Is your self-storage website truly up to scratch?
Is it delivering outstanding value for both your loyal and potential customers?
While being a little biased about your website is totally natural, the true way to test your site’s effectiveness is through Google’s E-A-T algorithm.
But what is E-A-T and how can it help your self-storage website thrive? Let’s dive in…
Source : sitecentre
What is Google’s EAT Algorithm?
E-A-T stands for “Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.”
Simply put, E-A-T is Google’s tool to determine whether the content within your website is expert-level and if it contains relevant information that your potential customers are looking for.
The process of E-A-T was established in 2014 by Google’s Search Quality Guidelines, however, quickly became a key tool in determining “Page Quality” in May 2019 after a slightly updated change in Google’s guidelines.
To date, the E-A-T concept is an absolute necessity for all our Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) experts. Let’s break down each marketing concept.
Expertise
You’re an expert in the self-storage industry. But is your website reflecting this?
Not only must your content be relevant to your self-storage business, but it must also be carefully curated to showcase your expertise. The ultimate goal is for your audience and Google to deem you a trusted expert with accurate, high-quality content.
But how do you ensure that your content is credible?
Research, research, and more research!
Backing up your work with relevant sources is crucial. Many self-storage businesses have also opted to work alongside subject matter experts. This can be in the form of hiring a Digital Marketing agency or a freelancer to really help niche down on the content contained within their web pages.
Without expertise in your field, you will be penalised by Google and, ultimately, your content will not be shown to your desired audience!
Authoritativeness
Authoritativeness is your self-storage business’s overall reputation among the pool of experts and influencers in your niche.
Google determines your authority through a variety of factors, including how many mentions your business receives within your industry and how many other experts with established authority are promoting your content.
In the world of marketing, this can be referred to as backlinking. The more businesses within your niche use your links on their websites, the better.
Google can also determine your authoritativeness by mentions you receive in the news or on social media – so it is important to maintain your social media presence alongside your website content!
Trustworthiness
Trustworthiness goes hand-in-hand with the other two concepts.
If you are producing expert content and are being recognised by other leaders within the self-storage industry, you can be sure that you’re building up a great level of trust from potential customers.
To successfully establish trustworthiness, there are a couple of important things to consider:
- Is your website up to date and running quickly? Providing the best user experience is very important.
- Who are you? As a self-storage business, your website should provide customers with accurate information about your business, including site locations, author information, and whom to contact.
- Is your website secure? Make sure your website has accessible Terms & Conditions for your users along with ensuring the security of your website’s domain.
- Do you provide accurate content that flows well? When publishing content, make sure it not only flows well but provides expert knowledge. Cite all sources when appropriate and remember to use links to authoritative websites!
A fantastic example of a website with high-quality E-A-T is one of the most popular sites for researching your medical symptoms, WebMD.
Why?
Because they produce excellent content from highly credible sources, they are experts in their field and assert a high level of medical trust.
How to improve your self-storage site’s E-A-T
Simply put, E-A-T defines your self-storage site’s value. But don’t worry, there are a few ways to start making an impact today. Let’s dive in!
Create High-Quality Content
Creating high-quality content relating to your self-storage business and the industry is an absolute must. And throwing up content for the sake of it could seriously harm your E-A-T score.
Your content should be helpful, easy to read and showcase your expertise. You don’t need to make your content lengthy to have an impact either. Simply write clearly and concisely, and use plenty of backlinks to show your credibility!
Not sure if your content is resonating with your audience? There are plenty of online tools to help you analyse your content, but our favourite is Semrush’s popular Content Audit Tool. Simple to use and highly effective, why not check out their full guide?
Page Transparency
Who exactly are you and what services do your self-storage business offer?
Page transparency includes a variety of things such as producing a clear and comprehensive “About” page. Google (and potential customers) wants to know who you are and if you’re credible.
Additionally, you should maintain transparency about who wrote the content on your site including the author’s name. By doing this, Google can quickly identify your content as legitimate and deem your webpage as transparent and trustworthy.
Our best advice would be to hire a subject expert to write your content for you. Did you know that Amax Marketing specialises in the self-storage niche? Our team is here to help you write credible content and improve your site’s E-A-T score. Give us a call today for a free consultation!
Credible Sources and Authoritative Backlinking
Your self-storage business is an expert in the field, right? Well, it’s time to make sure the world (and Google) knows this.
Use credible sources for the information contained in your content and don’t forget to include links to other popular businesses within the self-storage industry!
Credit : Search Engine Journal
Build Brand Reputation
Whether you are one of the top self-storage businesses in the industry or just starting out, building an excellent reputation should be at the top of your marketing strategy.
Why should potential customers trust you? Do you know their specific needs and are you offering them top-quality service?
Improving your reputation can be carried out through multiple channels including social media, press releases, and online reviews. If you spot a negative review, it’s time to rectify it as quickly as possible and ensure you learn from any mistakes.
A great tool for managing your online reviews is Semrush’s Listing Management Tool. Here, you will be able to find every review ever made against your business.
Another effective way to build your self-storage business’s reputation is by monitoring “user-generated content”. Essentially, this is content produced by customers or influencers who have used your services.
Leveraging user-generated content on your social media platforms is a must! It showcases your credibility and instils a level of trust in potential customers.
The Wrap-Up
To summarise, E-A-T is essential for getting up the search ranks and putting your content in front of the right audience.
Everything included in your website should be focused on “Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness”. Without this, you are putting your business at serious risk of falling behind your competitors.
Why not hire an expert in the industry to help curate expert and credible content? We at Amax Marketing are here to help you get up the ranks, get seen, and get growth.
We have been working with Amax Marketing for the last few weeks and have already been impressed with the results we've seen.
As experts in outreach and digital PR, we knew we'd be in safe hands. We are looking forward to the coming months, and getting some fantastic results!