.
● Become an entity in Google’s Knowledge Graph.
https://kalicube.com/learning-spaces/faq/knowledge-panels/personal-knowledge-panel-on-google-what-you-need-to-know/

59. A PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE PANEL.
● A personal knowledge panel shows that Google
understands who your author is.
● Become an entity in Google’s Knowledge Graph.
○ Define an ‘entity home’.
○ Corroborate information from trusted &
authoritative sources.
○ Create an infinite, self-confirming loop (link
both ways between the entity home and
sources).
https://kalicube.com/learning-spaces/faq/knowledge-panels/personal-knowledge-panel-on-google-what-you-need-to-know/

60. A PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE PANEL.
● A personal knowledge panel shows that Google
understands who your author is.
● Become an entity in Google’s Knowledge Graph.
○ Define an ‘entity home’.
○ Corroborate information from trusted &
authoritative sources.
○ Create an infinite, self-confirming loop (link
both ways between the entity home and
sources).
● Earning a personal knowledge panel must
integrate social, PR & thought leadership.
https://kalicube.com/learning-spaces/faq/knowledge-panels/personal-knowledge-panel-on-google-what-you-need-to-know/

61. DETAILED AUTHOR PAGES.
https://www.confused.com/meet-our-experts/louise-thomas
● Author’s name clearly displayed and used as
URL slug.

62. DETAILED AUTHOR PAGES.
https://www.confused.com/meet-our-experts/louise-thomas
● Author’s name clearly displayed and used as
URL slug.
● Author’s job title.

63. DETAILED AUTHOR PAGES.
https://www.confused.com/meet-our-experts/louise-thomas
● Author’s name clearly displayed and used as
URL slug.
● Author’s job title.
● Author’s profile picture.

64. DETAILED AUTHOR PAGES.
https://www.confused.com/meet-our-experts/louise-thomas
● Author’s name clearly displayed and used as
URL slug.
● Author’s job title.
● Author’s profile picture.
● Author’s bio / description.

65. DETAILED AUTHOR PAGES.
https://www.confused.com/meet-our-experts/louise-thomas
● Author’s name clearly displayed and used as
URL slug.
● Author’s job title.
● Author’s profile picture.
● Author’s bio / description.
● Author’s background & expertise.

66. DETAILED AUTHOR PAGES.
https://www.confused.com/meet-our-experts/louise-thomas
● Author’s name clearly displayed and used as
URL slug.
● Author’s job title.
● Author’s profile picture.
● Author’s bio / description.
● Author’s background & expertise.
● Author’s educational background.

67. DETAILED AUTHOR PAGES.
https://www.confused.com/meet-our-experts/louise-thomas
● Author’s name clearly displayed and used as
URL slug.
● Author’s job title.
● Author’s profile picture.
● Author’s bio / description.
● Author’s background & expertise.
● Author’s educational background.
● Author’s published content on the site.

68. DETAILED AUTHOR PAGES.
https://www.confused.com/meet-our-experts/louise-thomas
● Author’s name clearly displayed and used as
URL slug.
● Author’s job title.
● Author’s profile picture.
● Author’s bio / description.
● Author’s background & expertise.
● Author’s educational background.
● Author’s published content on the site.
● Author’s comments / quotes featured in the
press or third party writing.

69. ADVANCED PERSON SCHEMA.
● name / familyName / givenName to define name.

70. ADVANCED PERSON SCHEMA.
● name / familyName / givenName to define name.
● email to define author’s email address.

71. ADVANCED PERSON SCHEMA.
● name / familyName / givenName to define name.
● email to define author’s email address.
● description to define author’s written bio.

72. ADVANCED PERSON SCHEMA.
● name / familyName / givenName to define name.
● email to define author’s email address.
● description to define author’s written bio.
● jobTitle to define author’s job title.

73. ADVANCED PERSON SCHEMA.
● name / familyName / givenName to define name.
● email to define author’s email address.
● description to define author’s written bio.
● jobTitle to define author’s job title.
● knowsAbout to define topics of expertise.

74. ADVANCED PERSON SCHEMA.
● name / familyName / givenName to define name.
● email to define author’s email address.
● description to define author’s written bio.
● jobTitle to define author’s job title.
● knowsAbout to define topics of expertise.
● image to define author’s profile picture.

75. ADVANCED PERSON SCHEMA.
● name / familyName / givenName to define name.
● email to define author’s email address.
● description to define author’s written bio.
● jobTitle to define author’s job title.
● knowsAbout to define topics of expertise.
● image to define author’s profile picture.
● sameAs to define URL that indicates the entity.

