On August 1, Google pushed out it’s latest algorithm update and apparently, it totally rocked the internet. Kings and queens of rankings were dethroned, and other websites who struggled to crack page 1 were suddenly boosted.
So in today’s Pep Talk, I’m going to share what the update is, why it matters to side hustlers, entrepreneurs, bloggers, and online businesses and what you can do to make sure your website is optimized for this latest update.
This latest algorithm update has to do with what Google calls YMYL, or Your Money or Your Life websites. Your Money or Your Life websites according to Google content that “could potentially impact the future happiness, health, financial stability, or safety of users.”
And then in Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines, which I’ll link to in the show notes, they define these sites pretty broadly – so any site where you can buy something – which affects your money, and then financial information sites, medical, legal, news, and the other.
So what’s happening is that sites like this are being held to a higher standard when it comes to Expertise, Authority, and Trust – or as everyone in the SEO industry calls, it, EAT.
So like, if you have a legal website and you’re hiring a bunch of writers to churn out content for this blog and none of them are actual lawyers, there’s no telling who wrote the articles and you don’t have any indication of whether the content is credible or not, Google doesn’t like that.
I found some great info on this latest update from MarieHaynes.com and the Moz Blog. Both sites talk about how this Your Money or Your Life update has hit huge websites that rely on SEO as their main traffic strategy, like Livestrong, and Prevention, and Dr. Axe.com all seeing pretty big drops in traffic because their content affects your health, and the Expertise, Authority, and Trust was apparently not up to par with Google’s standards.
But what does this mean for people like us?
What about bloggers who write about all kinds of topics including personal finance and health and a limitless number of topics related to Your Money or Your Life. That’s what blogging is all about, right? The majority of bloggers are trying to “impact the future happiness, health, financial stability, or safety of users.” Most of them are trying to have a positive impact, and most of them are also trying to monetize their blogs in some way, so that’s both your money and your life.
What about you? Does your side hustle affect anyone’s money or their life? I really, really hope so!
Because why would you do it if you weren’t going to make money through helping someone improve their life? As Zig Ziglar says, “You can have everything you want in life if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”
Personally, I wasn’t affected. I looked at my Google Analytics and my number of website visitors increased 6.81% in the first week of August – but I’ve totally been working on my Pinterest game and I honestly don’t put a whole lot into SEO – right or wrong, it’s just not been a tactic of mine to focus on because it has seemed like a game a little fish in a big pond like me can’t really win..
But…I think this algorithm change is a great thing for people like me. Like us. Here’s what I think it means:
You have an opportunity to stand out online more now than ever before. I think it means that it’s more important than ever before for you to step up and share your knowledge with the world.
Trust is starting to shift away from big brands and big businesses back to people.
Individual people.
I heard this at Social Media Marketing World back in March when the founder Michael Stelzner was talking about the Facebook algorithm change that everyone was freaking out about, how Facebook would focus on showing content in the newsfeed that had meaningful interaction from real people. Not likes, not one-word comments, but actual comments and conversations in the threads. People talking to each other. And he also said that a smaller, more highly engaged audience is more valuable than a large one.
Brands know this. That’s why they aren’t only paying people with ginormous followings like the Kardashians for sponsored content, they are looking at micro-influencers – people with smaller, more highly engaged audiences that have a strong reputation with their audience.
This Google algorithm change just reinforces that whole entire concept. Because how they are holding the Your Money or Your Life blogs and websites to a higher standard is by reviewing the Expertise, Authority, and Trust of the website.
How?
Well, they’re looking at the About page for one to see if they can tell who is behind the website. They’re looking for author bios on blog posts. And they’re looking at your external reputation – meaning, do you exist online outside of your website? Are you on other social media platforms? Are you like, a real live person? Are you meaningfully contributing to your industry?
So tactically, how can you make sure your website or blog is optimized for these latest changes?
