What is Google E-E-A-T? Guidelines and SEO Benefits

Introduction

Google E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is a set of guidelines and criteria introduced by Google to evaluate the quality and credibility of a website’s content. E-A-T has become an essential aspect of search engine optimization (SEO) as it helps Google determine the relevance and trustworthiness of a website’s content, thereby impacting its search rankings. In this article, we will delve into the details of Google E-A-T, its guidelines, and the SEO benefits it offers to website owners and publishers.

What is Google E-E-A-T?

Google E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, which is an evolution of the original E-A-T concept introduced by Google. This new framework signifies a stronger emphasis on first-hand experience in evaluating content quality for SEO. This approach has become a sustainable and long-term strategy for optimizing websites and improving their search rankings on Google.

“E” in E-E-A-T refers to Experience, indicating the extent to which the content creator possesses firsthand or life experience relevant to the topic being covered. This personal experience adds depth and credibility to the content, making it more valuable and trustworthy for users. Additionally, the incorporation of expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness further enhances the overall quality and reliability of the content.

In essence, Google’s adoption of the E-E-A-T framework highlights the significance of genuine experience, along with expertise and trustworthiness, in determining the quality of online content. By meeting these criteria, website owners and publishers can improve their visibility on Google search results and ultimately enhance their online reputation and credibility.

What does E-E-A-T mean in SEO?

E-E-A-T is a crucial concept in SEO that all content creators should understand. Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines make it clear that showing one’s experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness is essential for ranking well in search results.

While E-E-A-T is not a direct ranking factor, it is a key component of how Google evaluates the quality and reliability of web content. Websites that exhibit strong E-E-A-T signals are more likely to be seen as authoritative and trustworthy by both users and search engines.

To optimize for E-E-A-T, content creators must clearly showcase their credentials, expertise, and credibility on the topics they write about. This could involve highlighting relevant professional experience, citing reputable sources, and building a consistent brand identity across the web.
Neglecting E-E-A-T can severely limit a website’s ability to rank and attract engaged, loyal readers. Businesses and individuals who take the time to cultivate strong E-E-A-T will be well-positioned to succeed in the increasingly competitive world of search engine optimization.

What are E-E-A-T signals and what do they mean?

E-E-A-T signals stand for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. By examining Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines and updates from the Google Search Central blog, you can understand why Google emphasizes these signals and how they define them. Here, we provide a summary of each of the four E-E-A-T factors and offer tips on how to incorporate them into your online content.

The history of E-E-A-T

Initially, Google introduced E-A-T, which stood for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, in 2014 as part of its Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines. These guidelines were used to train human raters who assessed the quality of web pages. The focus was on ensuring that the content was created by knowledgeable sources, came from authoritative domains, and was trustworthy.

On August 1st, 2018 Google rolled out a Core Update to its algorithm that ended up having a major ranking impact on a large number of sites, including many top brands. Glenn Gabe documented the impact at the time.

When the dust settled SEOs noticed was a meaningful shift towards content that demonstrated higher expertise, authority and trust: E-A-T, as it was then called.

In December 2022, Google updated E-A-T to E-E-A-T, adding “Experience” to the existing trio. This addition emphasized the importance of content creators having first-hand experience with the subject matter they write about. This change underscored Google’s commitment to delivering more relevant and reliable information to users.

Website owners and content creators are encouraged to focus on E-E-A-T principles to enhance the perceived quality of their content. This involves showcasing real-world experience, ensuring information is accurate and well-researched, establishing credibility, and maintaining honesty and transparency.

Experience

When evaluating experience, Google instructs its Quality Rater staff to determine if the content is based on first-hand experience with the subject matter. For example, has a reviewer personally done business with the company they are writing about? Has a retailer or influencer actually used the products they are recommending? Has a writer personally visited the places they are featuring?

Demonstrating these real-life experiences will vary by niche, but a common example for many industries involves reviews of businesses and products. Often, searchers seek evidence of other people’s experiences with your brand, rather than just hearing what your brand says about itself or its products. In fact, a large-scale survey by Moz found that only 14% of consumers trust what brands say about themselves as much as they trust user reviews.

