With the development of modern technology, mobile phones and the internet have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Whether it’s for daily trivial matters or solving urgent problems, modern people often pull out their phones immediately and use the Google search engine to find answers.
However, when facing major issues such as health and finance, the accuracy of the information found directly relates tolife, property, and safety. This is one of the reasons why Google has higher requirements forYMYL (Your Money or Your Life) pages.
The content of web pages not only needs to provide accurate information but also needs to possessprofessionalism, authority, and trustworthinessto truly bring value to users. This article will delve into SEO strategies for YMYL pages, effectively improving content quality to help with rankings!
What is YMYL?
YMYLis an abbreviation for “Your Money or Your Life“, referring to web pages that involve major aspects of users’ quality of life, health, finances, or safety. If the content of these pages is inaccurate, outdated, or unprofessional, it may cause serious impact or even risks to users.
Google established the YMYL mechanism to prevent websites from providing incorrect information in an era of information overload, which could affect people’s lives, property, safety, or cause more serious consequences. This mechanism requires websites to have more rigorous quality and content.
This mechanism lowers the search engine ranking of less credible web pages, especially those related to users’ money and life.
Which industries fall under the YMYL scope?
In addition, Google also specifies which industries fall under the YMYL scope, including but not limited to the following types:
- Health: Such as web pages with medical advice, disease treatment methods, drug use guidelines, mental health, nutritional information, etc.
- Finance: Such as investment advice, insurance choices, loan advice, home purchases, insurance, university registration, etc.
- Legal: Such as legal procedures, litigation advice, contract terms, etc.
- Shopping and Purchase Decisions: Such as information related to major financial decisions (e.g., home purchases, car choices).
- News, Media, Government-level Information Pages:Provide information on local or national government updates, public or policy information, disaster response services, international events, etc. (Not all media news falls under YMYL; only major international or local issue news belongs to this category.)
- Other information that influences significant decisions: Any major issue involving users’ life, financial, or health decisions. For example, abortion, car safety information, etc.
Therefore, if your website falls into the categories mentioned above, you must not only pay attention to the most basic website security(HTTPS-SSL security certificate), but also comply with the YMYL review mechanism for your search engine ranking to truly improve and increase the credibility of your web pages.
References: GoogleQuality Rater Guidelines
Key Focus of YMYL Review: E-E-A-T
So, what are the key points of this YMYL review mechanism? We must mention E-E-A-T!
Google updated in December 2022Google Quality Raters Guidelines, these search quality guidelines are what everyone commonly refers to as E-E-A-T, which Google uses to evaluate what meets user intent and what constitutes good or bad content.
The E-E-A-T review focuses on four main areas, which areExpertise, Authority, Trust, and Experience。
Below, using the topic “How Diabetics Can Plan Their Daily Diet“, we will analyze the latest E-E-A-T review mechanism for everyone. This will also help you understand what information your website might need to have if you want to achieve a good ranking in the YLML industry:
E: Experience
- Example Article:
The author of the article is a practicing nutritionist and shares their actual experiences from clinical practice, such as how to help diabetic patients adjust their diet plans and improve blood sugar management. - Key Review Points:
Google will examine whether the author has practical experience related to diabetes diet management. Content that provides specific cases or real stories is more convincing.
E: Expertise
- Example Article:
The article thoroughly explains the concept of low glycemic index foods and cites research data from scientific journals or reputable medical institutions (such as the American Diabetes Association) to support the scientific basis of its dietary recommendations. - Key Review Points:
Google checks whether the content is based on professional medical or nutritional knowledge and whether the author possesses relevant academic qualifications or certifications, such as a master’s degree in nutrition or a professional license.
A: Authoritativeness
- Example Article:The website is operated by a medical institution or collaborates with relevant medical organizations (such as hospitals, health associations). The article includes the author’s complete resume and professional certifications, and provides background information on the editorial team.
- Key Review Points:Google verifies whether the website and author are authoritative in the medical field, for example, whether they have been cited or endorsed by other experts or institutions.
TT: Trustworthiness
- Example Article: The website lists the publication date and last updated date of articles, and transparently labels the sources of all references (e.g., medical journals, official guidelines). In addition, the website has a clear privacy policy and contact information.
- Key Review Points:Google determines whether a website is trustworthy, especially whether the data comes from reliable sources, is regularly updated, and provides transparent information to users.
To enhance the trustworthiness of a webpage, in addition to the content needing to be professional and authoritative, Google also retrieves these quality signals:
- HTTPS security certificate: This is super important! It’s also the most basic webpage signal.
- Payment methods
- Return and exchange policy
- Customer service information
- Security seal certification
- Time on page
Through the above quality signals, Google can determine that your webpage has a certain degree of credibility, can correctly provide users with answers, and is not a webpage that spreads misinformation.
Conclusion
In the YMYL field,E-E-A-T(Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is the core guideline to ensure content meets Google’s review standards. Since information on such websites can directly affect users’ health and life safety, Google has extremely high requirements for their content quality.
To build a successful website in the YMYL field, the following points need to be ensured:
- Experience:Content should be based on actual experience and provide real-life examples to increase persuasiveness.
- Expertise:The author needs to have relevant professional background, and the content needs to cite authoritative research or guidelines as support.
- Authoritativeness:The website should display expert background or cooperate with authoritative institutions to enhance its credibility.
- Trustworthiness:Ensure clear content sources, continuous updates, and provide privacy policies and contact information to gain user trust.
Health information is a highly sensitive area, and incorrect information can lead to serious consequences. Adhering to the E-E-A-T principle can not only improve the website’s professionalism and user trust but also gain Google’s ranking advantage, ensuring the long-term success of the website while providing users with correct and valuable information.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is YMYL (Your Money or Your Life)?
YMYL is a term Google uses to describe web pages related to a user’s money, health, safety, or quality of life. If this content is inaccurate or unprofessional, it can have a significant impact on users, so Google has particularly strict ranking standards for it.
Which industries fall under the YMYL category?
YMYL covers health (medical advice, disease treatment, drug information), finance (investments, loans, insurance), legal (litigation, contracts), major purchasing decisions (houses, cars), news and government information (disaster response, policies), and other topics that affect users’ major life decisions.
What are the evaluation criteria for YMYL web pages?
YMYL pages are primarily evaluated based on the E-E-A-T standard: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Content needs to include genuine experience sharing, be supported by professional backgrounds, cite authoritative sources, and have a transparent and trustworthy website structure.
What is E-E-A-T?
E-E-A-T is at the core of Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines and includes: Experience (does the author have real-world experience?), Expertise (does the content come from someone with a professional background?), Authoritativeness (does the website or author have influence in the industry?), and Trustworthiness (is the information source transparent, and is the website secure and regularly updated?).
How can YMYL pages meet Google’s standards?
Recommendations: 1. Provide real-world cases or clinical experience. 2. Authors must have relevant professional backgrounds and provide proof of qualifications. 3. Cite authoritative sources such as medical journals and official guidelines. 4. Websites should use HTTPS, provide a privacy policy, customer service information, and update dates to ensure transparent and trustworthy information.
Why is E-E-A-T particularly important for YMYL pages?
Because the content of YMYL web pages can directly affect users’ life safety or financial decisions, Google wants to ensure that these information sources are reliable. E-E-A-T helps Google determine which content is trustworthy and which websites should receive higher rankings.
How can YMYL websites improve their credibility?
In addition to professional content, Google checks whether a website has an HTTPS security certificate, clear payment and return policies, customer service contact information, security seal certifications, and regularly updated content. All of these can enhance a website’s trustworthiness.
