Priority Pursuit
A podcast dedicated to helping small business owners define, maintain, and pursue both their business and personal priorities so they can build lives and businesses they love.
Priority Pursuit
The Key to Better Google Rankings as a Small Business: Improve E-E-A-T with Angel Tobey
Every small business wants better Google rankings, but few know the key lies in mastering E-E-A-T. In this episode, we're sharing straightforward strategies to help you build a credible online presence.
Today, we have Angel Tobey, the content director at Treefrog Marketing, sharing her insights on E-E-A-T, which stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. Angel explains why these elements matter for SEO and offers practical tips on improving them.
We also discuss content strategies that small businesses can implement, how to earn valuable backlinks, and why consistent branding and messaging can make a big difference.
Tune in now to start making simple changes that can improve your rankings and help your business grow.
Specifically, this episode highlights the following themes:
- The importance of E-E-A-T for SEO
- Practical content strategies for improving credibility
- How consistent branding affects search rankings
Other Mentioned Links & Resources
Episode 161: 3 Types of Content to Boost Your SEO:
https://treefrogmarketing.com/types-content-boost-seo
Episode 107: How to Write Website Copy for Your Small Business:
https://treefrogmarketing.com/how-write-website-copy-small-business-how-write-home-service-about-pages
Get this free PDF guide: How to Use Keywords to Improve Your Small Business’s SEO:
https://treefrogmarketing.com/how-use-keywords-improve-small-business-seo
Learn how to write your Marketing Guiding Statements:
https://treefrogmarketing.com/how-write-marketing-guiding-statements
Learn More About Treefrog’s Small Business Marketing Resources & Services:
https://www.treefrogmarketing.com
Receive 50% Off Your First Year of HoneyBook:
https://www.treefrogmarketing.com/honeybook-coupon-code
Book a Strategic Marketing Coaching:
https://treefrogmarketing.com/marketing-consulting-small-businesses
Join the Priority Pursuit Podcast Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/179106264013426
Follow or DM Treefrog Marketing on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/treefroggers
Follow or DM Kelly Rice on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/treefrogkelly
Follow or DM Victoria on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/victorialrayburn
Angel Tobey [00:00:00]:
It's important to remember that search engines exist to provide their users with the information they need, and any good search engine is going to do its best to provide users with the most helpful, accurate and credible results that it can. So in order for your website and content to rake well as a small business, you more or less have to prove to search engines that you're a credible source. And to do this, as Google search quality, rater and guidelines explained, you need to demonstrate a high level of E-E-A-T, and E-E-A-Ts stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness.
Victoria Rayburn [00:00:33]:
Hey there, you're listening to the priority Pursuit podcast, a podcast dedicated to helping small business owners and leaders define, maintain and pursue both their personal and business priorities so they can build lives and businesses they love. I'm your host, Victoria Rayburn, and y'all, if you want your website and content to rank well on Google, you have to remember and understand that Google and other search engines exist to provide their users with the information they need. And any good search engine is going to strive to provide its users with the most helpful, accurate and search results that it can. As a result, if you want your website and content to rank well in search engines or on search engines and search results, you have to prove to Google that you're a credible source and that you are an expert at what you do. In other words, you need to prioritize and improve what Google calls your e a t. Now, we'll get into what that means and how to do this in this episode, but so much of improving your eat involves content creation. As a result. I am so excited to be joined once again by Tree Frog content director, Angel Tobey. Angel, welcome back to the show.
Angel Tobey [00:01:37]:
Hey, it's so good to be back. And this is such a fun topic, at least in my opinion, because this is just a really great example of how content development and SEO can really work hand in hand. So call me a nerd, but I'm super pumped for this conversation. And Victoria, knowing you, I have no doubt that you are very excited as well.
Victoria Rayburn [00:01:54]:
I mean, you know, I am. And thank you so much for being the person who will nerd out about this with me. But before we get into today's topic, in case listeners haven't had the pleasure of meeting you yet, would you mind introducing yourself and sharing a bit about how you serve small businesses in your world at Treefrog?
