You’ve built a lot of trust with your readers. The question is whether a new reader can see it. I read Google’s helpful content guidelines to see if the October 5th updates changed anything about trust. The guidance on E-E-A-T still reads the same as previous edits, but I think the following quotes are always great to revisit. The quotes below are Google’s. The “My take” lines are my advice.
What Google says
The most important quote is about how E-E-A-T and trust work.
“Of these aspects, trust is most important. The others contribute to trust, but content doesn’t necessarily have to demonstrate all of them.”
My take: When Google says the other three don’t always have to show up, it is telling us that trust is the one thing every page needs. Here are five questions new readers ask when they decide whether to trust you.
1. Who wrote this?
“We strongly encourage adding accurate authorship information, such as bylines to content where readers might expect it.”
My take: A byline is essential. It’s the first trust signal a reader looks for, so it should be the first one they see. Put it at the top of the post, right below the title.
Your author block on the right or at the bottom of your posts is NOT a byline. That block does not appear at the top of a post on mobile, where most readers come from these days, which means they get no immediate trust signal for your content.
2. Is this current?
“Are you changing the date of pages to make them seem fresh when the content has not substantially changed?”
My take: Dates are essential too. Show one in your byline, and make sure it matches your last meaningful update. On this site, a post shows its publish date until I make a real update. Fixing a typo or a broken link is not a meaningful update and should not change the date on your post.
3. Can I learn more about the writer?
“Do bylines lead to further information about the author or authors involved, giving background about them and the areas they write about?”
My take: Readers want to know who you are. Your byline should link to an author or About page, and that page should tell your story. Also, byline links pointing to the author and about pages must be obvious. Make sure you use link styling such as colored link text, underlines, or both to make links stand out in the byline, just like they do in your post content.
4. Does the writer know this topic?
“Is this content written or reviewed by an expert or enthusiast who demonstrably knows the topic well?”
My take: Expert or enthusiast? That’s you. Show your hands-on experience, credentials, books or press, and tell your expert story on your author and About pages. If you have a strong brand that isn’t your name, consider separating your brand story from your author story. You wouldn’t write about two major topics in one post, and your brand and personal stories deserve the same amount of attention. I only use the About page on this site because my name is the domain.
5. Do others trust this site?
“If someone researched the site producing the content, would they come away with an impression that it is well-trusted or widely-recognized as an authority on its topic?”
My take: Add proof to your homepage, footer and About page. Follower counts, monthly readers helped, press mentions and awards all count. You can round your numbers to keep them accurate and up to date, but you should update them periodically.
What to do next
Open one of your posts in a private browser window and read it like a first-time visitor:
- Can you see who wrote it without scrolling?
- Is there one date, and does it reflect the last real update?
- Does the author name link to a page about you?
- Does that author page explain why the reader should trust you on the post topic?
- Can a new reader find proof that others trust you?
Anything you answer “no” to is a quick fix.
You’ve built a lot of trust signals. Make sure new readers see them.