76. ADVANCED PERSON SCHEMA.
● name / familyName / givenName to define name.
● email to define author’s email address.
● description to define author’s written bio.
● jobTitle to define author’s job title.
● knowsAbout to define topics of expertise.
● image to define author’s profile picture.
● sameAs to define URL that indicates the entity.
● alumniOf to define educational background.

77. ADVANCED PERSON SCHEMA.
● name / familyName / givenName to define name.
● email to define author’s email address.
● description to define author’s written bio.
● jobTitle to define author’s job title.
● knowsAbout to define topics of expertise.
● image to define author’s profile picture.
● sameAs to define URL that indicates the entity.
● alumniOf to define educational background.
● worksFor to define author’s employer.

78. PUBLISHED CONTENT ON THE TOPIC.
● Your authors should have published multiple
pieces of content around the same main topic.
● Does your author have a footprint of content
they’ve authored across the web?

79. PUBLISHED CONTENT ON THE TOPIC.
● Your authors should have published multiple
pieces of content around the same main topic.
● Does your author have a footprint of content
they’ve authored across the web?
● Start with your own site; expand their published
content beyond a few posts on a topic.

80. PUBLISHED CONTENT ON THE TOPIC.
● Your authors should have published multiple
pieces of content around the same main topic.
● Does your author have a footprint of content
they’ve authored across the web?
● Start with your own site; expand their published
content beyond a few posts on a topic.
● Authored content on other sites (thought
leadership content) is just as important; help
Google and users to see that your authors are a
trusted voice.

81. PUBLISHED CONTENT ON THE TOPIC.
● Your authors should have published multiple
pieces of content around the same main topic.
● Does your author have a footprint of content
they’ve authored across the web?
● Start with your own site; expand their published
content beyond a few posts on a topic.
● Authored content on other sites (thought
leadership content) is just as important; help
Google and users to see that your authors are a
trusted voice.
● Videos, social content & podcasts are great; think
beyond written ‘blog’ content.

82. CITED AS AN EXPERT IN THE PRESS.
● You want your people cited as experts within
relevant articles in the press.
● Associating experts with top-tier publications
builds trust and authority and acts as third-party
validation.

83. CITED AS AN EXPERT IN THE PRESS.
● You want your people cited as experts within
relevant articles in the press.
● Associating experts with top-tier publications
builds trust and authority and acts as third-party
validation.
● Be sure experts cited in the press are the same
as authors on the site - connect the dots.

84. BRAND (WEBSITE) LEVEL.
E-E-A-T AT THE

85. ANALYZE THE BRAND SERP.
● Search for your brand name on Google and
take a look at what the first page of the SERPs
shows - this is a great indication on how your
brand is perceived.

86. ANALYZE THE BRAND SERP.
● Search for your brand name on Google and
take a look at what the first page of the SERPs
shows - this is a great indication on how your
brand is perceived.
● Look for a mix of your owned profiles &
third-party sources that demonstrate that
you’re a trusted & authoritative brand.

87. ANALYZE THE BRAND SERP.
● Search for your brand name on Google and
take a look at what the first page of the SERPs
shows - this is a great indication on how your
brand is perceived.
● Look for a mix of your owned profiles &
third-party sources that demonstrate that
you’re a trusted & authoritative brand.
● Compare your brand SERP to your
competitors’ and identify gaps; what do you
need to do to improve your brand’s reputation
online?

88. ANALYZE THE BRAND SERP.
● Search for your brand name on Google and
take a look at what the first page of the SERPs
shows - this is a great indication on how your
brand is perceived.
● Look for a mix of your owned profiles &
third-party sources that demonstrate that
you’re a trusted & authoritative brand.
● Compare your brand SERP to your
competitors’ and identify gaps; what do you
need to do to improve your brand’s reputation
online?
● Does your brand have a Knowledge Panel?

89. REAL BUSINESS TRUST FACTORS.
● It’s no coincidence that many of the sites hit in
the recent HCU were hiding who they are and
how they can be contacted.
● Missing trust factors are a big deal.

90. REAL BUSINESS TRUST FACTORS.
● It’s no coincidence that many of the sites hit in
the recent HCU were hiding who they are and
how they can be contacted.
● Missing trust factors are a big deal.
● Have a clearly visible phone number and contact
email address(es).

