It doesn’t matter if you run an online bank or a mobile investment app. If you work in the financial services sector, the EAT principle can help you create better content and attract more clients.

Never heard of EAT? Not sure how it applies to content marketing financial services? Find the answers to these and other frequently asked questions below.

The Basics of EAT

EAT is an acronym that stands for “Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness.” It originated from a 2013 document released by Google that was designed to help search engine optimisation (SEO) specialists adapt their work to improve their search engine rankings.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what each letter means:

Expertise

Imagine you’re looking for a particular type of service online, and you check out a few different websites to get an idea of what providers offer, the quality of the services, etc.

Which provider are you most likely to partner with — someone who shares high-quality, well-researched, and in-depth content that highlights their subject matter knowledge, or someone whose content barely scratches the surface?

Almost all of us would pick the first provider, right?

By sharing your expertise in the financial services sector, you’re establishing credibility and encouraging people to spend more time on your website perusing your services, reading your blog, and checking out client testimonials.

This time spent on your website sends positive signals to Google (and other search engines) and helps you to get closer to the coveted top spot of the search engine results page (SERP).

Authority

Next is Authority.

One of the easiest ways to establish authority is by including links to reputable sources. For example, when creating content for your financial services business, you might include links to interviews with prominent investors or articles from a respected publication like The Financial Times.

When you cite your sources and link to credible people/publications, you further enhance your credibility and encourage people to trust you and your content.

Having your content shared online also adds to your authority. If many people are linking back to your article or blog post, that sends a signal to search engines that you have something important to say and that people trust you to provide quality information.

Trustworthiness

Finally, you must establish trustworthiness.

Positive reviews and testimonials are some of the most powerful tools for becoming a trustworthy financial services provider and gaining positive attention from search engines.

The way you handle negative reviews also contributes. If you respond promptly and professionally, that helps to bolster your reputation much more than if you were to argue with the reviewer or ignore their message.

How to Use the EAT Principle in Content Marketing for Financial Services

Considering Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness during the content creation process will help you level up your financial services content and foster stronger connections with your audience. It will also improve your search engine ranking (which means more people will find your content, learn about your services, and potentially invest in them!).

Here are some practical examples of how you can incorporate the EAT principle into your content marketing for financial services:

Tell People About Your Business

Include information about your business in every piece of content. Explain what makes you reputable and show readers/viewers/listeners why they should engage with you.

It might feel redundant to talk about what your business does or what makes you an expert every time you create a piece of content.

Keep in mind, though, that new people are stumbling across your content for the first time every day. They might not know what your business does or how your services are relevant to them.

Collaborate with Other Experts

Collaborating with other industry experts adds to your authority and helps you expand your audience. What kind of people should you collaborate with?

Say your company has an investment app for young adults. In that case, you might conduct an interview with a younger financial advisor or someone who specialises in assisting Gen Zers and Millennials with their money.

Think about who your target audience would want to hear from and then search for relevant professionals who fit the mould.

Give Each Piece of Content a Purpose

Whether you’re drafting an extensive white paper or a brief blog post, make sure every piece of content you create has a clear purpose.

Ask yourself what question you’re answering or what you want people to do after they find your content. Use that purpose as a guiding light throughout the creation process to ensure you stay on top and have a positive impact.

Make Content Easily Shareable

Remember that lots of people sharing your content helps to increase your authority. People are also more likely to share your content if you make it easy for them to do so.

For example, include social sharing buttons at the bottom of each blog post so people can publish it on their profile with just a couple of clicks.

Update Your Content Regularly

If your content contains outdated information, people are less likely to trust you or view you as an expert in your industry. Review your blogs and articles regularly to ensure they contain the most updated facts and figures, and make updates as needed.

Include Positive Reviews in Your Content

Use positive reviews to back up your points and show potential customers what they can expect if they work with you.

One way to do this is to include a quote from a positive review in an article and include a link to your testimonials page. That way, people know where to go to find more social proof and decide if your services are right for them.

Create Content Your Audience Will Eat Up Today

If your financial services content marketing strategy isn’t producing the kinds of results you’d like, start applying the EAT principle to your blogs, articles, videos, and other types of content.

The guidelines shared above can help you use the principle correctly and achieve your goals sooner.

Do you need more insight into content marketing for financial services? If so, our team at Fintech Content Marketing can help with content strategy, articles, blogs, white papers, and much more.

Get in touch today to get started.