Given this, showcasing customer reviews on your website can effectively highlight the Experience factor, as long as you ensure the reviews come from real customers, not family, friends, or non-customers. Including photos of reviewers at the business adds credibility, showing they truly have experience with what they’re reviewing.

For businesses important that recommend or sell other manufacturers’ products, it’s beneficial to try the products personally. For instance, a grocery store recommending apple juice brands could hold a taste test, publish the results, and discuss attributes like price, quality, taste, and environmental condition. Filming staff trying the products can further prove your recommendations are based on real experience. If your business provides information about places, demonstrate you’ve been there with travel accounts, photos, and videos. Realty and travel websites, for example, often write about communities, schools, and local businesses. Instead of using content from sites like Wikipedia, you can offer first-hand experiences. For a guide on the best restaurants in Portland, include original photos, receipts, and detailed descriptions of the meals to show you have genuinely visited these places.

Expertise

Google’s Quality Raters are told to assess the expertise behind content, especially if it impacts a reader’s life. If your business is in medical, legal, journalism, safety, or government sectors (known as your-money-or-your-life or YMYL categories), you need to show official proof of expertise. Even for topics with less impact, you should still show why you are an expert in your field.

For YMYL topics, your website should display licenses, professional associations, and degrees to prove your expertise to Google and the public. For example, a licensed marriage and family therapist should display their license number. There’s a clear difference between a hobby blogger discussing taxes and a licensed CPA explaining tax filing, and credentials help Quality Raters see that difference.

While “expertise” often means academic degrees, professional accreditations, and official licenses, Google’s idea of expertise also includes practical, everyday skills. For instance, an online quilt shop owner might not have a degree in quilting, but her videos showing how to make complex quilts demonstrate her expertise in the craft.

In non-YMYL categories, demonstrating expertise can be done through how-to guides, before-and-after project results, and original hands-on studies. For example, a lifestyle writer focusing on do-it-yourself projects can show their expertise by blogging or making videos about their experience saving money by making homemade cleaning products instead of buying expensive brands. They can document each step, show the outcomes, and prove they’ve gained enough skill to share their knowledge with others.

Authoritativeness

While expertise means proving you are an expert in your field, authoritativeness is about others recognizing you as an expert. This often depends on how many quality third-party websites link to or cite your pages or brand information.

For example, using a tool like Moz Link Explorer, we can enter the URL of a business, such as an online retailer of native UK wildflower seeds. The tool will then show us which sites and pages are linking to that domain.

We can see that the wildflower seed company has earned excellent links from publishers like The Guardian, which has a high Domain Authority (DA) of 95 out of 100. They also have links from other reputable sites like CountryLiving.com and the Wildlife Trusts, with DAs of 83 and 67, respectively. Domain Authority is a metric from Moz that predicts how likely a web page is to rank in search engine results, based on various factors. Like Google’s E-E-A-T, it largely depends on the number and quality of links to the page. The tool also shows the Page Authority (PA) for each entry, which measures the strength of a specific page instead of the entire domain.

Additionally, it’s important to know that earning links from respected publications can boost Google’s perception of your authority. However, you can also gain authority from publications mentioning your business, even without a link. If a well-known and highly ranked news site, blog, or website mentions your brand, your team members, or your contact details, it shows recognition of your expertise and helps Google see your authority.

While it’s ideal to earn links from authoritative and relevant sites, even mentions on high-level publications can boost Google’s perception of your authority. These citations give Google a good reason to rank your website higher in search results.

Trustworthiness

Trust is the most important E-E-A-T metric, according to Google. Their guidelines emphasize the accuracy, accessibility, and validity of your business information. For example, the Contact Us page on Costco’s website, with multiple customer support options, helps establish that it’s a legitimate and trustworthy business. Google’s evaluators may consider the following trust factors:

Make sure your contact information is easy to find and correct, with no wrong phone numbers or fake addresses.
Keep your website security and consumer protections strong and up-to-date.
Ensure all published information is factually accurate and backed by evidence. Link to trusted sources when necessary.
Make sure policies like shipping and returns are clear and accessible.
Represent user reviews accurately; don’t just show positive ones.
Disclose any advertising relationships.
Avoid hiding content behind too many ads, popups, or other elements that create a poor user experience.
For local businesses, ensure the overall sentiment of your reviews is positive and that you have a comparable number of reviews to similar businesses in your area.

