Think Like a Traditional Journalist: Why, What & How
In the beginning of the 21st century, I was employed as a conventional newspaper reporter. I wanted to get a job writing for a newspaper to trim the excess words out of what I wrote.
It was just as vital to accept the timeless “Six Ws” approach of news writing (Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How).
These skills were implemented in various areas of life, such as managing a content marketing team and beginning an agency.
In the world of digital marketing, the conventional Five Ws and One H (Who, What, When, Where, Why and How) are no longer the main focus, due to certain factors, and has been altered to Two Ws and One H (Who and What).
It is imperative to establish the reason behind the TAR strategy to evoke passion and afterward, justify those emotions with the details of What and How.
The essential facts about a traditional journalism outlet (such as who, when, and where it is based) are usually presented on the ‘information about the company’ page found on the site or in the footer, boosting recognition of the other three questions relating to the story (what, why and how).
Always Start with Why
Regrettably, when commencing a digital marketing effort, lots of SEO strategists and content promoters primarily stress on the How and What of the customer’s wares and services – characterized by the properties, charges, and all that is distinctive compared to other rivals.
Research studies have suggested that in order to have a successful web presence, businesses need to comprehend why their audience might have an emotional bond with their digital products/services; as opposed to just looking at the data aspect of such success.
Having the information concerning How and What is essential, yet a logical action resulting from the more intuitive Why should follow.
Apple not only provides MacBook Pros; they promote the idea of human inspiration, and this thought is powerfully conveyed in the words on the MacBook Pro web page.
This advert instantly gives an explanation of the reason for the product, followed by the explanation of how it works and why it is beneficial. Apple declares in its introduction that its product is the result of genius and then illustrates how it works and what it does.
The iPhone 4 promotion stating “This alters everything” is another terrific Apple ad. Again.”
Organizations that ask ‘Why’ initially will surely touch a customer’s feelings, and affect the three components of TAR that can start an everlasting association – sometimes affection – with a corporation and its merchandise.
The words “can begin” are important because there must be a well-defined What and How to logically support the Why. Following is why.
Why Must be Followed by What & How
It’s essential to back up any sentiment with solid evidence. You should provide pertinent facts, such as the What and How, to give your pitch credibility.
The typical elements of search engine optimization (SEO) and content marketing efforts become evident in this situation – analyzing the competition, determining relevant keywords, planning content schedules, and outlining the website’s architecture, etc.
It is essential to take into consideration both the What and the How, but the Why should always take precedence.
Appeal to emotion first; follow with rationale.
The What and How break down a company’s offerings. What and How provide a detailed explanation of what a service company can offer from a strategy and process standpoint, as well as what product companies can present in terms of features and specific specifications.
In order to make sense of a company’s motivations, it is essential to examine the What and How of their products and services, in addition to understanding the emotional Why.
Who You Ask Is as Important as What You Ask
Who you seek advice from is just as significant as the queries you pose.
I primarily worked with marketing departments from larger firms, though sometimes teams from less significant businesses had a role.
In order to embed TAR into the digital marketing plan, the marketing squad should consult not just with the CEO and the founder but also with the sales crew and those involved in frequent customer relations.
Every person can contribute special comprehension of inquiries, aiding to affect TAR elements on leads – the larger the range of viewpoints is, the more accurately you can explain the reason of the firm.
Amplify What Works
Exploring these types of queries allows marketers to focus on the services that are an option of a firm as opposed to wasting time correcting issues that are not operational.
Inquiring into the reasons behind a business’s actions, the Why questions can play a major role in determining what products or services to make a priority, and decide which ones to cut. This ensures that no precious time is wasted by adhering to the 80/20 rule.
It could appear strange, but devoting more energy to elements that have a positive outcome instead of wasting time on activities that are ineffective is the method used by a great number of well-established companies across the world.
Apple and its iPhone have proven to be successful, so it would be wise to further develop and improve the existing product instead of disregarding it in favor of an entirely different phone.
Make Questions – Especially Why – The Soul of Your Content Marketing Trinity
When engaging with customers, I constantly emphasize the development of a “Content Marketing Triad” – one that will motivate them to portray stories and create an ideal web presence.
This trinity includes:
- Constant fresh and emotionally appealing content hosted on their business website.
- Guest posting on authoritative websites within their industry.
- Constantly feeding the social media machine.
The importance of SEO in this trio cannot be overemphasized, and its significance in content marketing should not be ignored as you strive to make your mark in your field.
E-A-T & SEO
E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. The phrase “Google Search Quality Rater guidelines” is the source of the term. Previous to the announcement on August 18th, the effectiveness of this tactic had not been demonstrated to many. Overall, Google develops an understanding of the credibility and quality of webpages based on three distinct components.
It is important to be knowledgeable that Google’s organic search results will be influenced by the quality of the page. Google has said that it centers its attention on the following elements to assign a webpage a rank.
- The objective of a page
- Quality and quantity of main content
- Transparency of the website owner
- E-A-T
- Reputation and reliability of the website
When a web page has all the characteristics described above, it will gain a good position in a search engine.
What Makes E-A-T Important?