91. REAL BUSINESS TRUST FACTORS.
● It’s no coincidence that many of the sites hit in
the recent HCU were hiding who they are and
how they can be contacted.
● Missing trust factors are a big deal.
● Have a clearly visible phone number and contact
email address(es).
● Display a real business address, not a virtual
office or mailbox.

92. REAL BUSINESS TRUST FACTORS.
● It’s no coincidence that many of the sites hit in
the recent HCU were hiding who they are and
how they can be contacted.
● Missing trust factors are a big deal.
● Have a clearly visible phone number and contact
email address(es).
● Display a real business address, not a virtual
office or mailbox.
● Have in place the policies that you’d expect a real
business to have; Terms & Conditions, Privacy
Policy, Cookie Policy, Returns Policy, Shipping
Policy (eCommerce) etc.

93. PRESS COVERAGE & LINKS.
● Landing regular press coverage is a surefire
way to build trust; and there’s no denying that
links play a key role in establishing E-E-A-T.
● You need the press talking about your brand
consistently…

94. PRESS COVERAGE & LINKS.
● Landing regular press coverage is a surefire
way to build trust; and there’s no denying that
links play a key role in establishing E-E-A-T.
● You need the press talking about your brand
consistently…
○ Expert insights.
○ Data studies & original research.
○ Product PR.
○ Brand PR.

95. PRESS COVERAGE & LINKS.
● Landing regular press coverage is a surefire
way to build trust; and there’s no denying that
links play a key role in establishing E-E-A-T.
● You need the press talking about your brand
consistently…
○ Expert insights.
○ Data studies & original research.
○ Product PR.
○ Brand PR.
● Would you still want the coverage if Google
didn’t exist? Don’t just build links.

96. IN THE PRESS / AS FEATURED IN.
● If you’re being talked about in the press; shout
about it.
● An ‘In the Press’ page creates that ‘infinite,
self-confirming loop’ that’s key to securing a
Knowledge Panel.
● Proudly showing that third-parties are talking
about you builds trust and demonstrates
authority.
● Add logos of key publications you’ve been
featured in to your homepage as an ‘As
Featured In’ block to further build trust from
your users.

97. A BETTER ABOUT US PAGE.
● Most ‘About Us’ pages are an
afterthought; a quick summary of the
brand.
● Be the brand to stand out and put in the
effort to create an engaging page that
tells your story on a single page & helps
to demonstrate who you are and what
you do.
● It’s your space to tell your audience what
they need to know in order to trust the
brand.
● Benchmark against competitors & figure
out what you can do better.

98. CONSISTENT NAP.
● Consistency builds trust, yet many brands
neglect (forget) to updating their NAP (name,
address, phone number) across the web when
things change.
● The strongest E-E-A-T factor is
trustworthiness; and inconsistent NAP across
the web raises questions around this.

99. CONSISTENT NAP.
● Consistency builds trust, yet many brands
neglect (forget) to updating their NAP (name,
address, phone number) across the web when
things change.
● The strongest E-E-A-T factor is
trustworthiness; and inconsistent NAP across
the web raises questions around this.
● If your details are wrong on official profiles
and other listings, customers may end up
finding it difficult to contact you.
● Cleaning up & maintaining consistent NAP
against your own site’s contact page is a
beneficial exercise.

100. ON & OFF-SITE REVIEWS.
● Independent reviews help potential customers
& clients to trust a business or website; but
these must be independent.
● Build reviews via a trusted third-party platform
& clearly display these on the brand site.
● Link out to the review platforms to help users
to verify the reviews’ validity.
● Testimonials & case studies are a great
extension of reviews (where appropriate),
helping to demonstrate first-hand experience
in delivering products or services to
customers.

101. BRAND SEARCHES.
● Brand search signals that there’s an audience
that wants to return to your content or site again.
● Whilst influencing brand searches sits somewhat
out of the realm of just SEO (think PR, PPC, social
etc), it’s a signal nonetheless.

102. BRAND SEARCHES.
● Brand search signals that there’s an audience
that wants to return to your content or site again.
● Whilst influencing brand searches sits somewhat
out of the realm of just SEO (think PR, PPC, social
etc), it’s a signal nonetheless.
● [brand] + [keyword] is the holy grail; it
demonstrates that people associate your brand
with these topics.
● Even if you’re seeing a small volume of brand
searches right now, integrating channels and
tracking this over time demonstrates that people
regard you as a brand.

103. You can’t fake E-E-A-T.

104. Make it 2024’s goal to set the gold
standard for what very high E-E-A-T
looks like in your industry.

105. Questions?
james@digitaloft.co.uk
@BrockbankJames
digitaloft.co.uk