The world of SEO is evolving rapidly, with Google constantly refining its algorithms to improve search result accuracy. Recently, Google has shifted focus toward recognizing individual content creators, which brings a new dimension to E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). This shift is not just about optimizing web pages but about acknowledging the people behind the content. Let’s explore why this recognition matters, how it affects SEO, and what strategies you can employ to optimize content creators for search.
Google’s Growing Recognition of Content Creators
In the ever-expanding digital landscape, Google has started identifying individuals explicitly as content creators. This development is visible in Knowledge Panel subtitles, where titles like “Content Creator (Medicine)” or “Content Creator (Travel)” signal that Google recognizes individuals as credible sources in specific fields.
Why does this matter? Because it marks a critical advancement in E-E-A-T, giving measurable proof of a person’s credibility. When Google associates an individual with authoritative content on a specific topic, their content is more likely to appear in search results, enhancing their visibility and trustworthiness.
Google’s emphasis on identifying content creators has been evident through recent updates:
- Killer Whale Knowledge Graph Update (July 2023): This update significantly affected person entities, showcasing Google’s ongoing commitment to understanding content creators.
- March 2024 E-E-A-T Update: Further reinforced the importance of content creators in Google’s ranking process.
- May 2024 Google Leak: Confirmed that Google explicitly associates people with their profile pages and the content they produce.
These updates signal that Google is actively building relationships between content creators and the material they publish, making it essential for SEOs to adapt their strategies.
Why This Shift Is Crucial for E-E-A-T in SEO
E-E-A-T is now a fundamental aspect of SEO, directly influencing how Google evaluates the credibility of content. However, E-E-A-T becomes genuinely effective when Google can identify who the authoritative figures are on specific topics. Without a clear connection between the person and their content, even the most compelling E-E-A-T signals (like backlinks, qualifications, reviews, and media coverage) will have little impact.
This new focus on individuals places us firmly in the era of modern SEO. While traditional SEO emphasizes optimizing content and websites, modern SEO requires optimizing content creators and their digital presence. If Google does not explicitly recognize an entity, the E-E-A-T credibility signals associated with that entity are less likely to affect search rankings.
The Three Phases of Optimizing Content Creators for SEO
To leverage this shift, optimizing content creators and website publishers is essential. Here’s how you can break down this process into three key phases:
1. Understandability
The first step is making sure Google clearly understands who the content creator is. This involves creating unambiguous relationships between the content creator and reliable reference pages. Ideal reference pages include:
- The creator’s personal website.
- The “About” page on their employer’s website.
- Verified social media profiles.
- Listings on trusted third-party platforms like Crunchbase or Wikidata.
By establishing these connections, you provide Google with a network of reference points to verify facts about the content creator, aiding in its recognition of its authority.
2. Credibility
Once Google understands who the creator is, the next step is to establish credibility by connecting them to relevant content. These connections can be built through:
- Articles the creator has authored.
- Videos they have produced.
- Podcasts featuring them as guests.
- Interviews and media coverage about them.
This phase is about showcasing the creator’s expertise across various mediums, providing ample evidence of their credibility and knowledge in their niche.
3. Deliverability
The final phase involves expanding the content creator’s digital footprint. This means creating new content, getting content published about them, and ensuring consistency across all platforms. For optimal results, all content should be:
- Clear and concise.
- Consistent in messaging.
- Relevant to the creator’s area of expertise.
- Factually accurate and well-researched.
A hub-and-spoke model is an effective approach in this phase. Use the creator’s website as the central hub, linking it to various pieces of content they’ve produced. This helps Google—and other AI systems—connect the dots and further solidify the creator’s authority.
How to Check If Google Recognizes an Author
Curious if Google acknowledges a content creator you’re working with? Here’s a simple DIY method:
- Search for the title of one of their articles in Google.
- In the SERPs, click the three vertical dots next to the result.
- If Google shows the author’s name and a brief description, it indicates that Google recognizes the relationship between the author and their content.
This verification process helps you gauge how well the author-entity relationship is established in Google’s algorithms, allowing you to refine your strategy if needed.
Evolving Entity Relationships Over Time
One crucial aspect of optimizing content creators is understanding that this process is not a “set-it-and-forget-it” strategy. The digital footprint of a person evolves as they produce more content and engage with new audiences. Additionally, Google’s algorithms are constantly recalibrating their data. For example, during the Killer Whale update, the number of person entities in Google’s Knowledge Graph tripled in a single day.
Small but regular updates can result in the deletion of old entities and the creation of new ones, emphasizing the importance of continuous monitoring and maintenance. Establishing and maintaining relationships between person entities, reference pages, and content is critical to avoid losing the visibility of crucial elements like Knowledge Panels.
Building Topical Authority for Content Creators
Topical authority is a significant component of modern SEO. Because Google considers topics as entities, establishing authority involves developing strong URL-to-entity relationships. The more content a creator produces around a specific topic, the more likely Google will recognize them as an authoritative source.
For example, when Google assigns subtitles such as “Content Creator (Health)” to a person’s profile, it directly indicates recognition of their authority in that field. However, even without an explicit subtitle, a person can possess topical authority based on the strength of their topic-to-URL relationships.
How to Apply This Strategy for SEO Success
Incorporating this focus on content creators into your SEO strategy can enhance rankings, increase visibility, and improve knowledge-based results like Knowledge Panels and entity lists. Here are some actionable steps to apply this in your SEO efforts:
- Build a Strong Digital Footprint: Create and maintain reference pages for content creators across personal websites, social profiles, and third-party platforms.
- Establish Content Connections: Link content (articles, videos, podcasts) to the creator, reinforcing their expertise in a particular field.
- Expand Digital Presence: Regularly produce high-quality content that aligns with the creator’s niche, keeping their presence current and relevant.
- Monitor and Adjust: Continuously track changes in Google’s Knowledge Graph and adjust the strategy to maintain or enhance the creator’s visibility.
The Future of Search and Assistive Engines
Google isn’t the only one recognizing content creators. Other AI-powered engines, such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, Alexa, Apple Spotlight, and Siri, are adopting similar strategies. Through partnerships and data collection, these assistive engines structure information in their knowledge graphs to provide more accurate responses.
Embrace the Era of Modern SEO
We are moving into an era where the person behind the content is as crucial as the content itself. Optimizing content creators is no longer optional; it’s vital to a successful SEO strategy. Building strong relationships between content creators and their published material can drive more traffic, enhance topical authority, and improve your brand’s visibility.
At CHLEAR, we specialize in modern SEO strategies that emphasize the power of content creators. Ready to elevate your SEO game and build authority in your niche?
Contact us today to explore how we can help optimize your content creators for maximum impact.
By understanding and adapting to Google’s evolving focus on content creators, you can not only boost your SEO efforts but also establish a more robust digital presence that stands the test of time.