What is YMYL?
YMYL stands for "Your Money or Your Life". It is a term that is used predominantly in the SEO and digital marketing industries, and it refers to a type of web content that can have a significant impact on a user's health, financial stability, safety, or overall well-being.
Google uses YMYL as a guideline to assess the quality of content on websites. Pages are classified as YMYL if they contain information that, if misleading or false, could directly impact a user's finances, health, or safety.
This includes content related to financial advice, health information, legal advice, news, and more.
Given the potential impact of YMYL content on individuals, Google expects such pages to have a high level of "E-E-A-T", which stands for "Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness".
This means the content should be accurate, reliable, and provided by credentialed experts in the topic at hand. Failing to meet these standards can result in lower search engine rankings for YMYL pages.
Examples of YMYL
Here are some common examples of YMYL pages:
Health and Medical Information
Websites or pages that provide advice or information about health, drugs, diseases, mental health, nutrition, or other related topics fall under this category.
For example, a webpage offering advice on managing diabetes or a site giving advice on mental health treatments would be considered YMYL.
Financial Information or Advice
This includes pages that provide information or advice on investments, taxes, retirement planning, buying a home, insurance, or anything else related to managing money.
For instance, a webpage offering advice on investing in the stock market or a site providing guidance on tax filing would be considered YMYL.
Legal Information or Advice
Webpages that offer legal advice or information on topics like divorce, child custody, creating a will, or navigating criminal charges are considered YMYL.
Safety Information
Pages that offer advice or instructions that, if not followed accurately, could result in injury or harm. For example, a page providing instructions on how to repair electrical appliances or a site advising on how to survive in the wilderness would be YMYL.
News and Current Events
Websites that cover topics like politics, business, science, technology, etc., which require accurate reporting to ensure the information publicizing doesn't cause harm or spread misinformation, are YMYL.
E-commerce Sites
Any website where users can make purchases, particularly those involving significant investments like buying a car, property, or expensive electronics, is considered YMYL because the financial transactions could greatly impact the user's financial stability.
Why are YMYL pages important?
YMYL pages are important for several reasons:
User Impact
YMYL pages have the potential to significantly affect a user's life due to the nature of the information they contain.
If the information is incorrect or misleading, it can lead to serious consequences, such as health complications, financial loss, or legal issues.
Trust and Credibility
As YMYL pages can greatly impact users, maintaining a high standard of accuracy and expertise helps build trust and credibility.
This is particularly crucial for businesses or organizations operating in industries where YMYL content is common, such as healthcare, finance, or legal services.
Search Engine Optimization
Google and other search engines prioritize high-quality, accurate, and expert YMYL content.
Therefore, ensuring that your YMYL pages are well-researched, well-written, and backed by recognized experts can improve your website's search engine rankings.
Compliance with Google's Guidelines
Google has explicitly stated that they hold YMYL pages to higher standards than other types of content.
Google's algorithms are designed to identify YMYL content and assess its quality according to the E-E-A-T criteria. Pages that fail to meet these criteria may suffer penalties in their search engine rankings.
User Satisfaction
Providing high-quality, accurate, and reliable YMYL content can lead to higher user satisfaction.
Users are more likely to return to a website and recommend it to others if they find the content trustworthy and valuable. This can lead to increased traffic, user engagement, and conversion rates.
YMYL & E-E-A-T
YMYL and E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) are interrelated concepts in the realm of SEO, particularly as outlined by Google's search quality guidelines.
YMYL refers to types of content that can have a significant impact on a person's life. Due to the potential consequences of incorrect or misleading information in these areas, it's crucial that YMYL content is accurate, reliable, and high-quality.
This is where E-E-A-T comes in.
"Experience" refers to the firsthand knowledge or practical engagement that a content creator has with the subject matter they are addressing.
"Expertise" means the content is produced by someone with a high level of knowledge or skill in the relevant field.
"Authoritativeness" pertains to the recognition of that expertise by others in the field, which can be demonstrated through elements like backlinks, mentions, or reviews.
"Trustworthiness" reflects the website's credibility and reliability, assessed based on elements like site security, transparency about ownership, and user reviews or feedback.
Google uses the E-E-A-T criteria to assess the quality of YMYL content. In essence, YMYL describes the type of content that is held to a higher standard, and E-E-A-T is the framework used to assess whether that content meets this higher standard.
While E-E-A-T is not a direct ranking factor in Google's algorithm, it plays a crucial role in the assessment of search quality by Quality Raters.
Their feedback helps Google evaluate and refine its algorithm updates to better serve high-quality search results.
A high level of E-E-A-T can therefore enhance the perceived value and reliability of a website's content, especially for YMYL topics.
This not only aligns with Google's aim of providing trustworthy search results but can also boost user trust in your website, leading to increased conversions.
Best SEO practices for YMYL pages
When it comes to optimizing YMYL pages for search engines, you should prioritize high-quality content that demonstrates Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).
Here are some best SEO practices for YMYL pages:
Ensure High-Quality Content
Your content should be well-researched, accurate, and valuable to the reader. Avoid misleading or deceptive information.
Remember that YMYL content can significantly impact a person's life, so it's crucial to provide content that is trustworthy and reliable.
Demonstrate Expertise
For YMYL topics, it's important that the content is created or reviewed by experts in the field. Include author bios that highlight their qualifications and experience.
This shows that the content is informed by a knowledgeable source and can be trusted.
Establish Authoritativeness
This can be achieved by building high-quality backlinks from reputable sources.
Get positive user reviews and ratings. In addition, regularly update your content to ensure it aligns with the latest research or data in your field.
Show Trustworthiness
Make sure your website is secure (HTTPS), especially if you handle sensitive user data or facilitate financial transactions.
Include clear information about your business, such as contact details and customer service information. Having a clear and fair privacy policy also helps establish trust.
User Experience
Make sure your website is user-friendly, with clear navigation, a logical structure, and a design that facilitates the easy consumption of content.
Your site should also be mobile-friendly, as a significant amount of web browsing takes place on mobile devices.
Use Structured Data
Using structured data can help search engines understand your content better. This can help your site appear in relevant rich results, potentially boosting your visibility on the search engine results pages.
Social Media Presence
A strong social media presence can also contribute to your site's perceived authoritativeness and trustworthiness. Engage with your audience on these platforms and share your expert content.
Remember that SEO is a long-term process, and it can take time to see the results of your efforts. But by following these best practices, you can improve your chances of ranking well for YMYL content.
Takeaway
YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) content - due to its potential for significant impact on users' lives - needs to be handled with extra care in terms of accuracy, reliability, and credibility.
Websites should strive to produce high-quality YMYL content by leveraging E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) principles.
This can not only improve their search engine rankings but also build trust with users and potentially increase conversions.