YMYL stands for “Your Money or Your Life,” a term used by Google to classify web pages containing content that could significantly impact a person’s happiness, health, financial stability, or safety. These pages require higher scrutiny because inaccurate or misleading information can have serious consequences for individuals and society.
Examples of YMYL Topics
- Financial Advice: Content related to investments, taxes, mortgages, or retirement planning.
- Health and Medical Information: Pages offering guidance on medical conditions, treatments, nutrition, or mental health.
- Safety and Emergency Information: Instructions for disaster preparedness or emergency services.
- Legal Advice: Guidance on legal matters such as estate planning, divorce, or criminal law.
- News and Current Affairs: Articles covering politics, science, technology, or other impactful events.
Google’s Standards for YMYL Content
Google holds YMYL pages to high standards under its E-E-A-T framework (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) to ensure the content is reliable and accurate. This is crucial because misinformation in these areas can harm users’ lives directly.
Optimizing YMYL content involves providing expert-backed information, ensuring credibility through authoritative sources, and maintaining transparency in the presentation of facts