Alex Bider is the CEO and Senior Internet Marketing Consultant at 2Marketing.com.
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Expertise, authority and trust form a strong foundation for any business. Referred to as E-A-T by search engine optimizers and other marketing professionals, these elements can help keep your business sturdy as you build it to new heights.
What is E-A-T?
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson provides a great example of E-A-T. He started out by building expertise in his field. He then converted that expertise into authority and trust by creating easy-to-consume content. He finds ways of explaining scientific concepts so that anyone can understand them. He often employs simple metaphors or demonstrations and uses as much everyday language as his subject matter permits.
Notice the importance of combining education and entertainment. You must meet your audience at their level. There are likely many scientists who are Mr. deGrasse Tyson’s peers when it comes to knowledge and research, but few boast his ability to make science accessible and appealing to everyday people.
Why is E-A-T important for SEO?
Search engine optimization can be boiled down to two main activities: giving the search engines what they need to find you, and proving that you command authority and trust. Search engines have a number of ways of determining a site’s E-A-T. These range from basic SEO factors such as backlinks and social signals to topical coverage, click-through rates and time spent on page.
But E-A-T is important for more than just SEO. It’s a factor in determining how people think about and interact with your brand.
How do I build more authority and trust?
Being an expert in your niche may not be enough if you have competition. In order to create an authoritative and trustworthy voice and image, you must communicate with your audience at scale. While modern technology has given us many ways to do this, content creation of some kind is key.
Creating content that will build your E-A-T is a specialized task. One way you can create authority and trust is by writing your experience and linking to well-known resources or studies throughout your content.
An even better way (depending on the context) is to conduct your own studies and write about them. Doing your own research and conducting studies is more time-consuming, but it may result in other websites linking to yours. Gaining these backlinks is imperative for building authority online and a great way to expand your circle of influence.
If you lack the time or specific skills required for content creation, you can also outsource the work to a ghostwriter. A ghostwriter is someone you pay to write under your name. My company uses ghostwriters frequently, both for clients and when producing our own content.
How do I hire a great ghostwriter?
A ghostwriter should be:
• Professional.
• Trustworthy.
• At least familiar with your area of expertise.
Finding a writer that matches your needs may be challenging. I believe the best option is to approach the hiring process traditionally by advertising through local and international premium job boards.
Take the time to write a brief that describes what you need from the writer in detail. When you’re satisfied with that, submit it to some job boards. You can use general work sites such as Workopolis or Indeed, or those that are specific to writers such as ProBlogger or FreelanceWriting.com.
How do I get my ghostwriter to produce results?
Make sure the two of you can connect and understand each other. Ideally, you should speak on a regular basis to discuss the work. You can also:
• Write down ideas when they come to you and pass them along.
• Provide content frameworks and/or samples of articles you’ve written.
• Explain your history and goals and let them suggest ideas.
• Be prepared to test out multiple writers to find a good fit.
Once you find someone who meets those criteria, it’s just a matter of choosing your best ideas and creating the content.
How do I plan and execute content that resonates?
What wisdom do you have that your audience is hungry for? Start there, and pick the most relevant, timely topics. You’ll be surprised how many people are chasing after the information that’s hiding in your head.
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Author: Alex Bider, Forbes Councils Member
