What is E-E-A-T?

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It's Google's framework for evaluating content quality, especially for topics that affect people's health, finances, or major life decisions.

E-E-A-T isn't a direct ranking factor - there's no "E-E-A-T score" that determines your position. But it's a lens through which Google's quality raters evaluate content, and those evaluations influence algorithm updates.

The four components

Experience means first-hand knowledge. Have you actually done what you're writing about? Content with demonstrated experience is more valuable than content based only on research. This is why Google added the first "E" in 2022.

Expertise means you know the topic well. For medical content, that might mean being a doctor. For blog writing advice, someone who writes successfully. Expertise doesn't always require formal credentials - demonstrated knowledge through quality content is often enough.

Authoritativeness means others recognize you as a go-to source on this topic. Do other sites link to your content? Do people cite you? Authority is built over time through consistent, quality publishing and backlinks from reputable sources.

Trustworthiness is the most important component. It means your content is accurate, honest, and secure. Do you cite sources? Correct mistakes? Keep information up to date? Without trust, experience, expertise, and authority don't matter.

E-E-A-T for bloggers

Most blog content isn't "Your Money or Your Life" (YMYL) content, but E-E-A-T principles still apply. Show your experience by including real examples, case studies, screenshots, or results from your own work. Instead of "blog posts should be well-structured," say "I restructured my blog posts last month and saw a 40% increase in time on page."

Demonstrate expertise by writing in depth, covering nuances, anticipating follow-up questions, and linking to sources. Build authority by publishing consistently, earning backlinks by creating valuable content, and getting cited by others. Establish trust by being honest about what you know and don't know, correcting mistakes publicly, keeping content updated, using HTTPS, and having clear contact information.

E-E-A-T signals

Google doesn't have a human reviewer check every page, so it looks for signals: author bios that establish credentials and experience, about pages that explain who you are and why you're qualified, citations and sources showing research, regular updates showing content is maintained, backlinks from reputable sites signaling authority, and clear site ownership.

For AI-generated content, E-E-A-T is crucial. AI can't provide genuine experience or expertise on its own. Use AI as a drafting tool, then add your real experience, expertise, and unique insights during editing. Human-in-the-loop workflows ensure AI-generated content meets E-E-A-T standards by combining AI efficiency with human knowledge. The result is helpful content that serves readers while meeting Google's quality expectations.