Content · Glossary
What is E-E-A-T?
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trust: the qualities Google's Search Quality Rater Guidelines use to judge whether content and its creators are reliable. Trust is the most important, and 'Experience' was added in December 2022.
Written by Noor KhanWhy E-E-A-T matters
E-E-A-T isn't a single ranking factor, but it describes what Google's systems aim to reward, especially for health, finance and other high-stakes topics. It also maps closely to what AI systems need to trust a source.
How E-E-A-T works
- Experience: first-hand involvement with the topic.
- Expertise: knowledge and skill in the subject.
- Authoritativeness: recognition as a go-to source by others.
- Trust: accuracy, honesty, transparency and safety, which the other three support.
How to apply it
- Show who wrote each page, with a real bio and credentials.
- Include first-hand evidence: photos, data, cases, specific outcomes.
- Cite reliable sources for factual claims and keep content updated.
- Make contact details, policies and business information easy to find.
Example
A detox guide written by a named addiction-medicine physician, reviewed with a date and citing clinical guidelines, demonstrates far more E-E-A-T than an anonymous post.
Common mistake
Treating E-E-A-T as a checklist of author boxes. Signals help only when backed by real expertise and accurate content.