YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) refers to web pages that can significantly impact a user’s financial stability, health, safety, or overall well-being. Google uses this concept to categorize and evaluate these pages because incorrect or misleading information on such topics could have serious consequences for users. As a result, YMYL pages are held to higher standards of content quality and trustworthiness by Google’s search algorithms.
Types of YMYL Pages
Some common examples of YMYL pages include:
- Financial Advice: Pages that offer investment guidance, banking services, or financial planning.
- Health Information: Pages providing medical advice, mental health resources, or information about medications.
- Legal Advice: Pages that offer legal guidance or information about regulations and laws.
- News and Current Events: Pages that report on significant news stories or public issues.
- Shopping and E-Commerce: Pages where users make purchases or enter payment information, such as online stores.
Why Is YMYL Important?
Google places a strong emphasis on ensuring that YMYL content is accurate and reliable because of its potential impact on people’s lives. To rank well in search results, these pages need to demonstrate a high level of expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (often referred to as E-A-T). Websites with YMYL content must provide credible sources, well-researched information, and expert opinions to gain higher rankings.
How Google Evaluates YMYL Pages
Google uses a combination of its algorithms and human evaluators to assess YMYL pages. The focus is on determining whether the information is beneficial and trustworthy. For example, medical content should come from qualified professionals, and financial advice should be accurate and clear to prevent misleading users.