Google’s E-E-A-T: What It Is and Why It Matters to Your Rehab
Effective content centers your reader. It answers their questions, meets their needs and sparks their interest in what you do. Most people can spot clickbait and keyword stuffing a mile away – so if you want their attention, you have to do better.
Enter Google’s E-E-A-T. These guidelines encourage people to write higher-quality content. Adhering to them improves your search engine ranking and places your content marketing strategy ahead of the curve. These Page Quality standards are especially important for YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) websites.
Addiction and mental health treatment falls neatly into this category. Because the stakes are so high for your readers, Google rewards genuinely helpful content. Here’s how you can produce great content that adheres to E-E-A-T, helping more clients find you and providing them with more value.
Experience
Introduced in December 2022, this is the newest of the E-E-A-T guidelines. In their official announcement, Google described it like this:
This guideline is all about including first-hand sources. Google wants to give people the answers they actually need. To do that, it prioritizes information from creators with real-world experience in the subject matter.
What this means for rehab marketing:
Your content should include information that comes directly from people who have experience with recovery. This can include treatment professionals, people in recovery or their loved ones.
What it looks like in practice:
- We recommend sourcing content from your community as part of your overall content plan.
- This can include written or video testimonials from your clients talking about their time in treatment or experience with the recovery journey.
- It’s a good idea to gather reviews from all your clients as part of your discharge process. Make sure you get permission to include them in your public-facing content.
- Direct quotes from clinicians, complementary therapists and other members of your team give readers a clear sense of your approach. First-person narratives put your work in context, letting potential clients know what they can expect from treatment.
Expertise
Expert content is written by people with an in-depth understanding of a topic. Google recommends you ask these questions about your content:
What this means for rehab marketing:
By sharing helpful, accurate information, you accomplish two things: First, you support your readers’ recovery journey by sharing helpful resources. Second, you position your rehab as a trustworthy guide they can turn to when they’re ready to start treatment.
What it looks like in practice:
Expert content is well-researched but still easy to understand. Think about where most of your readers are in the recovery journey. If they’re in the precontemplation stage, will they be able to focus on a list of statistics? Probably not. These tactics can showcase your expertise without losing your audience’s interest:
- Share accurate, up-to-date information.
- Back up any claims, statements, statistics or facts by linking to the source. Make sure the sites you link to are reputable, and include a reference list in each article or web page where you cite outside sources.
- Have a clinician or other industry professional review your content before it goes live.
- Create bio pages for your blog’s authors and reviewers, and link to them from each article.
- Clearly state when articles were published and last updated.
Authoritativeness
This guideline relates to your reliability as a source of information on a particular topic. Here’s what Google has to say about it:
What this means for rehab marketing:
Ultimately, you want your target audience to recognize you as a reliable source of information on recovery. Once they do, you’ll be the first resource that comes to mind when they’re in need.
This is why it’s important to focus not just on getting clients in the door, but on building relationships with your community. Informative content continues to nurture those relationships during and after treatment.
What it looks like in practice:
- Use active voice and clear, direct statements.
- Take ownership of your rehab’s treatment philosophy. Speaking with confidence demonstrates your accountability, encouraging clients to trust you with their care.
- Sincere, ethical business practices lead to a good online reputation. This means making good on your brand promises and delivering a robust, effective treatment program. Show your clients that you have their best interests at heart – not just your bottom line.
Trust
The internet is full of misinformation and false promises. This guideline works against that unfortunate trend to protect people who are looking for help. Per Google, “Informational pages on clear YMYL topics must be accurate to prevent harm to people and society.”
Trust is the most important of all the E-E-A-T standards.
What this means for rehab marketing:
At the end of the day, your audience should be able to trust you based on a combination of the above factors. All the information on your site should be honest and true.
What it looks like in practice:
- Your About page should be comprehensive, transparently describing your team and your treatment philosophy.
- Reviews of your rehab on Google, treatment directories or other websites improve your reputation. These third-party opinions give readers insight into what your rehab is really like. They should all be written by people who have actually completed your program. Don’t include reviews by staff members, loved ones, referring clinicians, or anyone else.
- Video content creates more transparency. Include it on your website, YouTube channel or other platforms to give readers a glimpse into the treatment experience at your center.
E-E-A-T Matters for Rehab Marketing
E-E-A-T is designed to improve the experience of people looking for answers online. Implementing it in your marketing plan not only helps your clients; it also puts you ahead of the competition.
Connect with us to learn how you can start applying E-E-A-T and ensure your content gets the visibility it deserves.