Angel Tobey [00:02:12]:
Sure. So I'm Angel Toby, Treefrog Marketing's content director. At Treefrog, I oversee all the content and copy that our agency produces for our clients so in other words, I oversee all the words that go onto websites and blog posts, emails, ads and pretty much everything with written communication. And as my team and I produce content, our biggest goal, first and foremost, is to make sure everything we release includes clear, customer focused messaging and that the content we create serves our clients customers really well. That said, SEO plays a huge role in strategic content development. After all, when small businesses invest time or money in content creation, they deserve for their content to be found online so they can reach and attract their best customers. So as you can imagine, Victoria and the content team really spend a lot of time working together to ensure the content we create and the copy we write uses the right keywords, follows the best SEO practices, and ultimately helps small businesses grow.
Victoria Rayburn [00:03:08]:
Love it, angel. Okay, that was so well put, first of all, and thank you so much for explaining how SEO fits into content development. Like you said, they truly go hand in hand. Now, before we get into tactics, do you want to explain to everyone what E-E-A-T is? Because otherwise it's just a confusing acronym. We should probably talk about what it means.
Angel Tobey [00:03:30]:
Absolutely. So, like Victoria said before, it's important to remember that search engines exist to provide their users with the information they need. And any good search engine is going to do that, do its best to provide users with the most helpful, accurate and credible results that it can. So in order for your website and content to rake well, as a small business, you more or less have to prove to search engines that you're a credible source. And to do this, as Google search quality rater guidelines explained, you need to demonstrate a high level of E-E-A-T. And E-E-A-T stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness. Now, I know that's kind of a lot of words, but the important thing to remember here is that your website and content need to show Google that you're the expert who can help search engine users solve their problem.
Victoria Rayburn [00:04:15]:
Exactly. Now, focusing on eat honestly, it has two benefits. So first of all, it's going to help prospects see you as an expert that they can trust. Basically, when you're producing helpful, credible content, this is going to make your ideal clients more likely to buy from you because they can see that you're an expert. You're again building trust with them. But then from an SEO perspective, Google and other search engines algorithms prioritize websites and content with high E-E-A-T. As a result, you want to focus on and improve your eat so you can improve your search engine rankings and get your website in front of prospects who are actively searching for products, services and content. Like yours.
Victoria Rayburn [00:04:57]:
Essentially, eat is the key to improving your SEO. And as we've talked about, and I don't know how many episodes of priority pursuit at this point, SEO should be one of your top marketing priorities because it can help you reach consistent, sustainable business growth. I mean, yes, social media is important, email marketing, it's important. But at the end of the day, when people know that they need something, they're going to Google to find those things. And so just to give you some data to further support this, 97% of people use Google when they're in need of a local product or service. 90% of consumers who search for local businesses make purchases within a week. And SEO drives more than 1000% more traffic than organic social media. So if you want to stop chasing business and let your strongest leads come to you through Google or other search engines, you need to prioritize your eat.
Victoria Rayburn [00:05:51]:
Okay, so on that note, obviously eat SEO, super important. But let's get into eleven practical ways you can show Google that you're an expert angel. Content is arguably, not even arguably, it is the biggest factor that affects E-E-A-T. So do you want to get us started? You want to start there?
Angel Tobey [00:06:10]:
Sure. Like we've already mentioned several times, Google really strives to provide its users with the most helpful, accurate and credible search results that it can. So one of the most effective things you can do to improve your eat is to create content that helps Google achieve this goal. So in other words, you need to publish credible content to your website that serves your audience well and showcases your expertise. Now, just for clarification, when I say content, I'm talking about blog posts, videos, podcast episodes, infographics, and really any other medium that allows you to share messages and engage with your audience. For small businesses, blogging tends to be the easiest and still a very highly effective form of content. So that's what we typically recommend for small businesses. Now, there are all kinds of things that you can blog about, but as you decide what kinds of blog posts you're going to write, remember that Google users don't just conduct searches on a whim.
Angel Tobey [00:07:01]:
So whether they want to solve a problem, get an answer to a question, or find specific information, they search with a goal. And as a result, Google prioritizes content that helps users accomplish their search goals. With this in mind, as you plan to write content, you should ask yourself three does this content help my audience solve their problem? Does this content answer my ideal client's question? And does this blog post include the information my audience needs to accomplish their goal? If you can answer yes to at least one of those questions. Chances are you have great content that served your audience well. And by providing the information they need, you show both Google and your prospects that you're a trusted, credible source.
