In short, the Google algorithm has been updated to look for more credible results. Google wants to give you good results…results that have EAT.
Google is a search engine. The goal of a search engine is to help you find something…whether an answer to the question “How many blahs in a blah” OR to help you find a product or service. Its whole purpose is to help you find what you are looking for. If it does, you will keep coming back!
If you have a problem or question about your car, do you want to ask your college buddy Steve or a mechanic? Probably the mechanic, but why?
You go to the mechanic because he KNOWS WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT. He is a credible source. He is licensed, certified, has experience, and ultimately has a very deep knowledge about cars. He has EAT: Expertise, Authority, and Trust on the matter. Steve does not.
So, this seems like common sense. Why is it such a big deal?
Well, the Internet has changed drastically since it first started. In fact, when it first began, the ONLY websites were government websites. Then, over time, businesses were gradually added. There was a huge barrier to entry…buying, hosting, and coding a website was a huge undertaking.
Fast forward to today: ANYONE, including your 14-year old nephew, can go to Wordpress.com and build a website within minutes. He doesn’t even need a credit card! He may call that website "legalconsulting.tk" with tons of copy/pasted content from real lawyer sites. Not only that, he has also added a payment processor for people to put in their credit card numbers for cheap, instant legal advice. He is in business and ready to take your money!
It would be a shame if Google sent even one single customer to that site. And because websites like legalconsulting.tk can be created out of thin air by 14-year-olds, Google has decided to tighten up their algorithm to disqualify sites like that…especially websites that involve your money or your life (YMYL).
Expertise, Authority, and Trust are more or less three words that beg the question: is your website a credible source? While no one knows exactly how the Google algorithm works, some general things it will look for include linking to credible sources, securing your site with SSL, displaying licensure/certifications, all the way down to correct spelling and grammar.
Again, your site will likely be under extra scrutiny for financial, legal, and medical advice. Make sure your information is accurate and up-to-date!
So that pretty much sums up what EAT “is”. It’s a standard that the Google algorithm has decided to focus on.
If you have a legitimate business, you may benefit from “proving” it on your website.