Boost Your Blog Authority with First-Person Stories

Table of Contents

• What is EAT and Why Does it Matter?
• Adding Personal Experience Through First-Person Stories
• Prompting AI Tools to Generate First-Person Stories
• Conclusion and Next Steps

What is EAT and Why Does it Matter?

EAT stands for expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. It's a quality signal that search engines like Google use to evaluate the expertise and trustworthiness of content. High EAT content is seen as coming from an expert source and being reliable for users.

There are a few main reasons why EAT impacts search rankings:

First, Google wants to show users content that actually answers their queries with accurate and in-depth information. Content with high EAT tends to provide this type of helpful information.

Second, EAT helps Google determine author and site authority. Sites that regularly publish content with high expertise levels on a topic gain authority and credibility in Google's eyes.

Finally, EAT indicates to Google whether site content is original or authoritative rather than copied or spun. Low EAT content containing duplicate or autogenerated information will suffer in rankings.

The Meaning of EAT

So in short, EAT refers to how expert, trustworthy and credible a piece of content is. The higher the EAT score Google assigns your content, the better chance it has to rank highly in results pages. Improving EAT should be a priority for any site owner or content creator who cares about organic visibility and traffic. The good news is there are accessible ways to systematically improve it, as we'll cover in this post.

Why EAT Impacts Search Rankings

Google cares about EAT because they want to provide users with the highest quality, most authoritative, trustworthy information for any given search query. So content with higher EAT scores signals to Google that the info is credible and comes from a knowledgeable source. Higher EAT means a better user experience which improves user retention. And good user experience is what Google's ranking systems are designed to promote.

Adding Personal Experience Through First-Person Stories

One of the best ways to improve your site's EAT is by adding original, first-person experiences and stories relevant to your niche.

Detailed, personal stories demonstrate your background, show your site has primary information drawn from real experiences, and helps build familiarity and trust with visitors.

Let's look at some examples of how to effectively incorporate your own experiences into content through informal stories...

My Mountain Biking Glove Story

For instance, as someone that writes about biking gear, I could recount an experience like injuring my hand biking without gloves. Elaborating with sensory details draws in readers: I'll never forget careening off my bike towards the sharp rocks below. As I landed hard on both palms, I could hear the crack and feel searing pain. My gloves were shredded but had absorbed enough impact to save my exposed hands from gashes.

Tips for Writing Your Own Stories

Use vivid language helping readers visualize what happened based on sights, textures, sounds, scents and emotions. Focus on key messages or lessons rather than giving a complete chronological account. You don’t need to reveal anything private—tailor details to what’s appropriate for your audience.

Prompting AI Tools to Generate First-Person Stories

Creating first-person stories from scratch can be challenging. AI writing tools provide an easy solution for generating personalized narratives you can integrate into posts.

Follow these best practices when utilizing AI assistants to develop stories:

First, compose prompts outlining specific narrative details for the AI assistant to incorporate like topics, settings, challenges faced and outcomes.

Priming ChatGPT for Better Results

Start by explaining the context and purpose so ChatGPT produces on-target stories; prompts framed clearly get better results. Break down the narrative elements to include piece-by-piece instead of issuing complex story requests upfront.

Editing the Computer-Generated Output

Review the AI-generated text critically before publishing rather than posting it verbatim. Look for logical gaps, fix awkward phrasings, refine descriptive language and humanize overly formal tones.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Adding original first-person stories creates more engaging, trustworthy content that helps build site authority. Experiment with writing your own or leveraging AI tools.

Focus on core site topics where you have direct experience to share. Elaborate anecdotes demonstrate your background in a subject area.

Start Small and Build Over Time

Don’t worry about fabricating a large number of in-depth stories rapidly. Start by adding one personalized story to an existing piece of content. Pay attention to which first-person focused posts resonate best with readers and elicit engagement.

Review and Refine Regularly

Improving EAT is an ongoing process. Revisit old posts to identify where you can incorporate personalized touches. Also continue optimizing new content with unique experiences to share from your own practice.

FAQ

Q: What is EAT?
A: EAT stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It's a quality signal Google uses to rank content.

Q: How do first-person stories help with EAT?
A: By sharing personal experiences, you demonstrate real-world expertise in your niche. This builds reader trust and authority.

Q: Can I use an AI tool to write first-person stories?
A: Yes, you can use prompts to have an AI tool like Claude generate original first-person stories that you can add to blog posts.

Q: What if the AI-generated story isn't good enough?
A: You should always review and edit any AI-generated content before publishing. Ask the tool to rewrite sections that need improvement.

Q: Where do I put the first-person stories in my posts?
A: You can add first-person stories in the introduction or conclusion. You can also break up long sections with short anecdotes.

Q: How many first-person stories should I include?
A: One impactful, well-written story is enough. You can include more for very long posts. Quality over quantity is key.

Q: Do I need to rewrite my old posts?
A: Not necessarily. Consider adding first-person stories only to important posts in your main niche pillars to start.

Q: How often should I review and update content?
A: Aim to revisit older important posts at least once or twice per year. Make edits and enhancements to improve quality over time.

Q: Can Claude rewrite my first-person stories?
A: Yes, you can ask Claude to rewrite a story in a shorter, more concise format if needed.

Q: Where can I find the prompts used in the video?
A: The video description contains the prompts. You can also get them from the creator's website mikeeshoe.com.