Victoria Rayburn [00:07:39]:
Yeah, that is such a great summary. Angel, could you, let's maybe give listeners a few examples like what kinds of blog posts can they write to improve their eat?
Angel Tobey [00:07:50]:
Yeah, absolutely. So first you can write educational blog posts. These kind of posts teach your audience about a topic. So by explaining complex subjects in a way that's easy to understand, you position yourself as the knowledgeable source. So for example, if you own a plumbing company, you might release a blog post that explains the differences between tankless and traditional water heaters to help readers choose the right option for their home. And then along with that, you can also write how to blog posts, which are simply guides that walk readers through a specific process. I know you, like many of us, have had to look up tons of how to blogs on any various topic.
Victoria Rayburn [00:08:30]:
But these posts, home related or work related?
Angel Tobey [00:08:32]:
Yeah, anything Internet's wonderful for it. But these posts really show your expertise by giving your readers actionable advice and showcasing your skills. So for example, for how to log if you're like a wedding planner, you could write a post titled how to create the perfect wedding day timeline. So in this post you could break down the different components of a wedding day and everything you need to do to design a seamless timeline. You could also provide sample timelines to help couples plan their big day. And by offering this helpful advice, you really show that you're the pro in the industry. Blogging your work is also a really great way to improve E-E-A-T. Now this is going to look a little different for each small business, but essentially you can use your blog to showcase how your product or services help your customers solve their problem.
Angel Tobey [00:09:19]:
Again, this is going to look a little different for every business, but this might mean using your blog to publish case studies before and afters or to showcase your work in a way that makes sense for your audience. Like I know Victoria, when you're a wedding photographer, you used to blog about weddings by writing about the couple, their wedding day and even showcasing some of their photos, right?
Victoria Rayburn [00:09:39]:
Absolutely. Blogging my work was a huge part of my marketing strategy as a wedding photographer.
Angel Tobey [00:09:43]:
Yeah, and as it should be. I mean, blogging your work is a really great way to show Google that you're an expert in your field, which is only going to improve your eat and that in turn is only going to improve your Google ranking. So basically by blogging your work, you can show Google that you know what you're doing and that you're actively taking clients.
Victoria Rayburn [00:10:01]:
Okay? So as a quick recap, because that was a lot of really, really great information, but to improve your eat, you want to create content that helps Google accomplish its goal of providing helpful content while also showcasing your expertise. And you can do this by publishing specifically educational blogs, how to blogs, and by blogging your work. Does that cover the main points?
Angel Tobey [00:10:24]:
Yes, definitely. But while we're talking about this, I would love to add two more quick tips, if that's okay.
Victoria Rayburn [00:10:30]:
I mean, of course it is.
Angel Tobey [00:10:31]:
Okay, great. So first of all, it's really important to showcase your expertise, but you don't want to be braggy or salesy about it. So remember, you want to make your ideal client the hero of your marketing story. And we won't get into this today because we have a lot to cover. But ensure and to put it into writers terms, you want to show people that you're the expert. Don't tell them that you're the expert. It'll just come across as braggy and really off putting. Also, the more comprehensive your blog posts are, the more likely they are to rank well and to improve your eat.
Angel Tobey [00:11:02]:
So when you go to go write a new blog post, look to see if there are similar blogs that are already ranking really well on Google. Then determine how you can make yours even better. So this might mean offering additional info, including more relevant photos, screenshot examples, or so many other things really to make the blog better. But your goal should essentially be to one up your competitors and helpfulness, which really means covering the topic more thoroughly.
Victoria Rayburn [00:11:27]:
Now, one upping and helpfulness. It reminds me of that episode of the Office where like Dwight and Andy get into it, you know, trying to like one of each other in favor. So essentially, yeah, like be the Dwight and Andy.
Angel Tobey [00:11:36]:
I was going to say just channel that. Yes.
Victoria Rayburn [00:11:42]:
Okay. So yes, if you want to get the most out of your blog posts, you definitely need to look at what your competitors are doing. And yeah, do your best to create content that's even more helpful because again, Google is always ranked the most helpful content first. Right?
Angel Tobey [00:11:57]:
And I know that was a lot and we still have ten points to go, so I'm going to lay off the content advice just a little bit. But if you want to learn more about how to create content that improves your SEO and E-E-A-T, I really want to encourage you to go back and listen to episode 161, three types of content to boost your SEO.
