As the internet evolves with new technologies and hallucination-prone AI overviews, users have had to understand that not all websites are created equal. Some websites are more trustworthy than others, and this discrepancy can be a real problem when it comes to sensitive topics like health and finance. That’s why Google created the term Y-M-Y-L.
YMYL stands for “Your Money or Your Life”. These are “topics that could significantly impact the health, financial stability, or safety of people, or the welfare or well-being of society”, Google says.
Organisations within YMYL niches need to show Expertise, Experience, Trust, and Authoritativeness (EEAT) factors on their website to build trust with users and search engines.
Keep reading to learn more about YMYL, why it matters for SEO, and how you can optimise your YMYL website to increase your EEAT score.
YMYL, or “Your Money or Your Life”, is a phrase used by Google to describe topics that could significantly impact the health, financial stability, or safety of people, or the welfare or well-being of society.
YMYL and EEAT are tightly aligned. EEAT refers to the Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness displayed by webpages.
While EEAT is not a specific ranking factor in itself, Google advises that EEAT can create a solid foundation atop which to place YMYL content. This is because Google’s systems and Search Quality Raters do give more weight to trustworthy YMYL content.
You can learn more about EEAT and how to deploy it on your website by checking out our article: What is E-E-A-T in SEO & Why is E-E-A-T Important?
If Google determines that your website or organisation falls within a YMYL topic, it will heavily punish you for having bad EEAT.
This is because Google knows that most people trust the top result of a search, so Google wants to make sure that those top results are not misleading, dangerous, or ill-informed.
Therefore, understanding whether your website is in a YMYL niche is crucial for survival on SERPs. Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines describe three categories that every website falls into:
Google advises its own evaluators to consider six types of topics which might indicate whether a website is YMYL, and the questions to ask about those topics. You can get ahead of the game by working from their playbook and asking the same questions about your website first.
YMYL websites need to be optimised by applying EEAT throughout the site pages.
There are many different methods to do this, but the main thing to understand is that Google doesn’t want to rank websites created by people or businesses that have no idea what they’re talking about.
Therefore, when applying EEAT throughout your website, ask yourself: “How can I make my website look like it’s created by someone with experience, expertise, trustworthiness, and authoritativeness within my niche?”
Creating an About page for the business or website is a great way to help your users understand how your website can help them. This is where you should put information about why the website or business was founded, who it was created by, when it was created, along with your mission and values. Basically, give the most relevant information anyone would want to know when considering using your website/business.
While the About page covers the whole business/website, your Meet the Team page should contain general biographies of your staff. It doesn’t have to contain all the team – maybe you only put the senior management team on – but this makes your website/business look more legitimate.
It’s a good idea to add qualifications & experience within the biographies – showing the experience and expertise of your team to users. Don’t forget to add professional photos.
Every blog post should be finished with a small biography of who wrote the content. This shows the user that the information conveyed in the article was created by someone with experience within this area and is therefore trustworthy.
Put your company address and contact details on your contact page and/or in your footer. This shows users and Google that this is a real business with real people.
Adding policy pages to your footer shows that you abide by data protection laws, along with other regulations. It is advisable that every website has a Cookies Policy, Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions, and (if the website creates a lot of blog content or news articles) an Editorial Policy.
An SSL certificate shows a user whether the connection on the website is secure, or whether the information a user inputs could potentially be viewed by unwanted parties.
Real, positive testimonials and reviews convey a message of trust and expertise to users. This also improves the chance of a user submitting an enquiry or making a conversion, as they will trust the product or service more.
Make sure blogs are citing other trustworthy sites that back up any claims you make via links, as this connection will be seen by SERPs as a sign of trustworthiness and expertise.
The first thing a user wants to know when they land on a website homepage is “what do they do?” It should be very easy to find out what your business or website does, in layman’s terms, on the homepage.
A structured, professional website will always look more trustworthy than an unstructured, spammy mess. Consider using white spaces, headings, subheadings, clear CTAs, and well-spaced content. This is especially true for mobile versions of webpages.
CTAs (Calls To Action) are some of the most important features on any webpage you make. They are the text which encourages action from the user, often found on buttons. Good CTAs can turn hesitant users into enthusiastic customers, while bad CTAs can confuse users and worsen their experience.
Use strong, clear verbs like “Discover”, “Join”, “Buy”, or “Start” to encourage users to act without causing mental friction. Don’t be overly wordy and vague; describe exactly what’s going to happen once the user clicks.
Becoming active on social media and linking to these channels from the website shows users that you are a real, active business.
Update your Google Business Profile and try to actively get reviews. Google Reviews help Google and users understand whether a business is genuinely helpful to their clients and customers.
There are many different examples of YMYL niches. Below, we’ve included sites within the niches as examples.
If you think your business falls under YMYL niches, get help from our expert SEO content writers at Wildcat Digital. We have experience writing for a wide range of YMYL niches, including healthcare, finance, education, eCommerce and more. Get in touch today to begin increasing leads and conversions through improved search rankings, organic traffic, and a better overall user experience.
YMYL refers to topics that could significantly impact the health, financial stability, or safety of people, or the welfare or well-being of society. YMYL organisations need to display their own Expertise, Experience, Trustworthiness, and Authoritativeness around their topic in order to rank well on search engine results pages.
When Google identifies an organisation or website as being YMYL, it scrutinises that website a lot more thoroughly and punishes untrustworthy webpages harder. YMYL websites must use smarter SEO practices to build their EEAT level to rank highly in SERPs, which requires more time and focus.
To know if a topic is YMYL, Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines asks evaluators to assess whether the following types of harm might occur:
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Our founder, Will Hitchmough, worked at a number of high profile Sheffield Digital Agencies before founding Wildcat Digital in 2018. He brings an extensive knowledge of all things related to SEO, PPC and Paid Social, as well as an expert knowledge of digital strategy.
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PPC Executive
Before joining Wildcat, Tom worked across different industries, building skills in sales and customer service. He later developed a passion for digital marketing whilst working on personal marketing projects and freelance ventures, and gained numerous certifications in PPC and Social Media.
Outside of work, Tom enjoys staying active by going to the gym and hiking. He also loves travelling and motorbiking.
Senior SEO Executive
Kezia joined us in July 2024 after completing a CIM Certificate in Digital Marketing and gaining experience in Content SEO at another Sheffield agency.
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Before joining Wildcat Digital, Alex worked at two leading agencies in Leeds, honing her skills across various digital advertising platforms. Her analytical mindset and strategic approach help businesses maximize their online presence and advertising budgets.
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SEO Executive
Amy joined Wildcat in 2024 with a background in journalism, having worked as a News Editor and Editor-in-Chief at The Sheffield Tab. She is naturally interested in Content SEO and research, so will no doubt prove to be a content power-house.
In her spare time, Amy loves watching crime shows, listening to music and hanging out with her dog, Eddie!
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After graduating with a Journalism Studies BA from the University of Sheffield, where he also served as Games Editor and Deputy Editor for the student-run newspaper – Reiss jumped straight into the world of climate tech communications.
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Liv joined the WildcatDigital Team in June 2025, with a strong background in financial admin and client care, Olivia is taking an exciting step into the creative world – and we’re so glad she’s doing it with us!
She’s currently studying content creation through her apprenticeship with Wildcat, and already bringing fresh energy and creativity to the team.
Outside of work, Olivia runs her own BIAB nail business, loves reformer Pilates, long walks, and is a member of a competitive dance team.
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