Make E-E-A-T Local for Better Philadelphia Search Engine Optimization

Ever wondered what makes Google’s search algorithm tick?

Search engine optimization (SEO) professionals spend their careers analyzing Google’s search criteria and strategizing how to apply those standards to client content. And Google has helpfully provided 4 aspects of their Search Quality Rater Guidelines to describe the type of content their algorithms are trained to prioritize. Quality Raters are looking for content that prioritizes Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness, or E-E-A-T.

E-E-A-T is the gold standard for content quality in Google’s evolving search ecosystem. Applying E-E-A-T standards to your local website can give you traction from local traffic and improve your place in Google’s search results.

Let’s take a look at E-E-A-T and how to apply it to your website with a location-based spin on a tried-and-true SEO tactic.

What Is E-E-A-T?

You might not know it, but Google has hired thousands of people around the world, called Google Quality Raters, to read websites and rate them. Their rankings are based on a broad selection of criteria, but Google boils them down to 4 aspects – Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness.

That means websites should aim to offer:

An excellent website Experience, including easy navigation, high-quality graphics, universal accessibility, and thoughtful layout and design.

Expertise based on years of work in the field or industry and the types of websites, press outlets, and industry journals you reference in your content.

Authoritativeness earned from press and third-party website references (called backlinks). Backlinks from respected websites showcase your thought leadership.

Trustworthiness and a solid professional reputation in all matters – from how the website handles GDPR and data transfers, to how funds are processed, to the high standard your organization sets in your industry.

How Does E-E-A-T Affect Search Engine Rankings?

The scores that Quality Raters give the websites they read affect every website on the internet, because Google uses their feedback to measure other websites.

So, since Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness are the 4 elements Quality Raters are using to rate sites and create rankings standards, your website needs to prioritize those qualities.

Does E-E-A-T Matter for AI Search?

When a user asks an AI search bot a question, the AI wants to give the most helpful answer possible, so they’ll pull information from the highest-quality websites.

Websites that meet Google’s E-E-A-T standards are considered very high quality, so those websites are more likely to be referenced and recommended by AI search.

Benefits of Hyper-local Digital Marketing Based on Your SEO Locale

E-E-A-T standards should affect your entire content marketing strategy, but local businesses have an opportunity to make E-E-A-T work double-time and enhance their local SEO.

E-E-A-T emphasizes a high-quality experience for website visitors. If you’ve hit the mark, visitors will feel at ease on your website, engaged with the content, and comfortable navigating to the (high-quality) information they’re looking for.

Putting a local spin on E-E-A-T standards requires you to know your local audience inside and out. It means understanding – at close range – why they’re visiting your site and then tailoring your content creation to interest them. Every element of your online marketing – from your web design to your SEO strategies – can attract and retain local visitors and convert them into clients if you’ve planned and executed them carefully following E-E-A-T standards.

Local E-E-A-T Strategy Tips for Chester County and Philly Businesses

If you’re based in the Philadelphia area or in Chester County, PA, we suggest using E-E-A-T standards, combined with targeted SEO tips, to create a local buzz on your website and around your content marketing.

Audit Your On-page SEO

Take a look at the words, images, and graphic elements on your website. Do they tell your visitors you’re a reputable local company? Do they showcase your community involvement or popularity with the people in your area?

You can improve your on-page SEO under the lens of E-E-A-T by making clever tweaks like including local search terms in your headings, naming pictures and graphic elements with local terms, or sharing pictures of your real, local staff.

Make sure your meta tags and titles include local keywords where possible, and that your visitors can find an email address or local phone number on every website page. Include a welcoming, up-to-date Contact page in your site map, too.

Not only will these changes improve your organic search ranking for local terms on Google and other search engines, they’ll show your visitors that you and your team are real humans who live and work in their community.

Make all website upgrades with E-E-A-T standards in mind so your content showcases your expertise and authority, underpins your trustworthiness, and creates a top-tier experience for visitors.

Bulk Up Your Google Business Profile

More and more people use Google Maps to find local businesses, so a Business Profile that’s complete and active shows them you’re a viable contender in their search.

Include lots of photos of your location, your products, and your team. Encourage customers to post pictures and reviews, and respond to their reviews quickly (even if they’re less-than-flattering). Readers will see that you’re open for business and responsive to customer concerns, and search engines will link the activity on your Business Profile with the authoritativeness of your website.

If your contact details are current and include a link to your website, your Google Business Profile will send organic traffic to your site. Plus, an easy-to-find and accurate physical address encourages more people to check out your business.

And again, each of these strategies aligns with E-E-A-T by encouraging trust in your business, proving your local, relevant experience and expertise, and lending your company authority as a legit local player in the industry.

Social Media Marketing Is Your Chance to Shine

Social media marketing allows you to bring a hyper-local message to your most ardent supporters. You can link to local events, reference local “inside jokes” and memes, and mention local celebrities in your posts.

Following E-E-A-T, your social posts should speak to a local target audience about relevant subjects that hit close to home. Link to your website’s blogs, downloads, and other content that you’ve developed using E-E-A-T as the benchmark, and you’ll make a name for yourself around town as a knowledgeable, trusted expert in your field.

Paid Advertising Should Be Locally Targeted

We talk a lot about boosting your organic search rankings, but your paid ads offer an excellent opportunity to drill down into local searches, too.

Google Ads allows you to create hyper-local ads and target them to specific physical locations, so users in one neighborhood see a different ad from those in another. You can tailor your search terms and ad content to suit.

Make sure you’re linking to relevant, well-written content that’s likely to keep readers reading. If users “bounce” away from your website as soon as they land (because they’ve realized your webpage isn’t as interesting as your paid ad), Google will demote your website.

We’re Ranked Among the Best Philadelphia Search Engine Optimization Specialists

SEO is an ongoing process, and it often requires the help of professional SEO services. We are delighted to be included on Expertise.com’s list of top-tier digital marketing agencies serving Philadelphia because we work hard to promote Philly and Chester County businesses with innovative traditional and digital marketing solutions.

If you need a trusted, local digital marketing and SEO agency, let’s book a time to talk. We market Chester County and Philadelphia because we live here, work here, and believe in the future of our vibrant local community.