Victoria Rayburn [00:12:13]:
Yes, I mean, content is again the most important piece of improving your eat. So we definitely need to talk about it. And starting with it was the only thing that made sense. But yes, let's keep going. You'll, I promise. The others are actually a lot shorter, but that is your biggest eat concerns.
Angel Tobey [00:12:28]:
But anyway, I talk about content all day, so of course that's going to be my main, that's going to be my main subject. But yes, we have more. So let's keep going.
Victoria Rayburn [00:12:36]:
Yeah, we'll have you back on the show very soon to talk about anything you want. We'll just, yeah, we'll just let you loose. But another way to improve E-E-A-T is to use data and site sources. So remember, E-E-A-T stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness. And when you use data to support your content and link to trusted sources, that gives Google both. Well, sorry, that gives both Google and your audience more reason to trust your content. Now, not to say that you aren't an expert, but like with anything, if you cite credible sources, that gives it authority. But to include data in your content, you can include industry statistics, survey results, case studies, or even specific examples from your own business or from your how you work with your clients.
Victoria Rayburn [00:13:20]:
Depending on how you work with them, maybe you do have client data you can provide. And then to cite credible sources, you can refer to academic journals, studies, respected news outlets, or even just content from leading experts in your industry. Like if they have been deemed a credible source, if they are trustworthy, then yes, absolutely link to their stuff as well. Now, chances are this is going to look a little different, industry to industry. But when you back your content up with data and trustworthy sources and you link to these resources, you add credibility to your content. Which again improves your E-E-A-T.
Angel Tobey [00:13:55]:
Exactly. So just remember, like your high school English teacher always said, do your research inside your sources. So in addition to doing this, which is going to help a ton, in addition to citing other experts, another great way to improve EEH is to collaborate with those experts in your industry. And there are a lot of ways you can do this. But a super simple way is to ask an expert in your field to serve as a guest blogger and publish their content on your website. So for example, let's pretend you own a wedding venue. You could reach out to your favorite wedding planner, photographer, florist or really any other vendor and ask them to contribute an educational or how to blog post to your website. And by featuring a guest post from a respected colleague, you're not only adding value, valuable content, but also showing Google and your audience that you are connected with other authorities in your field.
Angel Tobey [00:14:44]:
So this is going to add credibility to your website. It gives your favorite colleagues backlinks, which we'll discuss in just a little bit. And most importantly, it serves your audience really well.
Victoria Rayburn [00:14:52]:
Exactly. And honestly, this is also just a great way to build relationships within your industry. I mean, I think I kind of approach everything still from a wedding photography wedding industry perspective, but this can be huge. And additionally, your colleagues and peers are just going to be so flattered that you ask them to contribute to your blog.
Angel Tobey [00:15:11]:
Yeah, and it's also a really big time saver. I mean, it means not having to write a blog and your colleague's going to do it for you. So that's a win win.
Victoria Rayburn [00:15:20]:
Yeah, that is another great point. So if you want to improve your eat and save your save some time, or your marketing team some time, reach out to experts in your industry that you respect and ask them to contribute a blog post. Better yet, I highly recommend arranging a trade. So, you know, they write a post for you and you write a post for their site. And this gives you both an opportunity to improve your eat, earn backlinks, which like angel said, we'll discuss more thoroughly in here, just a bit, and then also a chance to tap into one another's audiences. Okay, so another great way to improve your eat is to include your credentials and qualifications on your about page. Now, to give you a few examples, you might highlight your background by including your education, certifications, licenses and any relevant training you might have. You might make mention of how many years you've been in business.
Victoria Rayburn [00:16:12]:
You can also display noteworthy clients or projects. You know, sometimes you'll see on an about page or anywhere else on a website, like logos to businesses or clients that the site owner serves. You can include bios for you and your team members on your about page that highlight your expertise and your experience. You might also consider adding testimonials to this page. You can link to press features or any awards you've received, and if you've published work on other sites, you know, you can link to that too. I'm like running out of breath with all these ideas, honestly. But if you've been featured in the media or in a publication somehow, consider linking to those features. Basically, use your about page to highlight your qualifications and link to those qualifications.
