| name | zolinga-seo-content-quality |
| description | Google's content quality guidelines: E-E-A-T, people-first content, helpful content self-assessment, authorship, and avoiding search-engine-first content. Use when writing, editing, or reviewing page content. |
| argument-hint | [content type or page] |
SEO Content Quality
Use When
- Writing or editing page content
- Reviewing existing content for quality
- Creating blog posts, articles, or landing page copy
- Assessing whether content is people-first vs search-engine-first
- Adding or reviewing authorship information
People-First Content
People-first content is created primarily for people, not to manipulate search engine rankings.
Signs you are creating people-first content:
- You have an existing or intended audience that would find the content useful.
- Your content clearly demonstrates first-hand expertise and depth of knowledge.
- Your site has a primary purpose or focus.
- After reading, someone feels they learned enough to achieve their goal.
- Someone leaves feeling they had a satisfying experience.
Avoid Search-Engine-First Content
Warning signs that content is search-engine-first:
- Content is primarily made to attract visits from search engines.
- You produce lots of content on many topics hoping some performs well.
- You use extensive automation to produce content on many topics.
- You mainly summarize what others say without adding value.
- You write about trending topics only for search traffic, not for your audience.
- Content leaves readers feeling they need to search again for better information.
- You write to a specific word count because you heard Google prefers it. (It does not.)
- You enter a niche without expertise, mainly for search traffic.
- You promise to answer questions that actually have no answer.
- You change page dates to seem fresh without substantial content changes.
- You add or remove content primarily because you believe it helps rankings.
SEO is helpful when applied to people-first content, not search-engine-first content.
Sources: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content
E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness
Google's systems aim to prioritize content that demonstrates E-E-A-T.
- Trust is the most important aspect. The others contribute to trust, but content does not need to demonstrate all of them.
- Some content is helpful based on experience; other content is helpful based on expertise.
- E-E-A-T itself is not a direct ranking factor, but systems use a mix of factors that identify good E-E-A-T.
- For "Your Money or Your Life" (YMYL) topics - health, financial stability, safety, societal welfare - Google gives even more weight to strong E-E-A-T.
Sources: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content
Self-Assessment Questions
Content and Quality
- Does the content provide original information, reporting, research, or analysis?
- Does it provide a substantial, complete, or comprehensive description of the topic?
- Does it provide insightful analysis beyond the obvious?
- If it draws on other sources, does it avoid simply copying and provide substantial additional value?
- Does the main heading or page title provide a descriptive, helpful summary?
- Does the title avoid exaggerating or being shocking?
- Is this the sort of page you'd bookmark, share, or recommend?
- Would you expect to see it in a printed magazine, encyclopedia, or book?
- Does it provide substantial value compared to other pages in search results?
- Does it have spelling or stylistic issues?
- Is it produced well, or does it appear sloppy or hastily produced?
- Is it mass-produced or outsourced across many sites without individual attention?
Expertise
- Does the content present information in a way that makes you want to trust it (clear sourcing, evidence of expertise, author background)?
- If someone researched the site, would they find it well-trusted or widely-recognized as an authority?
- Is it written or reviewed by an expert or enthusiast who demonstrably knows the topic?
- Does it have easily-verified factual errors?
Sources: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content
Authorship: Who, How, and Why
Who (Created the Content)
- Is it self-evident to visitors who authored your content?
- Do pages carry a byline where one might be expected?
- Do bylines lead to further information about the author (background, areas they write about)?
How (the Content Was Created)
- Is the use of automation or AI-generation self-evident to visitors?
- Are you providing background about how automation or AI was used?
- Are you explaining why automation or AI was useful for producing the content?
Disclosures are useful when someone might reasonably ask "How was this created?"
Why (Was the Content Created)
- The "why" should be to help people. Content useful to visitors if they came directly to your site.
- If the "why" is primarily to attract search engine visits, that is not aligned with what Google rewards.
- Using automation to produce content primarily to manipulate search rankings is a violation of spam policies.
Sources: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content
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