Updated: April 20, 2024.
Free EEAT checklist (EEAT audit template) to help you audit your website in terms of E-E-A-T/YMYL/Helpful Content/Google Quality template coming soon.
Does your site have all it needs when it comes to E-E-A-T/YMYL, Google Helpful Content, and widely understood Google quality?
A free 76-point Google Quality Audit Template (worth $500) will be available exclusively for subscribers of my SEO newsletter in early May 2024.
All you need to do to get it is subscribe to my SEO newsletter.
I created this audit template based on Google’s own guidance and documentation around:
✅ Helpful Content
✅ E-E-A-T/YMYL pages
✅ Core Algorithm Updates
While it’s difficult to fully quantify Google’s more qualitative advice around these topics, I did my best to provide clear and actionable assessments.
I translated this into 76 yes/no questions you can use to audit your own website or your clients’ sites.
Don’t miss out! This is an exclusive offer for my subscribers only.
About my EEAT checklist (EEAT audit)
This EEAT SEO Audit assesses your website against key factors in Google’s search algorithms, including the Helpful Content System, E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), and Core Algorithm Updates.
The audit evaluates:
- Google Helpful Content System: Focuses on original, user-focused content, using machine learning to assess usefulness, relevance, and value.
- E-E-A-T: Outlined in Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines, it measures content credibility and value across four elements: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. While not a direct ranking factor, it’s crucial for SEO.
- YMYL (Your Money or Your Life): Content that significantly impacts health, financial stability, safety, or welfare. Google gives more weight to strong E-E-A-T content in these areas.
- Google Core Algorithm Updates: Broad changes made periodically to improve content assessment and ranking. These updates can affect page performance but don’t target specific pages or sites.
Improving in one category can benefit all, as there is significant overlap among these factors.
EEAT SEO Audit Format and Scoring
The audit consists of YES/NO questions, each uniquely categorized but often overlapping multiple areas.
Answers in green indicate compliance, with recommendations and explanations provided for any gaps.
Each ‘Yes’ earns a point, with up to 76 points available. A final score summary will outline strengths and improvement areas.
Be aware that changes may take time and effort, with results potentially visible after Google’s reevaluations or updates.
Here is a preview of the template:
EEAT Checklist FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Here are the most often asked questions about my EEAT audit for SEO.
What is an EEAT audit and how can it help improve my website’s SEO?
An EEAT audit is a comprehensive evaluation of your website based on Google’s key quality factors – Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It helps identify areas for improvement to boost your site’s alignment with Google’s standards and enhance SEO performance.
What factors does an EEAT SEO checklist typically cover?
An EEAT SEO checklist assesses your site against criteria like the Helpful Content System, E-E-A-T signals, YMYL content standards, user experience, content quality, and more. It provides a thorough analysis of where your site stands in terms of Google’s core ranking factors.
How often should I conduct an EEAT audit on my website?
It’s recommended to conduct an EEAT audit at least every 6 months, or after significant changes to your website. You should also run an audit following major Google algorithm updates to identify potential issues and opportunities.
Can using an EEAT SEO audit template really make a difference in my Google rankings?
Yes, using an EEAT audit template can help you methodically evaluate and improve your website’s quality and relevance in Google’s eyes. By addressing the issues uncovered and optimizing based on the recommendations, you can potentially boost your rankings and organic search performance.
What are some key elements of Google’s Helpful Content system that an EEAT audit looks at?
An EEAT audit assesses your content’s compliance with the Helpful Content system by looking at factors like originality, user-focus, substantive value, clear authorship, and genuine expertise. It checks if your content serves visitors’ interests rather than just trying to rank on search engines.
An EEAT checklist evaluates your site’s E-E-A-T by looking at criteria such as author credentials, citations from authoritative sources, domain expertise, transparency about authors and site owner, user reviews and feedback, external reputation, and more. It provides a multi-faceted view of your site’s perceived E-E-A-T.
What kind of content is considered YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) that an EEAT SEO audit pays special attention to?