Marie Haynes says to display all of your E-A-T on your about page. She says to make it “full of reasons why you are known as the most authoritative business in your vertical. Brag about awards won, press recognition, years of experience and more.”
Maybe this is just my personality, but when I read that I think Ew!! And then I think, okay, but be careful how you do this. I think it’s great for companies to lead with that stuff, but for me, my About page is really an opportunity for me to yes, share more about me and why I’m the right person to help you, but done so in a way that’s really talking about YOU and how Your Money and Your Life will improve by being a part of my community.
So my Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and my One Woman Shop 100 Best Sites for Solopreneurs and all the places I’ve guest posted and been featured, what do you care? If you need to know that to trust me AFTER you’ve learned why I’m the best person to help you get what you want, fine, I’ll put it at the end. But I’m not going to lead with it.
So tactically, on your About page, put a photo of yourself, tell your story and why your experiences make you qualified to help people who are just a little bit behind your on your journey. You have to have a degree and be certified in your niche to live up to Google’s standards of expertise, authority and trust.
Then, you’ll want to enable author bios on all of your blog posts, and spruce up your WordPress bio.
Link to all of your social profiles and be a real person on those channels! Does that mean you have to spend all of your time on social? No. But having a presence will help.
Make sure your website is optimized to build your email list!!! What’s the point of getting traffic if you have no way to communicate with them after the fact!!!
Finally, SEO is just one tool in your toolbox. There are many, many other ways to connect with your ideal client online. Social media. Pinterest. YouTube. Guest Posting. Relationship building. Tapping your personal network. Even paid advertising! The list goes on.
So if this focus on Expertise, Authority and Trust has you feeling like a bit of an imposter, here’s what I want you to focus on instead.
Show up. Consistently. Create awesome content, and create a community around that content.
And you also need to make sure that your website is all about the Know, Like and Trust factor.
Know Like and Trust is a common marketing term, and it’s the foundation behind the whole way I teach people to build their website.
Everything I teach inside of the Free 5 Day Website Challenge revolves around building a website that oozes Know, Like and Trust.
Once people know, like and trust you, you become seen as an expert on a topic, which raises your authority and broadens your trust – and now you have Google’s EAT.
And I talk to a lot of clients that tell me how much they hate social media. They don’t want their personal network to know about their side hustle. They aren’t ready for people to find out, so they avoid social media and try to SEO-optimize the heck out of their blog hoping that they’ll come up in Google search results, and then when they aren’t getting traffic they get discouraged.
Trust me, I get it. I did the same thing when I first started out.
But what’s going to work online in 2018 and beyond is not hiding behind your blog. Because people want to connect with people, and they are more than just website traffic.
I don’t want you to think about traffic. I want you to think about people. About that one person who comes to your site, reads something that you wrote, takes action on it and changes their life. Those people exist. I hear from them all of the time and it’s amazing!
So what this algorithm change means from my perspective? I think it means that if you really want your side hustle to work out, if you want it to turn into your full-time gig or have it make enough money for you to pay off your debt or stay at home with your kids or let you travel or whatever it is that you want, then you can’t be scared to stand up and say what you know about a topic. You must put intentional effort into creating amazing, shareworthy content. And you have to build a community around that content on social media.
That’s how you’re going to win in 2018 and beyond, by building a highly engaged audience of people that know, like and trust you which helps you build your expertise and authority online.
And when you have that, you can monetize with integrity, through affiliate marketing, through sponsorships, through offering your own services or creating your own products and courses. The opportunities are endless.
Today’s pep talk is brought to you by Bluehost. Go to www.shannonmattern.com/bluehost and get 36 months of web hosting for just $2.95 a month. That’s less than one trip to Starbucks a month – and if you’re anything like me, you’re at Starbucks more than that!
Then you can sign up for my Free 5 Day Website Challenge at www.shannonmattern.com/5day and I’ll show you step by step how to get started building your new website for your side hustle.
