In SEO content is still king. What has changed with content is not the content but the delivery of that content. People these days are consuming content in so many different places & formats that it makes it difficult to create engaging content that ranks and converts. Some people prefer to continue reading web pages to find the information they are looking for. Some prefer to see the pictures because they are more visual than contextual. Others would prefer to just watch videos on YouTube or other online video platforms, and in some cases, it is more of an auditory way such as podcasts & streaming radio platforms.
Simply creating website pages with written content with the right keywords is no longer sufficient. We recognize the SERP is undergoing an ongoing evolution, the key is to pivot accordingly and you will emerge as the victor amidst an ever-changing algorithmic world.
Check out this video for more insights:
What is E.E.A.T.?
E.E.A.T. is short for Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. This acronym was created by Google as part of their recommended content framework. The concept is mainly that if you can create content that guides a user to a result, based on your expertise, experience doing it, to demonstrate authority that gives the user trust that what they are reading is helpful and more importantly accurate. By doing this you can see improvements in your organic footprint.
Google’s core ranking systems are carefully designed to function on the page level using several rules and signals to better understand the information and helpfulness of specific content in relation to the user’s search query/keyword. Content that is legitimate, reliable, and reader-oriented is favored in the search giant’s core ranking system.
Let’s take a deeper dive into the four components of E.E.A.T. Each of these unique parts helps transmit a strong signal to search engines that online content is worthy of a high positioning & user impressions. Below is a breakdown of what each letter stands for.
Expertise
“Expertise” refers to the content writer’s level of knowledge or skill in a specific subject area that is relevant to the user’s search query. High-quality content should be created by someone with relevant expertise in the topic being discussed.
Experience
“Experience” in short means that Google values firsthand or life experience of the author on the topic a page is about. It is important because often searchers want to know first-hand information before they decide to purchase something or use a certain service.
Ideally, the web content author will have firsthand experience with the product, service or other information presented to the public. The addition of relevant images or videos enhances the experience element all the more.
Authority
“Authority” refers to the credibility of the content and the website it is hosted on. Authoritativeness can be established through the quality of the content, the site’s reputation, author’s reputation, external links & content citations, and the credentials of the content creator.
Trustworthiness
“Trustworthiness” is the final result of doing all of the above. If you can write content that is helpful, knowledge, first hand based on experience from someone who is an expert in their field, you get the trust of users consuming your content. If you can gain the user’s trust about your content, Google and other search engines will “Trust” you and will provide you with the organic visibility we all strive for..
M.E.E.E.A.T The Future of Content
We here at CSP believe that there are two letters missing from Google’s recommended content framework and this “M ” & “another E”. This will include ways for the user to engage the content and that the content provides users with more than one way to interact with it. Online content that fosters positive user engagement and that features multimedia, to provide the user with an immersive, helpful, content consumption experience.
Multimedia consists of infographics, specific images, embedded videos, and other visual content aside from the written word. Online content marketing with multimedia is highly engaging as it presents desired information in a multifaceted but direct and timely manner.
Engagement is essential for views and conversion as it keeps readers locked in on content to the point that they are more likely to move through the website experience and at least consider the value offered in the minutes, hours, days, and weeks that follow their website visit.
Below is an infographic explaining the M-E-E-E-A-T concept. Click to view the full image:
Advanced SEO In a Shifting Landscape
Google’s search engineers are constantly tweaking algorithms to provide the user’s with content that is helpful but more importantly relevant to their search. The tweaks have changed how content is positioned in the all-important SERPs. A pivot toward increasing reader engagement through multimedia has the potential to be the tipping point toward a better SERP ranking.
The truth is Google is prioritizing content that provides user’s options on how they consume that content vs content that is geared only to one audience. Create or alter content using infographics, images, and video for increased engagement and it really will provide a boost that makes content position higher and has the potential to drive incremental conversions..
Simple, one dimensional content no longer carries the weight that it used to from a positioning and relevancy standpoint. Google’s Helpful Content Update combined with dynamic algorithm updates makes it much more important to provide those users with content consumption options.
Take a moment to put yourself in the position of a web user looking for information. You seek highly specific information in as little time as possible. Instead of spending time reading through massive walls of text that stretch across several pages, you click pages with multimedia content including videos, images, and infographics. Such multimedia provides a superior user experience in which desired information is obtained in mere seconds.
Those willing to invest resources, including personnel, in monitoring the pulse of Google’s algorithms that shape SEO enjoy a significant competitive advantage. However, most business owners and managers are busy to the point that they can’t keep up with the changes in SEO. CSP keeps our finger on the pulse of SEO changes including the idiosyncrasies of Google’s algorithms.
M.E.E.E.A.T. is at the forefront of the battle for prime web real estate in 2024. This process develops and generates written, visual, and even auditory content that generates top positioning, eyeballs, traffic & an increase in conversions.
Examples of M.E.E.E.A.T. content consumption methods:
- Contextual – written word, ebooks, transcripts
- Visual – Infographics, specific imagery, illustrations
- Auditory – podcast, streaming content, audio books
- Combination – video, podcasts
The M.E.E.E.A.T. content creation process involves highly strategic planning including the generation of content with the overarching aim of understanding targets. Carefully tailored content is then presented to the target audience for maximum engagement. The M.E.E.E.A.T. approach has the potential to be the deciding factor that pushes prospects over the edge from prospects into paying clients.
When properly prepared, M.E.E.E.A.T. content creation converts readers into advocates of the brand. The potential to create brand advocates is the result of the highly engaging educational approach to latent marketing in which information is presented in a manner to help readers solve problems instead of overtly marketing to them in a top-down manner.
M.E.E.E.A.T. content creation is forward-thinking and ultimately ahead of the curve. Go to the extent of tailoring content to your target audience with the guidance of CSP and you’ll find personalization that acknowledges differences in customers, and ultimately convinces them to convert. Moreover, M.E.E.E.A.T. content marketing that uses data more narrowly targets buyer personas inclined to need or desire your value offering.
Refresh old content published to the web and you’ll find those relatively minor efforts make a meaningful difference in your web traffic. Adding images, infographics, embedded videos and other forms of multimedia to old web content is a helpful refresher.
Such visually pleasing additions thoroughly engage audiences, boost SERP rankings, and provide web surfers with a much more pleasing online experience. Moreover, if your industry, niche, or locale’s keywords and key phrases have changed or evolved, recognize those alterations when refreshing old content posted to the web.
M.E.E.E.A.T. with an Expert: An Advanced SEO Sitdown With Jesse Farley
SEO is becoming more complex by the day. As a business owner or manager, you have enough on your plate. Reach out to Jesse Farley, our M.E.E.E.A.T. expert, and you’ll tap into the expertise of CSP’s revered VP of Growth. Jesse has been in the SEO Industry for 25 years, guiding those on both the client and agency sides.
Discussing M.E.E.E.A.T. with Jesse and you’ll quickly learn the complexities of data are the main driver of digital marketing. Jesse’s current and former clients include those from Fortune 100 companies and even the owners of neighborhood mom-and-pop businesses.
Jesse’s certifications include:
- Brightedge
- Adobe Analytics
- Google Certified Professional
- PMP
CSP’s advanced SEO experts ultimately make it easier for businesses like yours to better align with the nuances of ever-changing search engine algorithms.
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Talk to an expert today and get a content strategy designed to blow your competitors out of the water.
