Content Accuracy Factors You Should Optimize For
Content Accuracy has been a recurring topic in the SEO community, especially now because Google has revealed it as a ranking factor. It has been the talk of the town since Gary Illyes from Google has said so at PubCon, a well-known SEO conference. Content Accuracy is especially important for YMYL sites because according to Google they “go to great lengths to surface reputable and trustworthy sources.”
This is a huge thing but I must admit it is pretty ironic since back in September, Danny Sullivan from Google has said that it is not treated as a ranking factor. However, they may be talking about different facets of content accuracy as a factor for site performance in the SERPs. So I want to discuss this with you, do you think you are optimizing well for content accuracy? Here is a quick cheat guide for you!
Creating the Perfect Content Accuracy Recipe
What you must know about accuracy in digital marketing is that it is not a popularity contest. A piece of content garnering thousands of views does not mean that it is automatically accurate for the user searching for it. We cannot pinpoint the exact elements that Google regards as the standard for Content Accuracy, but I suggest that you strategize according to these metrics:
Correctness
When we measure content based on correctness, it deals more beyond making sure that you do not have grammatical errors and vocabulary lapses. It is also the extent to which you would go to prove that your content is reliable enough to be credited as a source of information.
Think about it in an elementary school sense, if these students would not use your content as a source for their homework, do not bother thinking users actively searching for answers will treat you favorably. Correctness is a great metric of accuracy because it validates your content as something you can promote freely without worrying about user reception and negative feedback.
Credibility and Authority
Another revelation that Google made at PubCon is that they do not keep track of E-A-T scores. Gary Illyes also made it clear that E-A-T and YMYL are concepts instead of a standard that they keep tabs on. With that said, it is still important to establish authority, especially in championing accuracy in your content. One way to know if users see you as an authority in a particular niche is through links. If there are many people linking to you, this basically solidifies your reputation for that particular content. Credibility and authority go hand in hand, especially if you optimize well for topic relevance. Speaking of topical relevance, this is a signal that Google’s systems can rely on to rank content so be mindful of this as well.
Objectivity
Google cannot exactly tell if the content is accurate, according to Danny Sullivan. Instead, they align their signals to find topic relevance and authority. Verifying accuracy is not something that the system can easily accomplish. Be that as it may, you should still optimize your content to be as objective as possible. Meaning, as much as possible, the content you publish should be impartial and not explicitly biased.
Traceability
Author reputation in accordance with E-A-T has always been a part of the discussion for most SEOs. Users today can be turned away by content published by an unreliable source. They can easily question who the writer or content creator is and this will hurt your SEO efforts in the long run. Reactiveness is a major factor in content accuracy, so if their feedback includes doubts, you’re probably on the wrong track.
Key Takeaway
Good content has a great recall. This is a great goal for content accuracy because who wouldn’t want people to read and share their hard work, right? I have been writing for many years now and making sure that I share accurate content is second-nature to me. This is a quality that SEOs should also mirror since it will be a sound investment in the long run.
Seeing as content accuracy is stated as a ranking factor by Google, this has validated its importance even more. More than having a steady quota of content from your site, it should be high quality enough to be promoted and shared with other people. This is how these metrics come into play; by helping you be a trusted and reputable source of information for users.