Are E-E-A-T factors search ranking factors?

This may seem like a simple question, but the answer is complex and controversial in the SEO community. As Cyrus Shepard explained in a Whiteboard Friday video:

“There are very smart SEOs on both sides of the debate. Some SEOs dismiss E-A-T. Others embrace it fully. Even Google have different opinions about how it should be communicated.”

Cyrus Shepard goes on to explain that there are three main views on whether E-E-A-T factors should be called search ranking factors:

View #1: A ranking factor should directly and measurably impact rankings. For example, if you change the URL of a page and it moves up in Google’s rankings, you can see the direct effect. Since some E-E-A-T signals are hard to measure, some believe they shouldn’t be called ranking factors.

View #2: Google’s algorithm is too complex to pinpoint exact ranking factors. Instead, we should look at behaviors rewarded by updates like the 2012 Panda update. Panda used machine learning to find trustworthy sites, so E-E-A-T seems to impact rankings in this view.

View #3: Any action that might increase rankings should be considered a ranking factor, even if it’s not in Google’s algorithms. For example, social media shares might not be part of Google’s algorithm, but they can lead to links that improve rankings.

In conclusion, there’s no clear agreement on the role of E-E-A-T in rankings. It’s best to remember that Google tells its Quality Raters to look at these signals when judging SERP quality. Whether they are true ranking factors or not, evaluating your site for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness is a smart practice.

Is E-E-A-T more important for some organizations than others?

All website owners should aim to create content that meets E-E-A-T criteria, but those in YMYL categories must especially ensure they adhere to these principles. It’s logical that the public requires higher standards of factual accuracy and security when accessing financial or medical information compared to browsing cat photos.

We suggest that YMYL organizations watch Lily Ray’s video about integrating experts into their content strategy. Additionally, reading Rebecca Moss’ article on using digital PR to enhance E-E-A-T signals is recommended.

Have there been any SEO studies of E-E-A-T?

Yes! Keep in mind that some of these studies were conducted before Google included the newer “E” for experience in their expanded E-E-A-T principles in 2022. Here’s a brief list of insightful studies to explore for more information on this topic:

“5 Things I Learned About E-A-T by Analyzing 647 Search Results”
Impact of authorship content on E-A-T signals
What Does It Mean to Have Good E-A-T?
How a Medical E-A-T SEO Strategy Increased Organic Revenue by 300%

What about E-E-A-T in the AI environment?

As we publish this guide on understanding E-E-A-T, the internet is undergoing significant changes due to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Experimental tools like Google Bard, Google SGE, Chat GPT, OpenAI, and the new Bing are all competing for attention as the “next big thing” online. Because these technologies can generate vast amounts of content instantly, publishers should carefully consider how they align or conflict with E-E-A-T principles. Let’s reassess these principles in the context of auto-generated digital content.

Can AI prove experience?

It’s unlikely. A robot can’t prove it has real-life experience or human emotions needed to understand human experiences. AI can only mimic humans. Unfortunately, AI has been caught creating false information, such as Google’s Bard wrongly claiming to have talked with people dining at Mexican restaurants. While AI can simulate experience, it can’t actually have real experiences.

Can AI prove expertise?

Probably not. Even though a chatbot might appear knowledgeable and offer various advice, it’s important to remember it’s been trained to do so, not because it possesses real intelligence or earned expertise from life experiences. AI should never replace human experts in your organization. There have already been scandals, like a lawyer using ChatGPT to create fake court citations. Organizations in YMYL categories, especially, need to be cautious about using AI to generate any public-facing content and should rigorously fact-check all published information.

Can AI prove authoritativeness?

This is an area that hasn’t been fully explored yet. Considering that the authoritativeness part of E-E-A-T largely depends on others seeing you as an expert, we don’t know if being mentioned in AI results like Google’s SGE will actually increase your authority. When a well-known food critic mentions their favorite Italian chef or Thai restaurant in Seattle, they are acknowledging their expertise. It’s unclear if AI showing entities as results will be seen as endorsing their expertise. Also, considering AI itself as an expert source is problematic because it’s just trained data and can make mistakes.

