Guide SEO content audit · 4 of 6
YMYL Content: How to Audit Pages About Health, Money or Safety
Tell whether a page is YMYL with a three-question test, then apply extra checks: qualified review, primary sources, review dates, and safe wording.
Key takeaways
- YMYL covers topics that can affect health, money, or safety.
- Test each page, not the whole site.
- YMYL pages need a qualified reviewer and a review date.
YMYL stands for “Your Money or Your Life.” Google uses it for topics that could significantly affect a person’s health, financial stability, or safety, or the welfare of society. If you write for dentists, lawyers, accountants, insurers, or clinics, many of your pages are YMYL. They need a stricter review than a typical blog post.
This guide gives you a three-question test to tell whether a page is YMYL, then a short list of extra checks only for the pages that are. It ends with a check list for service pages, blog posts, and pricing pages. For the general audit process, see the guide to SEO content audits.
This guide is about content quality. It is not medical, legal, or financial advice.
What YMYL means
Google’s guide to creating helpful, reliable, people-first content defines YMYL topics as those that could significantly impact “the health, financial stability, or safety of people, or the welfare or well-being of society.” It says its systems give even more weight to content with strong E-E-A-T on these topics.
Google’s search quality rater guidelines describe YMYL in more detail, with examples. Google suggests reading them to self-assess your content. Keep in mind that raters do not set rankings. Google says their feedback helps it check whether its systems work.
Is your page YMYL? A three-question test
Ask these three questions about the page, not the whole site:
- Could acting on this page affect someone’s health or safety? For example, advice on symptoms, medication, or home electrical work.
- Could acting on this page affect someone’s money in a serious way? For example, taxes, loans, insurance claims, or legal deadlines.
- Could a mistake on this page cause real harm before the reader notices it? For example, a wrong filing date or a wrong dosage.
If the answer to any question is yes, treat the page as YMYL. If all three are no, a normal quality review is enough.
Clear, possible, and unlikely YMYL topics
Fictional examples from local businesses.
| Level | Example page | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Clear | A dental clinic’s page on what to do after a tooth extraction | Readers follow it for their health |
| Clear | An accounting firm’s guide to quarterly tax deadlines | A wrong date can cost money |
| Possible | An insurance agency’s post on how to choose a deductible | Depends on how specific the advice is |
| Possible | A law firm’s page on what to bring to a first meeting | Mostly practical, but may touch legal steps |
| Unlikely | A clinic’s page on parking and office hours | No health or money decision depends on it |
| Unlikely | A firm’s post about its new office | News, not advice |
The same business can have all three levels. Audit each page on its own.
Extra checks for YMYL pages
All pages should pass the general checks in the E-E-A-T audit. YMYL pages also need these:
- A qualified reviewer. Someone with the right license or training reads the page before it goes live.
- Primary sources. Claims about rules, rates, or treatments link to the agency, law, or official body that sets them.
- A visible review date. Readers can see when the page was last checked.
- Safe wording about outcomes. No promises of results.
- Disclaimers where they apply. For example, “This page is general information. Talk to a licensed professional about your situation.”
Who should review, and how to show it
The reviewer should hold the right qualification for the topic. A dentist reviews dental care pages. A licensed accountant reviews tax pages. A marketing manager can review clarity, but not the facts.
Show the review on the page. Add “Reviewed by [name], [credential]” near the top, with the date. Link the name to a page about that person.
Your structured data can carry the same details. Google’s Article structured data documentation includes properties such as author, datePublished, and dateModified. Keep those values the same as what readers see. The guide to Article schema markup shows how to set them.
The review step should be part of your publishing process, not an afterthought. The guide to a content approval workflow explains how to set up those stages.
Claims you shouldn’t make
Some phrases put readers at risk and weaken trust. Look for them in every YMYL page. The examples below show what to avoid:
- “Guaranteed” results, such as “guaranteed approval” or “guaranteed outcome.”
- “No risk” or “100% safe” for any treatment or financial product.
- Specific outcomes without conditions, such as “you will save $2,000.”
- Advice that tells readers to skip seeing a professional.
Replace them with plain, conditional language. “Many clients in this situation qualify, but every case is different” is honest and still useful.
Keep YMYL pages current
Rules, rates, and guidance change. A YMYL page that was right last year can be wrong today.
- Set a review date for each YMYL page, such as every six or twelve months.
- Recheck sooner when a law, rate, or official guideline changes.
- When two of your pages disagree, fix both. The guide to conflicting information shows how.
- If two pages cover the same YMYL topic, merge them so there is one reviewed version. See the guide to keyword cannibalization.
- If an old page can no longer be kept accurate, consider removing it. The guide to content pruning covers that choice.
Where DEX fits
DEX connects search research, content planning, article writing, and publishing on the connected site. On YMYL pages, a qualified person on your team still reviews the facts before anything is published.
YMYL test and extra checks by page type
Step 1: the test. Could this page affect someone’s health or safety? Their money in a serious way? Could a mistake cause harm before the reader notices? Any yes means the page is YMYL.
Step 2: extra checks for YMYL pages.
| Check | Service page | Blog post | Pricing page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualified reviewer named on the page | Yes | Yes | If prices depend on professional judgment |
| Primary sources for rules or rates | When the page cites them | Yes | For fees set by law or regulation |
| Visible review date | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| No outcome promises | Yes | Yes | Yes, including “no hidden fees” unless true |
| Disclaimer where it applies | Yes | Yes | Note what the price includes and excludes |
| Facts match other pages | Yes | Yes | Yes, especially prices and terms |
| Review schedule set | Every 12 months | Every 6 to 12 months | When prices change |
FAQ
What does YMYL mean?
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Your Money or Your Life: topics that could significantly affect health, financial stability, or safety.
Is every page on a law or dental site YMYL?
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No. Test each page. Office hours or news posts are unlikely to be YMYL.
Who should review YMYL pages?
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Someone with the right license or training for the topic.
Sources
- Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content · Google
- Search Quality Rater Guidelines · Google
- Article structured data · Google
Dex SEO is an AI SEO agent for small businesses. Every article here is planned from search data, drafted by Dex, fact-checked against the sources it cites, and reviewed by the team before it is published.
How this article was made: planned and drafted by Dex from search data, fact-checked by Dex (4 claims checked), then approved by the Dex SEO team.