{"id":18408,"date":"2020-10-07T11:47:29","date_gmt":"2020-10-07T18:47:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdigitalservices.com\/?p=18408"},"modified":"2024-01-18T16:25:26","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T23:25:26","slug":"seo-acronym-eat-ymyl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vdigitalservices.com\/seo-acronym-eat-ymyl\/","title":{"rendered":"What Do Google\u2019s Quality Standards EAT and YMYL Mean?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By now, the last thing you probably need is another SEO acronym<\/a> to decipher. But in order to better your business \u2013 and your approach to digital marketing \u2013 staying on top of SEO is key. And that means making sure that you\u2019re always ready to expand your SEO toolbox with the newest tools and search standards, along with all the acronyms that come with them.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no secret that when it comes to making sure that online users can find you, Google is considered one of the great gatekeepers. While they\u2019re notoriously tight-lipped about how their system of page rankings works, sometimes, they give us an invaluable peek behind the virtual curtain.<\/p>\n

One such instance took place in 2015 when Google released its Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines<\/a>. With these guidelines, SEO experts and business owners alike gained access to information about how Google evaluates websites to determine high quality vs. low quality. The guidelines they use to differentiate the good web pages from the \u201cbad\u201d came down to three key factors:<\/p>\n

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  1. Beneficial Purpose<\/li>\n
  2. YMYL (Your Money or Your Life)<\/li>\n
  3. EAT (Expert, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    For anyone trying to figure out how to create a website that is deemed \u201chigh quality\u201d by Google, the guidelines are a resource worth its weight in gold. But first, you\u2019ll need to understand exactly what EAT, YMYL, and \u201cbeneficial purpose\u201d mean, how they apply to content, and what they look like in action.<\/p>\n

    Beneficial Purpose, EAT, and YMYL: A Guide to Google\u2019s Definition of Quality for Content and Web Pages<\/h2>\n

    \"There\u2019s<\/h2>\n

    Since their 2015 release, the Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines (SQEG) has undergone two updates (one in 2018 and one in 2019). Over the span of those years, there have been plenty of updates to the Google algorithm as well.<\/p>\n

    So, what does this mean for you? Essentially, your learning will never be done \u2013 there\u2019s always going to be something new to understand when it comes to acing the algorithm. Of course, that\u2019s where some research (and an experienced digital marketing team) come in handy.<\/p>\n

    Don\u2019t think of the Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines as a step-by-step cheat sheet to the ranking factors. Instead, consider it a collection of clues. Luckily, Google has given us a solid head start for creating content that will meet their expectations; all you have to do is learn enough about the guidelines to use them to their full advantage.<\/p>\n

    And we\u2019re going to do that now by diving into the guidelines\u2019 three key principles: beneficial purpose, EAT, and YMYL.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. \n

      Beneficial Purpose<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      When the SQEG were updated in 2018 and 2019, a stronger emphasis was placed on the idea of beneficial purpose<\/strong>. As you\u2019re flipping through the guidelines, you\u2019ll first see the concept come up in section 2.2, called What is the Purpose of a Web Page?<\/em>
      \nThe section comes right out and says that \u201cwebsites and pages should be created to help users.\u201d Not only should content have a clear purpose, but that purpose should also somehow provide value to users. The goal of the page should be specifically user-centered, whether it aims at informing users, selling them a product or service, entertaining them, etc.
      \nIf a page achieves its target purpose while also serving users, it can qualify as high quality. Conversely, if a page is clearly built with the sole intention of making money, without making any \u201cattempt to help users,\u201d it will be categorized as low quality.
      \nBoth your content and your website as a whole should be crafted to meet users\u2019 needs, delivering a quality experience that effectively fulfills a user-focused purpose in some way, shape, or form: that is the core of beneficial purpose.<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. \n

        YMYL: Your Money or Your Life<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        YMYL is an acronym that stands for \u201cYour Money or Your Life<\/strong>,\u201d and is used to refer to a specific type of content. If presented inaccurately or deceptively, this type of content can impact the happiness, health, finances, or safety of the reader.<\/p>\n

        Look at it this way: YMYL content is high stakes, which means Google takes it extremely seriously. As a result, they apply a strict standard for evaluating the quality of YMYL content because it carries such potential to help and harm alike. Those with relevant expertise should create all YMYL content.
        \nIn section 2.3 of the SQEG, Google lists the topics that fall under the YMYL umbrella:<\/p>\n