{"id":40994,"date":"2016-06-23T12:35:51","date_gmt":"2016-06-23T19:35:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bruceclay.com\/blog\/?p=40994"},"modified":"2019-08-01T15:01:04","modified_gmt":"2019-08-01T22:01:04","slug":"what-you-need-to-know-about-the-google-quality-raters-guidelines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bruceclay.com\/blog\/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-google-quality-raters-guidelines\/","title":{"rendered":"What You NEED to Know About the Google Quality Raters Guidelines #SMX"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Google Quality Raters Guidelines offer unique insights into what Google sees as high quality and what it doesn’t. Leading digital marketing ladies Jennifer Slegg, Ruth Burr Reedy and Jenny Halasz have all studied the Quality Raters Guidelines<\/a> (PDF) extensively and are here to share their insights on this once-classified Google document at SMX Advanced 2016.<\/p>\n

\"Speakers<\/a>
From left: Ruth Burr Reedy, Jenny Halasz and Jennifer Slegg<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jennifer Slegg: Why are the Guidelines so Important for SEOs to Know?<\/h2>\n

Jennifer Slegg<\/a>, founder and editor of The SEM Post, opens by telling us we must pay attention to the guidelines. They show us very clearly what types of sites Google wants to rate the highest. Now, it’s important to know that raters do not directly impact rankings<\/p>\n

Your Money, Your Life<\/h3>\n

These sites are held to the highest standard. They include:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Shopping or financial transaction pages<\/li>\n
  • Financial information pages<\/li>\n
  • Medical information pages<\/li>\n
  • Legal information pages<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    If you are any kind of online store at all, you are being held to the YMYL standards.<\/p>\n

    Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness: E-A-T<\/h3>\n

    This is the cornerstone for how Google determines the quality of any webpage.<\/p>\n

    Expertise<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Expertise is determined by author. Any author can have expertise. Being an expert does not equate to expertise in another. Any market area can have authors with expertise, from celebrity blogging to SEO.<\/p>\n

    Show author’s expertise by including author biography, show off citations, and show credentials, such as speaking engagements. Also, you can perform detailed reviews, post on forums, etc.<\/p>\n

    Authoritativeness<\/strong><\/p>\n

    This pertains to the website itself. Why should someone trust it? Why is it an authority in is market?<\/p>\n

    Show authority by including a robust About Us page. Show off important publications that have linked or quoted the site. Showcase your employees’ speaking engagements and publications.<\/p>\n

    Trustworthiness<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Why should a visitor trust your site or page? Looks matter here. If you have a weird font and flashing text and appears sketchy, this will hurt you.<\/p>\n

    5 Signs of Low Quality Content<\/h3>\n
      \n
    1. Main content quality is low<\/li>\n
    2. Unsatisfying amount of main content<\/li>\n
    3. Not enough E-A-T<\/li>\n
    4. Negative reputation<\/li>\n
    5. Distracting supplementary content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Should SEOs Look at the Google Quality Rater Guidelines<\/h2>\n

      Next up is Ruth Burr Reedy<\/a>, the director of strategy at UpBuild.<\/p>\n

      \n

      Live at @smx<\/a> with @ruthburr<\/a>. Talking Google quality raters guidelines. #SEO<\/a> #smx<\/a> #Google<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/9WIzIIkXEY<\/a><\/p>\n

      \u2014 Kristi Kellogg (@KristiKellogg) June 22, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n