Angel Tobey [00:16:58]:
Exactly, Victoria. And I hope you don't mind, but I am going to cut in here for a second with another content dip. I have to tell everyone that while you're definitely, you definitely want to include all of this stuff and all this information on your about page, it's important to remember that your about page shouldn't actually be about you. It should be about how you can help your ideal client solve their problem.
Victoria Rayburn [00:17:17]:
Yes. Okay, so I am so glad that you brought that up because, y'all, your about page is likely going to be one of your most visited pages on your website. Data just supports that again and again and again. But your prospects are not going to want to work with you if this page is just full of narcissistic weirdness. Like, I don't know how else to say it. So, like with every piece of your marketing, your ideal client needs to be the hero of the story. Now, we aren't going to get into how to write an about page in this episode. However, if you'd like step by step instructions on writing this page and any other page on your website.
Victoria Rayburn [00:17:55]:
Angel did a really great episode a few months back about this. Exactly. So I think this episode is now about a year old, but it's still really great. I recommend it to people all the time and you can find episode 107, how to write website copy for your small business in the show notes or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Natalie Franke [00:18:16]:
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Kelly Rice [00:19:01]:
Small businesses don't have an effective marketing strategy, and because of this, they try one tactic after another without seeing results. This not only prevents consistent business growth, it makes managing marketing efforts more difficult.
Kelly Rice [00:19:14]:
Than it should be.
Kelly Rice [00:19:15]:
As a marketing agency for small businesses, we understand how frustrating it can be when hard work doesn't deliver the results that you want.
Kelly Rice [00:19:22]:
Because of this, Treefrog has developed a.
Victoria Rayburn [00:19:24]:
Proven four step marketing system that will help any small business on our website. You can also schedule a 30 minutes discovery call to discuss working with Tree Frog to build a marketing strategy that will allow your small business to finally see the growth you've been working so hard to achieve.
Angel Tobey [00:19:39]:
I think you're right. I think that was about a year ago, which is really crazy to think about. But yes, including the information Victoria mentioned on your about page can certainly help establish you as an expert. Something else you can add to really any page of your website to improve E-E-A-T is client testimonials. So this helps both Google and your website visitors see that you serve your customers well and that you're great at what you do. So testimonials act as a kind of social proof which reinforces trustworthiness and authoritativeness in Google's eyes. To give you an example of where to include these testimonials on your site, whenever we write a home product or service page for one of our clients, we always make sure to include the testimonials from their websites on their from their customers on the page.
Victoria Rayburn [00:20:22]:
And speaking of testimonials, a great way to both get testimonials to feature on your site and then to improve your eat as well, is to earn honest, positive online reviews. So reviews provide further social proof and show Google and other search engines that your business is actively serving customers well and as a result, reviews better your eat. Now, earning Google reviews, Yelp reviews or reviews like on any other site is going to improve your eat honestly, because it's showing that your business is. However, I do want to encourage you to specifically ask your customers for Google reviews because most people 81% read Google reviews and Google reviews are going to most effectively improve your SEO. Basically, Google is the leading search engine and Google tends to like its own features. So Google reviews are typically your most strategic bet. Now, if you want to generate more reviews, you have to ask for them. More than 70% of consumers will leave reviews when directly asked.
Victoria Rayburn [00:21:25]:
However, you'll likely find that few to none of your customers will take the time to leave you a positive review without being specifically asked or prompted.
Angel Tobey [00:21:34]:
Yeah, and for the record, that isn't because your customers don't appreciate you, they just have busy lives and they don't necessarily realize how helpful reviews can be to a small business. And it likely won't even occur to them to leave you a Google review unless you specifically ask for it.
Victoria Rayburn [00:21:47]:
Absolutely. So make asking for reviews part of your workflow. And heck, you know, as a small business owner, you know how important these are. So this is a total, total side note. But if you love another small business, if they serve you well, take the time to leave them a review as well because it's just the nice thing to do but anyway, if you are currently short on Google reviews, you can, and I'd argue that you should reach out to past customers and ask them to take a minute to leave you a review. This is such an easy way to improve your eat.
Angel Tobey [00:22:18]:
Yeah, it really is. So now, another simple but highly effective way to improve your eat is to ensure that your content is up to date. So Google prioritizes content that is both accurate and relevant, and as time goes on, information changes. So by keeping your content and blog posts current, you show Google and your audience that your website is trustworthy and well maintained.
