If your business deals with someone’s health, money, or legal safety—you’re in Google’s high-stakes category. In this episode of the WELL Optimized Podcast, we’re breaking down what YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) means, why it matters for your SEO strategy, and what you need to be doing differently if you run a business in a high-trust, high-impact industry like health, wellness, beauty, law, or finance.

We’ll talk about how Google evaluates trust and credibility, how to write content that ranks and builds client trust, and the common mistakes we see small businesses make when trying to show up online.

🧠 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• What is YMYL content?
  • The types of businesses Google classifies as “high risk” for misinformation
  • Examples of YMYL industries and what qualifies
• Why YMYL matters for SEO:
  • How Google’s algorithm treats these sites differently
  • The importance of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust)
• Common SEO mistakes in YMYL industries:
  • Not showing credentials or who’s behind the content
  • Writing generic content instead of demonstrating subject-matter expertise
  • Ignoring credibility signals like reviews, bios, citations, or FAQs
• Best practices for creating trustworthy content:
  • What to include on your About page and service pages
  • How to structure content with E-E-A-T in mind
  • Tips for boosting authority as a newer business

🎯 Takeaways:

• If your content could impact someone’s physical, financial, or emotional safety—assume Google is watching.
• Show who you are, why you're qualified, and how you help—on every page.
• It’s not just about keywords. It’s about building trust—online and off.

🔗 Links & Resources:

• Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines
• WELL Optimized SEO Workshops