YMYL content covers topics that can significantly impact users’ health, financial stability, safety, or well-being. This includes medical advice, legal information, financial guidance, and other high-stakes topics. An EEAT audit places extra scrutiny on YMYL content to ensure it meets higher quality and E-E-A-T standards.
How can I tell if my website has been impacted by a Google Core Algorithm Update based on an EEAT audit?
An EEAT audit can reveal issues that align with what Google targets in its Core Algorithm Updates, such as thin content, lack of E-E-A-T, poor user experience, and others. If your audit uncovers many such issues following a notable drop in rankings/traffic after a Core Update, it likely indicates your site was impacted.
Will improving my website’s EEAT score help it recover from a Google Core Update hit?
While there are no guarantees, improving your website’s EEAT score can help it better align with Google’s quality standards and potentially recover from a Core Update hit. Focus on addressing the key issues flagged in your EEAT audit and providing high-quality, user-focused content.
What are some common issues an EEAT SEO checklist uncovers on websites?
Some common issues revealed by EEAT SEO checklists include thin or low-quality content, lack of author expertise or credentials, poor user experience, non-original or AI-generated content, inadequate citations and external references, and misalignment with Google’s Helpful Content system.
How is the scoring typically done when using an EEAT audit template?
EEAT audit templates usually have a series of yes/no questions spanning various categories. Each “yes” earns a point, and the total points are tallied to provide an overall EEAT score. The score highlights strengths and weaknesses and comes with recommendations for improvement.
After doing an EEAT audit, what should be my first priorities to fix on my website?
Your first priorities should be to address the major issues flagged in your EEAT audit, especially those related to content quality, E-E-A-T signals, and user experience. Prioritize fixing thin content, improving author expertise and credibility, and ensuring your content aligns with the Helpful Content system.
Do I need special technical skills to go through an EEAT SEO checklist myself?
No, you don’t need special technical skills to use an EEAT SEO checklist. Most checklists are designed to be user-friendly and provide clear guidance on how to evaluate each factor. However, some basic understanding of SEO and Google’s quality guidelines will help you better interpret the results.
How concrete and actionable are the recommendations an EEAT audit provides?
A well-designed EEAT audit template should provide specific, actionable recommendations for each issue identified. It should offer clear guidance on what needs to be fixed or improved, along with examples and best practices to follow.
Can an EEAT audit identify potential issues before my site gets negatively impacted by a Core Update?
Yes, conducting regular EEAT audits can help you proactively identify and address quality issues before they potentially trigger a negative impact from a Core Update. By staying on top of Google’s evolving standards, you can maintain a high-quality website that’s less vulnerable to algorithm hits.
How much overlap is there between the various factors an EEAT SEO audit looks at?
There is significant overlap between the factors assessed in an EEAT audit, as they are all interrelated aspects of Google’s holistic approach to evaluating website quality. Improvements in one area often have a positive impact on others, creating a virtuous cycle of overall quality enhancement.
Will making the changes from an EEAT checklist provide immediate SEO benefits?
While some EEAT improvements may yield quick wins, most changes require time and consistent effort to fully manifest in your search rankings. Google periodically reassesses site quality, so the positive impact of your changes may be gradual and more noticeable after Core Updates or major algorithm refinements.
Can an EEAT audit also help improve the user experience and trustworthiness of my website for visitors?
Absolutely. Many of the factors evaluated in an EEAT audit, such as content quality, site navigation, author transparency, and mobile-friendliness, directly impact user experience and perceived trustworthiness. By optimizing for EEAT, you inherently create a better, more reliable site for your visitors.
Are there any quick wins an EEAT SEO checklist can reveal to boost my site’s quality and rankings?
While most EEAT improvements require consistent effort, some quick wins may include fixing broken links, improving site speed, updating author bios, adding clear contact information, and ensuring content accuracy and freshness. An EEAT audit can highlight such easy-to-implement opportunities.
How can I get my hands on a comprehensive EEAT audit template to evaluate my own website?
You can find a comprehensive 76-point EEAT audit template by subscribing to my SEO newsletter. This exclusive template, worth $500, will be available for free to his subscribers in early May 2024. Don’t miss out on this valuable resource to assess and improve your website’s EEAT and overall quality in Google’s eyes.