Victoria Rayburn [00:22:40]:
Exactly. And the good news is that this doesn't necessarily mean you have to create new content all the time. So updating old content can sometimes be just as effective. So let's go back to like the plumber example we started with. Now, if you have a blog post about traditional versus tankless water heaters that you wrote a few years back and the technology of tankless water heaters changes which maybe this is a bad example, I don't know how often. I mean, honestly, my husband is a contractor. Maybe I should have asked him before I decided to use this example. But let's say tankless water heaters drastically change, so some of that information is no longer relevant to.
Victoria Rayburn [00:23:14]:
So you can go back, make updates and publish a refreshed version for 2024.
Angel Tobey [00:23:20]:
Definitely. And again, updating your content shows Google that your site is active and your content remains useful to others. Plus, republishing updated content can give you fresh content, which is great for SEO without having to start from scratch.
Victoria Rayburn [00:23:34]:
Yes. And don't forget that updating your content also improves your user experience. Your audience will appreciate up to date, accurate information. I mean, no one likes to land on a page that references old trends or outdated practices. It's super frustrating.
Angel Tobey [00:23:48]:
That's the worst. That is the worst. So just to recap, don't just create content and forget about it. Schedule regular audits for your website, refresh some old posts and keep things current. This will go a really long way in improving your eat and your overall SEO performance.
Victoria Rayburn [00:24:04]:
Now, another crucial factor in improving your Eat is building a strong backlink profile. In simple terms, backlinks are links to your website from other websites, and they are especially important because they signal to Google that your content is valuable and trustworthy. When other websites, especially other trusted websites, link to yours, it's like they're vouching for your content. Google sees these links as a vote of confidence, and the more quality backlinks you have, the more Google will see your site as an authority as well.
Angel Tobey [00:24:37]:
Exactly. And Victoria, because I know this can feel really intimidating and overwhelming, do you want to share a few practical ways small businesses can earn those backlinks?
Victoria Rayburn [00:24:45]:
Yes, absolutely. Because, yeah, when you just talk about it, it sounds like, oh, these things will magically appear. No, there are some things we can do to earn some. We can be really tactical about this. So this is likely going to look very different from industry to industry. But yeah, let's talk about a few suggestions. Now, one of the easiest ways you can earn backlinks is to serve as a guest blogger. Basically, you could reach out to a publication in your industry or one of your colleagues, like we discussed when we talked about collaboration opportunities, and offer to write a guest post for their site.
Victoria Rayburn [00:25:14]:
Then in the post you write, you know, be sure to include links to your website so that you're building those backlinks into that content. Now, as a business owner, you probably regularly get those cold emails asking to contribute to your blog. I get them every day. I delete them. I'm going to be honest. So I hope this goes without saying, but don't send cold emails. You're going to have, like, you're going to have so much more success. Offering to write guest posts for people, for businesses and publications that you actually have relationships worth your time is just too valuable to waste on cold emailing.
Victoria Rayburn [00:25:48]:
Now, another strategy to earn backlinks is to collaborate with other colleagues or vendors in your industry. So this one is, this idea is definitely going to look different from industry to industry. But you know, let's say you're a wedding vendor of some kind. Again, my head very much still goes to wedding examples just because that's what I did for so long. But you could collaborate with other vendors by adding one another to your preferred vendor list, assuming those lists are online, by swapping testimonials and linking to one another's site. So, you know, like a florist could leave a review for a wedding planner and vice versa and then link to their sites. You could earn backlinks by co hosting styled shoot where all parties. So all vendors involved blog about the shoot and then link to one another's websites or by swapping featured vendor blog posts.
Victoria Rayburn [00:26:34]:
So this would be where you essentially highlight a preferred vendor on your blog and then they do the same for you. So this not only helps you earn backlinks, but it also strengthens relationships within your industry and allows you once again to tap into one another's audiences. Now, you can also strive to get your work published or make moves to be featured in news or media outlets that link to your site. Maybe this is industry specific for you, maybe you're a local business and you get featured like in your local, I want to say look like all papers are online, but you get what I mean, local news outlet of some kind because they will definitely link to your website. And you can also, you can earn a lot of backlinks when we're on a podcast. So let's talk about this really quick. You can earn a lot of backlinks at once by feature being featured as a podcast guest because podcast show notes are typically featured on the show's blog and then also on all podcast player sites. So you'd earn backlinks wherever the podcast is available.
