YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) is a term coined by Google to describe web pages or topics that could potentially impact a person's future happiness, health, financial stability, or safety. Google holds these pages to a higher standard of scrutiny because inaccurate or misleading information on YMYL topics could lead to serious consequences for users.
Examples of topics that fall under the YMYL category:
- Financial advice, such as investment recommendations, tax advice, or information about loans and mortgages
- Health and medical information, including advice on diseases, treatments, drugs, and mental health
- Legal advice or information on topics like divorce, child custody, or immigration
- News and current events information that could influence public opinion or electoral decisions
- Information about big life decisions, such as parenting advice, car safety tips, or guides on finding housing
E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) is crucial for YMYL topics. Google's algorithms prioritize content that demonstrates high levels of E-E-A-T to ensure that users receive accurate, reliable, and safe information when searching for YMYL topics.
To achieve good E-E-A-T, web pages should:
- Be created by experts or experienced sources with relevant qualifications or background in the topic
- Contain credible, well-researched, and properly cited information
- Be regularly updated to maintain accuracy and relevance
- Have a positive reputation and be frequently referenced or linked to by other reputable sources in the industry
By focusing on EEAT, YMYL websites can build trust with both users and search engines, potentially leading to better search rankings and a more loyal audience.