Can AI prove trustworthiness?

Probably not. In fact, even those trying to find a way to fit AI into Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines suggest publishers disclose when AI generates content, due to trust issues. Many SEO experts worry AI could flood the web with low-quality content, eroding trust in search results. Trustworthiness is Google’s top E-E-A-T factor, so publishers must prioritize accurate, factual content and positive user experiences, despite the allure of automation.

Google faces a dilemma. For years, it encouraged humans to create content based on their expertise. Now, Google promotes AI to automate content creation, rather than relying on human knowledge. This shift poses a challenge as Google tries to balance automation with human intelligence. Meanwhile, governments are rushing to regulate this transformative technology.

For now, here’s a summary of Google’s current stance on AI as of the publication of this guide:

Google allows the use of AI as long as it isn’t used to manipulate search rankings.
Google sees AI as a new and exciting tool for creating valuable content, acknowledging that automation has been part of online publishing for a while.
Google is confident in its ability to prevent low-quality and inaccurate AI-generated content from dominating the web. However, many SEO experts doubt Google’s effectiveness in filtering out spam and promoting high-quality search results.
Google doesn’t mandate publishers to disclose AI-generated content but suggests it could be helpful.
Overall, Google aims to reward high-quality content regardless of how it’s created.

A word of caution: While Google’s current stance might encourage publishers to embrace AI-generated content, proceed carefully. Remember, Google has developed tools like Bard and SGE, so its perspective may not be entirely impartial. Google’s policies could change in the future, potentially targeting certain practices with updates and penalties. Meanwhile, governments worldwide are still deciding on regulations for AI. Some countries, like Italy and Syria, have already banned ChatGPT. The outcome of this global debate remains uncertain. Forward-thinking organizations will explore AI’s potential while also nurturing and highlighting human expertise in their fields.

What does the helpful content update have to do with E-E-A-T?

Finally, publishers should learn about the 2022 Helpful Content Update (HCU). While SEO experts work to understand the exact effects of this ongoing algorithm update, Google summarized its purpose as follows:

This update focuses not just on individual pieces of content but on assessing whether websites consistently publish helpful and valuable content across their entire site. It’s a signal that applies to the entire site. Importantly, it emphasizes prioritizing the needs of people when creating content, stating:

“Content creators should prioritize creating satisfying content that also adds value to searchers, using SEO best practices.”

Google advises publishers to check:
If their website has a clear main focus
Whether their audience finds the content useful and satisfying
If the content demonstrates firsthand expertise and deep knowledge

This last point ties directly into aspects of E-E-A-T that Google values. Google added the “E” for experience to E-A-T shortly after launching the Helpful Content Update (HCU), highlighting the importance of firsthand experience. In the context of the HCU, E-E-A-T serves as a comprehensive guideline to help websites develop these desired qualities over time and strengthen their presence in search engine results.

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Conclusion

The conclusion of the E-E-A-T (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) is a set of important guidelines that website owners and content creators should consider in order to improve their website’s ranking in search results.

E-E-A-T is not a direct ranking factor, but it is a component of how Google evaluates the quality and reliability of web content. Websites that exhibit strong E-E-A-T signals are more likely to be seen as authoritative and trustworthy by both users and search engines.

In order to optimize for E-E-A-T, content creators should focus on showcasing their credentials, expertise, and credibility on the topics they write about. This could involve highlighting relevant professional experience, citing reputable sources, and building a consistent brand identity across the web.

The article also discusses the role of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and the challenges it presents to E-E-A-T. While AI has the potential to create vast amounts of content, it currently lacks the ability to demonstrate experience or expertise in the way that a human can. Search engines like Google are still grappling with how to handle AI-generated content and may update their algorithms in the future.

Overall, the article emphasizes the importance of creating high-quality, helpful content that meets the needs of users. This aligns with Google’s recent Helpful Content Update (HCU) which focuses on rewarding websites that consistently publish valuable content. By following E-E-A-T principles and creating content that is informative, trustworthy, and user-friendly, website owners can increase their chances of ranking higher in search results.