Victoria Rayburn [00:27:31]:
So that's super helpful. And then a super easy way to earn more backlinks is to create online directory listings. So you can actually do this in a matter of minutes if you use Moz Local, which we will be sure to link to in the show notes. And if you don't know what I mean by online directory listings, like think like Yelp, Google my business, any of those places on then list your business information, but you create an online directory listing and then that is going to link to your website. So super easy way to earn backlinks.
Angel Tobey [00:28:00]:
Yeah, those are some really great tips for earning backlinks. And like you said, Victoria, how you earn those backlinks is probably going to differ a lot from industry to industry, but hopefully those examples trigger some ideas for you. I also want to note that if you produce high quality, useful content like we talked about, other people will naturally want to link to it and cite it in their own content.
Victoria Rayburn [00:28:20]:
Exactly. So in short, earning backlinks from reputable sources shows Google that your content is trustworthy and boosts your authority in the eyes of search engines. Plus, backlinks give you opportunities to reach other audiences, which again, is a pretty fantastic bonus.
Angel Tobey [00:28:36]:
Yeah, that's a great feeling when somebody uses your content.
Victoria Rayburn [00:28:39]:
Yes, angel would site.
Angel Tobey [00:28:41]:
Yeah, it's just a great feeling. Okay, so I know this is a lot of information, but I promise we're nearing the end of our list. We're on 0.9 out of eleven right now. So another effective way to improve E-E-A-T is to engage in thought leadership. This simply means positioning yourself as an expert in your field by regularly sharing your insights, opinions and unique perspectives on the industry trends and topics.
Victoria Rayburn [00:29:03]:
Yes, because when you consistently share valuable knowledge and take the lead on conversations in your industry, both search engines and your audience will begin to see you as an authority. Now, you can establish yourself as a thought leader through blog posts, podcasts, by speaking at industry events, or simply by being active on social media.
Angel Tobey [00:29:22]:
Yeah, basically, Google's everywhere. And as a result, if you start publishing opinion pieces or offering actionable advice, you can establish yourself as like a go to resource. And this is a fantastic way to improve E-E-A-T and build trust with your audience.
Victoria Rayburn [00:29:37]:
Yes. Okay, so we've spent most of this episode talking about what kinds of content to develop to improve your eat, or how you can establish partnerships, relationships and collaborations. But we do want to give you a technical step before we wrap up here. So it is really important to invest in an SSL certificate. Now, an SSL certificate helps secure your website by encrypting the data exchange between your site and your visitors. This means any information shared, like personal or payment details, is kept safe.
Angel Tobey [00:30:11]:
Yeah, and if you have no idea what we're talking about here, that's totally okay. I'm usually not the most techie sound person in the office, but if you, as an example, if you've ever gone to a website and received a message asking if you wanted to proceed because the website isn't secure, that's because the site doesn't have an SSL certificate. So chances are most of your site visitors won't notice if you have one, but they'll definitely notice if you don't because they'll get that message and this will most likely result in them leaving your website.
Victoria Rayburn [00:30:38]:
Yes, and you don't want that, obviously. So having an SSL certificate is super important because it makes both your prospects and Google more likely to trust you. Now, if you don't have an SSL certificate, I promise you this is really not a hard process, but you can get one from providers like namecheap, GoDaddy, or wherever you purchased your name. Purchase your domain wherever. Yeah, wherever your domain is hosted. Like, look that information up. Chances are it'll probably even give a pop up that says, hey, you need an SSL certificate, just push the button and do what it says.
Angel Tobey [00:31:10]:
Yeah, and like I said, this might sound kind of techy and intimidating, but I promise you it's not. Like Victoria said, you just need to purchase it and then follow the instructions to install the certificate, which you can likely do in just a couple clicks. So it's really not that. It's not as intimidating as it sounds.
Victoria Rayburn [00:31:26]:
Um, yeah.
Angel Tobey [00:31:26]:
Okay, so last point, I promise. But it's a big one.
