There are many types of websites, blogs and other sources of content on the internet. Some of them are for entertainment purposes, while others have a more practical focus like providing information about a specific topic. One category that deserves extra attention is YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) websites, which can be anything from health to financial advice providers that are important for one’s life. This article will explain what YMYL means, why it’s important for SEO (Search Engine Optimization), and how to create content for it correctly.
What is YMYL?
YMYL, or “Your Money or Your Life”, is a term used to describe content that could potentially have a negative impact on someone’s financial well-being.
This includes anything from financial advice and investment information, to health and safety concerns. Basically, if the content could lead to someone making a bad decision with their money, it falls under the YMYL umbrella.
Creating high-quality YMYL content is important for two reasons: first, because it can help people avoid making disastrous financial mistakes; and second, because Google takes this type of content very seriously. In fact, they have a dedicated team of quality raters who are specifically tasked with assessing the quality of YMYL pages.
What topics are considered as YMYL?
YMYL pages provide content that is relevant to people’s health, happiness, and overall lifestyle. YMYL pages are websites with potentially life-changing content. YMYL pages are also useful for people who want to learn more about a particular topic.
- Health
- Happiness
- Parenting advices
- Stock tips
- Politics
- Science
- Government
- Civic issues
- Finance
- Investment
How do you create YMYL Content?
If you’re creating content for a YMYL website, it’s important to keep the following in mind:
- Make sure you are an authority on the topic. This means doing your research and being up-to-date on the latest information. If you’re writing about investing, for example, you need to be able to back up your claims with data and expert opinions.
- As this is a content written by experts, user and Google expects high quality content with no language or structure errors.
- Be transparent about any potential conflicts of interest. If you’re writing about a particular investment product, make sure you disclose whether or not you stand to gain anything from people investing in it.
- Write in a clear, easy-to-understand style. Remember that not everyone is an expert on the topic you’re writing about. Use plain language and avoid jargon.
- Be cautious with your claims. Don’t make any bold statements that you can’t back up. And if you’re giving advice, make sure you qualify it as such. Always be backed by solid research.
- Cite your sources. Whenever you make a claim, be sure to include a link to the source material so readers can fact-check you.
- YMYL websites are like informational websites. The information on the website should be credible, relevant and accurate.
- While giving proper information about a serious topic, the goal is also to help the reader. YMYL pages / websites try to help the people to find the correct answers for their needs.
- Trust is very critical in the content of YMYL. People trust these pages or websites to get information. So the writer/ website owner should pay attention to provide all the features and information to create the trust.
Must-haves for a YMYL Website
- YMYL pages should include a bio box and contact information for the website owner.
- As a writer of YMYL content, it’s essential to know how the E-A-T assessment works and how it can affect your website’s performance. E-A-T is a shorter version of expertise, authority and trustworthiness).
- To properly optimize a YMYL page, you should conduct thorough keyword research and market research . While sharing the experiences you have about a specific topic, it’s important find other resources to strengthen your thesis.
- Determine your target audience’s search intent. The website or the topic can be interpreted the way user wants to read about it.
- YMYL pages require more than standard SEO optimization. In fact, Google says they’re rated based on a stricter set of standards than other pages.
- Must also contain expert interviews
- Write in a clear and easy-to-understand style.
- Include plenty of helpful images, videos, and infographics
- Encourage user engagement with interactive content
- Monitor user feedback and make changes accordingly
Why is YMYL important for SEO?
In terms of SEO, YMYL websites need to meet a higher bar for relevance, trustworthiness, and authority, since they can potentially impact users’ well-being. This means that they need to have high-quality, accurate, and trustworthy information to rank well in search engine results. Some examples of YMYL websites include financial services, health and medical information, and legal advice.
To optimize SEO for YMYL websites, it’s important to focus on the quality and accuracy of your content, and to establish your website as an authoritative source of information in your niche. This may include acquiring high-quality links from other relevant and trusted websites, providing detailed information about your services or products, and ensuring that your website is user-friendly and easily navigable. Additionally, YMYL websites should take extra steps to maintain the privacy and security of their users’ personal and financial information.
YMYL Website Examples
There are many examples of YMYL websites out there. Some are big and well-known, while others are smaller and more niche. Here are a few examples:
Wikipedia: Another big one. Wikipedia is one of the most popular sources of information on the internet, and for good reason. It’s a collaborative effort that strives for accuracy and impartiality.
WebMD: A go-to source for medical information, WebMD is trusted by millions of people looking for reliable health advice.
Mayo Clinic: Another top source for medical information, the Mayo Clinic is a highly respected institution with a long history of providing quality healthcare information.
Consumer Reports: A trusted resource for product reviews and ratings, Consumer Reports is often consulted by consumers before making major purchases.
Overall
YMYL is an important ranking factor for Google, and it stands for “Your Money or Your Life.” This means that if your website is about something that could potentially impact someone’s finances or health, you need to be extra careful about the quality of your content. Creating high-quality YMYL content can be a challenge, but it’s well worth it if you want to rank well in Google. Thanks for reading!