In the context of SEO, “YMYL” stands for “Your Money or Your Life.” It’s a term primarily associated with Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines. YMYL pages are those that could potentially impact a person’s happiness, health, financial stability, or safety. The nature of these pages means that low-quality content can have severely detrimental effects on a user’s life.
Examples of YMYL content include:
Given their critical nature, Google holds YMYL pages to an exceptionally high standard. The E-A-T principle, which emphasizes Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, becomes crucial here. For YMYL content, demonstrating high E-A-T is paramount to achieve and maintain strong search rankings.
In essence, when dealing with YMYL pages, webmasters and SEO professionals should prioritize producing accurate, well-researched, and trustworthy content. It’s not just about rankings—ensuring the integrity and reliability of YMYL content is a responsibility to the end-users who rely on this information for vital aspects of their lives.