Victoria Rayburn [00:31:30]:
I mean, y'all probably knew there was no way we could make it through an entire episode without talking about the importance of consistent branding and messaging.
Angel Tobey [00:31:38]:
Yes, you might not be surprised that we're once again going to talk about messaging. But you might be surprised to find out that consistent branding and messaging is actually crucial for improving your eat. Just like people find comfort and consistency, consistency and familiarity, Google values that consistency. So when your visual brand and your messaging align across platforms like your website and social media, this helps Google see you as a professional and understand who you are and what you do as a business. So as a result, this consistency can positively impact your ranking. Now, to establish this consistency, you should consider creating a brand guide. This document should outline your logo usage, your color palette, fonts and really anything that's pertinent to your brand. Then, to make sure your messaging is consistent, you're going to want to take the time to write your marketing guiding statements Victoria and Kelly have talked about marketing guiding statements and I don't even know how many episodes at this point.
Angel Tobey [00:32:35]:
But in case you aren't familiar with this idea, marketing guiding statements are written guidelines that position your brand and business as a trusted partner. And the process of developing these statements gives you the information you need to write clear, concise and effective messaging in a story based framework.
Victoria Rayburn [00:32:50]:
Yes. Now, if you are a regular listener, you know that clear messaging is the key to effective marketing. And because there is nothing we want more than for your small business to succeed, we put together a free mini course that walks you through exactly how to write your small businesses marketing guiding statements. To take the first step to effective marketing for small businesses writing your marketing guiding statements mini course, visit the link in the show notes or go to Treefrogmarketing.com marketing guiding statements, which is all one word without any spaces, hyphens or special characters. So Treefrogmarketing.com marketing guiding statements yes, definitely, definitely.
Angel Tobey [00:33:26]:
Be sure to check that out. Because by keeping both your branding and messaging consistent, you can improve your eat, make your site more likely to rank well on Google, and even create a strong, recognizable brand that's going to stand out in your industry.
Victoria Rayburn [00:33:40]:
Okay y'all, that's it. Really. I know that that was a lot, but in case you are feeling overwhelmed, I want to tell you two things that I hope give you peace of mind. So first of all, you don't have to do everything we just suggested. You don't have to complete all eleven steps. Like if you do, great. Like super proud of you, really. But the fact of the matter is that few small businesses will prioritize their eat as a result, even if you just do a few of these things, especially if you focus on the content suggestions, you will likely see pretty drastic SEO improvements.
Victoria Rayburn [00:34:13]:
Additionally, eat isn't a fad. It's a fundamental aspect of how Google evaluates content quality. And as long as Google's goal continues to be to provide its users with helpful content, eat is only going to become more important. So investing time and or money in these tactics will only benefit your SEO and set you up for long term success.
Angel Tobey [00:34:35]:
Exactly. And I think it's really important to think of E-E-A-T as a foundational piece of your SEO and content marketing strategy. For sure.
Victoria Rayburn [00:34:44]:
Yes. Yeah. So y'all take a deep breath, prioritize a few of the tactics we discussed, and start implementing what you can remember, every step you take towards improving your eat will contribute to improving your SEO and helping you reach long term, sustainable success. So angel, thank you so much for coming on the show and nerding out about E-E-A-T with me.
Angel Tobey [00:35:05]:
Of course, anytime. I always have so much fun talking about content and SEO and Eat was a great time.
Victoria Rayburn [00:35:13]:
Well, we are going to have you back on the show for another content deep type really soon. In fact, I think you're, I know you're going to be on back on in just a couple weeks to talk about why websites don't converge. Because, yeah, we need to talk about that because, you know, SEO can get people to your website, but SEO cannot convert them. So yeah, we need to have that conversation.
Angel Tobey [00:35:34]:
That's a really, really good topic. I'm super looking forward to that.
Victoria Rayburn [00:35:37]:
So y'all watch for Angel's upcoming episode. I know she'll have a lot of strategic wisdom to share, but for now, thank you so much for tuning into another episode of the Priority Pursuit podcast. Remember, you can find all the resources we mentioned in the show notes or at priority pursuit.com. if you enjoyed this episode, we hope you'll take a moment to share it with your small business friends and that you'll join us next week for even more marketing boundary and priority driven tactics you can use to build a life and small business that you love.