The importance of Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness are critical when assessing the credibility of a website. Google uses credible sources to determine if a website is reliable.
What Does Google Consider to Measure E-A-T?
Google takes into consideration three components in order to assess the E-A-T (Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness) of a website.
- The expertise of the content creator
- The authoritativeness of the main content and website creator
- The trustworthiness of the main content and website
These elements guarantee that your website is reliable, precise, and effective.
In a nutshell, Google relies on Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness (E-A-T) to make sure the content they offer is relevant, original, and exact. Currently, we all can create a website. No medical qualification is required in order to write about health. We don’t need to go to a law school in order to exchange knowledge about the law. It is possible to develop a website without requiring any specialised knowledge. Nonetheless, Google must guarantee that individuals locate the appropriate material. Because of this, the trustworthiness of a website is evaluated based on its Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness.
Google employs the E-A-T criteria as a way to judge the dependability of a website, its content, and whoever made it. When a medical professional publishes a medical article, Google will give it greater emphasis.
Expertise in E-A-T
E-A-T will not be the same for all websites. When it comes to gaining knowledge or skill in a particular area, it is possible to become an expert without undertaking formal instruction. The knowledge available on a news website is likely to be different from that provided on a gossip website. In addition to this, Google considers YMYL.
What Is Your Money or Your Life?
Google has coined the term ‘Your Money or Your Life’ (YMYL) as a way of determining the websites that deal with personal health, pleasure, security, and finances. These websites should work to keep up the best E-A-T level. They provide data on the well-being, economic well-being, and contentment of guests. Incorrect information can affect adversely. Therefore, these websites need to ensure they are kept up to date and reliable in order to be ranked high on search engines.
How to Distinguish YMYL Websites
The following constitutes some of the elements that are indicative of a website that is classified as YMYL (Your Money or Your Life).
- Current Topics & News : Websites that cover international business, politics, technology, science, and events will be considered YMYL websites. However, sports and entertainment news and events will not come in the YMYL category.
- Finance : The financial sites related to taxes, investments, loans, retirement planning, insurance, or loans will come within YMYL.
- Health & Safety: Any content that addresses health issues will fall in this category. It will include hospitals, medical issues, drugs, and pharmacies.
- Law, Government, & Civic : Any topic related to government agencies, social services, legal suggestions, public institutions, and voting will bring the website into the YMYL category.
- Group : When it comes to a group, it will include all the groups based on race, nationality, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, and veteran status.
- Shopping : Any website that says about products and goods and influences the buying decision of visitors will have to maintain the highest E-A-T standard.
These are some subjects that would place a website into the “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL) category. The list is likely to include additional topics depending on how it is presented. Raising children can be a challenging endeavor. Finding the right accommodation for your family, determining the best educational opportunities, staying in shape, managing body weight, and proper nutrition are all essential elements of parenting.
What Is the Importance of E-A-T in SEO?
At present, we all use Google to look up information on medical care, learning, and other topics. Google realizes that inaccurate information can negatively affect people who visit the website. If your material belongs in the YMYL class, accuracy must be guaranteed. All the material must be accurate and approved. Adhering to the best practices of Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness can bring your webpage into the organic search results on Google. Hence, you can expect a better ranking.
Does E-A-T Help in Ranking?
Examining quantifiable metrics may not demonstrate E-A-T as a direct factor for rankings. Google factoring the credibility of a website is noteworthy. Those signals are used to determine how competent and reliable your website is. Yes, these signals are Google ranking factors .
One can peruse the white paper launched by Google in February of 2019. The white paper says how Google fights disinformation. Moreover, the significance of E-A-T (Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness) is highlighted in order to obtain a superior position in the search results. The most recent rendition of Google’s search quality regulations features the term E-A-T a total of 137 times. This demonstrates the way Google evaluates the excellence of a website utilizing these three elements.
Google does not have any system of assessment for measuring E-A-T scores. Rather than solely relying on inbound links, other criteria are used to determine the caliber of web pages, brands, authors, and online sources.
Why Should You Add E-A-T to Your SEO Strategy?
Have you checked Google search core algorithm updates? If not yet, you can keep checking. Recently, you have been taught how to create a continuous improvement in user experience. Gaining an understanding of how to get your website to position itself at the top of Google’s search engine results can be extremely beneficial.
You may be aware that Google will punish websites that excessively use keywords. Furthermore, a high rating is awarded to sites that are optimized for mobile devices. Basically, Google is hoping to enable people to use their tools to get information. It places particular emphasis on the use of HTTP and HTTPS to enhance the security of visitors. In addition to all of the above, Core Web Vitals ensures that users have a better experience.
Google utilizes E-A-T as a strategy to make sure that users receive high-standard content.
E-A-T can be utilized to gauge the trustworthiness of a website. Google is able to determine if a website is worth using or not by using this. Google is striving to provide users with the most pertinent and precise data to help them with their inquiries. With enhanced satisfaction, they can keep visiting.
It is an established fact that SEO is effective in helping websites obtain a prominent place on search engine result pages. Nevertheless, by incorporating E-A-T into your SEO strategy, you can achieve more substantial results.
