N-E-E-A-T-T: The Future of Google’s Algorithm.

In this blog we discuss an up and coming SEO acronym, which will aid business owners like you in light of Google’s 2024 Algorithm Leak. We’ve used the example of a Real Estate business at points, however these concepts can be applied across all industries.

1. How E-A-T became N-E-E-A-T-T.

The SEO landscape has been profoundly transformed by Google’s algorithm updates over the decades. In order to filter out the good content, from the ever-growing pile of thin, low quality content, they devised a popular SEO acronym, E-A-T, to define the type of content and domains they want to prioritise and deliver within their top results pages. This stood for Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness.

In recent years, an extra ‘E’ has been added, which includes ‘Experience’, which made it become E-E-A-T. However, in the age of Artificial Intelligence, Google has needed to strengthen its algorithm once again to avoid serving shallow AI content to users, being slightly more cut-throat this time around, sending tremors around the world of SEO, with many website owners feeling the pinch.

In the light of the many algorithm changes, Kalicube has added ‘Notability’ and ‘Transparency’ to the mix, now becoming “N-E-E-A-T-T”, which further underscores Google’s commitment to promoting high-quality, credible content while filtering out low-value or AI-generated content. As business owners, it is crucial to adapt your content strategies to align with these new standards.

2. Understanding Elements of N-E-E-A-T-T in SEO.

What is Notability in SEO?

This dimension emphasises the recognition and significance of the content creator or the subject within its field. Unlike Wikipedia’s broader concept of notability, Google’s approach is hyper-niche, focusing on impact within specific industries or regions.

Example: A real estate broker who has been awarded “Top Realtor” in their city for several years, is a guest speaker at real estate webinars, and is frequently quoted in online real estate news articles would be considered notable within that specific context.

How to highlight Notability in SEO for Real Estate:

Showcase achievements, awards, or recognitions in online real estate industry publications.
Feature guest posts or interviews with notable figures in the real estate market on your blog.
Participate in local or industry-specific online events and promote your involvement through social media and your website.

What is Experience in SEO?

This refers to the first-hand or life experience relevant to the topic. Google values content created by individuals who have personally encountered or interacted with the subject matter.

Example: A real estate agent who shares personal stories and insights from their 20 years of helping clients buy and sell homes in their local market on their blog will rank higher in SERPs.

How to leverage Personal Experience in SEO for Real Estate:

Encourage agents to create blog content based on their direct experience in real estate transactions.
Use personal stories and case studies on your website to enhance relatability and depth.
Regularly update blog content to reflect new experiences and market insights.

What is Expertise in SEO?

Depth of knowledge and skill in a particular area remains critical. Demonstrating expertise can involve showcasing credentials, certifications, or a history of published work in the field.

Example: A real estate company that publishes articles on market trends written by certified appraisers or experienced realtors on their website.

How to demonstrate Expertise in SEO for Real Estate:

Publish detailed, well-researched articles on your website supported by data and references specific to the real estate market.
Collaborate with recognised experts in real estate to co-author or review content for your blog.
Continuously educate your team to stay updated with industry trends and certifications and share this knowledge through online articles.

What is Authoritativeness in SEO?

This factor assesses how well-recognised and respected the content creator or site is in its field. Building authoritativeness involves earning backlinks from reputable sites, receiving endorsements from industry leaders, and maintaining an active presence in relevant professional communities.

Example: A real estate blog that consistently gets cited by top real estate news platforms and has partnerships with leading real estate agencies online.

How to build Authoritativeness in SEO for Real Estate:

Pursue quality backlinks from high-authority real estate websites.
Engage with the community through online forums, social media, and real estate webinars.
Maintain a consistent and professional online presence through your website and social media profiles.

What is Trustworthiness in SEO?

Ensuring the content is reliable, accurate, and safe is paramount. This involves fact-checking, citing sources, and maintaining a professional and honest tone. User reviews and testimonials also contribute to a site’s trustworthiness.

Example: A real estate agency with numerous positive reviews on platforms like Zillow and transparent policies regarding client interactions on their website.

How to communicate Trustworthiness in SEO for Real Estate:

Ensure all claims about the real estate market on your website are backed by credible sources.
Implement robust security measures to protect user data, including an SSL certificate.
Encourage and display client reviews and testimonials prominently on your website.

What is Transparency in SEO?

This new addition highlights the importance of clarity about who created the content, including detailed author bios and contact information. Transparency fosters trust by being open about authorship and the intentions behind the content.

Example: A real estate website that clearly states the qualifications of its agents, including detailed bios and contact information, as well as any affiliations with local real estate boards.

How to ensure Transparency in SEO for Real Estate:

Provide comprehensive author bios/pages featuring contact details and social media profiles of your agents.
Disclose any potential conflicts of interest or affiliations in your online content.
Maintain an open and honest communication policy with your audience through your website and social media.

3. Tips on Creating Author Pages and Implementing Schema Markup for N-E-E-A-T-T.

When creating author pages, it’s essential to link to a central place where everything about the author comes together. This helps Google’s systems recognise the entity behind the author and associate the correct attributes. Author pages are becoming more important in recent times, as a way to show readers that they can trust what they’re reading, and the same goes for search engines.

In short, Author pages act as a central place where you can explain who you are, and why your qualified to make certain content, and then link your content to it, giving your blog posts more credibility, and attributing it to you, the entity. As John Mueller stated,

“When it comes to things like author pages, or information about the author… our systems try to recognize who that is, what that entity is, we do that based on a number of different factors. It does include links to profile pages or visible information that we can find on these pages themselves. At least link to a central place where you say everything comes together for this author, which could be something like a social network profile page, for example… so we can group this by entity. We try to use structured data to explicitly apply this… We do try to understand who the entity is behind an author page… We call that reconciliation when it comes to structured data – kinda recognizing which of these entities belong together.” (Source)

While Schema Markup can be used to enhance a range of content, implementing Schema.org type ‘Person’ to inform search engines of the page’s Author and where to find the author’s bio page is crucial. This not only aids search engines in identifying the correct author but also enhances the credibility and transparency of your content.

4. Conclusion.

By aligning your SEO goals with the elements of N-E-E-A-T-T, you ensure that your SEO strategy is future-proof and geared towards building a robust, trustworthy online presence. The constant improvement of Google’s machine learning and the Google Knowledge Graph attributed by these algorithms means that high-quality, well-structured, and transparent content will be rewarded. Adapting to these changes will not only improve your search rankings but also foster greater trust and engagement with your audience.