If you’re still unsure about E-E-A-T and how it kind of sounds like someone’s emphasising how much they want to eat, you’re in luck. We break down what E-E-A-T means for your website and how to strengthen these signals to improve your rankings.
The components of E-E-A-T
Experience, expertise, authority, trust
Google's quality assessment starts with examining experience. That’s real-world, hands-on knowledge from people who have directly used products, services or gone through specific situations. When someone writes about climbing Mount Everest, Google wants to see they've actually made the climb, not just researched it online.
Expertise builds on experience by showing deeper knowledge and skills. This might mean formal qualifications for medical topics, but for a home DIY blog, it could simply be years of successful projects and problem-solving. The aim is matching the right level of expertise to your content. A recipe blog, for instance, needs cooking know-how, not a culinary degree.
Authority comes from recognition by others in your field. When respected websites, industry experts and customers consistently point to you as a trusted source, Google takes notice. Think of it like professional references. The more respected voices vouching for your knowledge, the stronger your authority becomes.
Trust ties everything together. Without it, the other elements don't matter much. Building trust means being transparent about who you are, backing up claims with evidence, all while keeping information current and making it easy for people to contact you. It also means showing your content is accurate and reliable through proper research and citation.
How to demonstrate E-E-A-T
Most websites try to show E-E-A-T by filling their pages with credentials and certifications. That's not what Google wants to see. Let’s share what actually works, based on Google's own guidelines.
- An author who reviews board games can demonstrate experience by sharing detailed photos and specific gameplay observations from multiple sessions.
- A doctor writing health content shows expertise through their medical license and current clinical practice.
- A retail site proves authority when major news outlets like The Guardian cite them as industry experts.
Website structure plays an important role too. Google's quality raters examine how businesses present themselves. They want to see clear contact information and details about who's behind the content. Most importantly, they check whether websites can support their claims with solid evidence.
For example, Google specifically highlights Costco's customer service page as a strong trust signal because it offers multiple legitimate ways for customers to get help.
You want to match the right signals to your content type. A DIY blog needs detailed process photos and step-by-step instructions from actual projects. A financial website requires professional credentials and compliance information. Focus on showing real experience and knowledge rather than just claiming it.
Understanding YMYL content and E-E-A-T
Google puts extra emphasis on E-E-A-T for topics that could affect someone's health, finances or safety. These "Your Money or Your Life" (YMYL) pages need the highest levels of trust and expertise.
Medical advice needs to come from qualified healthcare professionals. Financial guidance requires licensed experts. Legal content should be written by people with proper credentials. The standards are higher because mistakes in these areas could seriously impact people's lives.
But YMYL goes beyond medical and financial topics. It includes major life decisions like choosing a college, buying a home or understanding political issues. Even parenting advice falls under YMYL because it affects children's wellbeing.
That’s not to say non-experts can't write about YMYL topics. But they need to be transparent about their qualifications and back up their content with citations from authoritative sources. A personal finance blogger sharing their debt payoff story can provide value. They just need to be clear about their experience level and avoid giving professional financial advice.
The role of E-E-A-T in content creation
Creating content that demonstrates E-E-A-T isn't so much about following a strict formula as it is showing Google—and your readers—that your content comes from genuine knowledge and aims to help people.
Professional credentials
Medical professionals should display their qualifications. Link to verified profiles on medical boards and professional associations. Keep licensing information up to date and easy to find.
First-hand experience
Show that you've actually done what you're writing about. Product reviewers need to prove they've used the items. Travel writers should include original photos of destinations. Recipe developers must demonstrate they've tested their dishes.
Supporting evidence
Back up claims with data from trusted sources. Link to academic research, government statistics or industry studies. Keep information current by regularly reviewing and updating older content.
Trust signals
Make it easy for users to verify who you are and contact you. Display clear business information, physical addresses where relevant and multiple contact options. Respond to user questions and comments to show active engagement with your audience.
Common mistakes to avoid
Many websites focus too much on telling readers about their expertise instead of showing it through their content. They fill their pages with badges, certifications, and claims of authority, but fail to provide the in-depth, helpful information that actually builds trust with both users and Google's quality raters. That’s not to say you shouldn’t display your credentials. We’ve already discussed why that’s important. But it needs to be backed up with content that provides valuable information to the reader.
Another frequent error is ignoring E-E-A-T for non-YMYL content. While health and finance topics need the highest levels of expertise, every website should demonstrate experience and knowledge in their field. Whether you're writing about gardening, video games or home renovation, showing real-world experience and backing up claims with evidence helps establish your content as trustworthy.
How to build E-E-A-T signals
Start by assessing if your website's authors have genuine expertise in your topic area. The depth of knowledge you'll need varies. For instance, a medical website requires professional qualifications, while a hobby site needs proven experience.
- Demonstrate first-hand experience by including original photos
- Link your content to authoritative sources and research
- Keep your information current and accurate
- Make it easy for users to contact you
- Add detailed author bios that highlight relevant background
- Show your work through case studies or examples
- Include trust signals like professional certifications where relevant
Google's quality raters look for these elements when evaluating websites, but they're also what users need to trust your content. The most successful websites naturally incorporate these elements while staying focused on helping their audience.
Looking ahead: E-E-A-T and AI content
As AI content becomes more common, Google's emphasis on experience and expertise grows even more important. Websites need to think carefully about how they use AI while maintaining the trust signals that help them rank well.
Using AI responsibly
Google doesn't prohibit AI-generated content, but it must provide value to users. This means editing AI outputs and adding unique insights from real experience.
Maintaining transparency
Be clear about how you use AI in your content creation process. Google suggests disclosing AI use when readers would reasonably expect to know.
Adding human expertise
Combine AI efficiency with human knowledge. Have subject matter experts review and enhance AI-generated content with their personal experience and professional insights.
Focusing on quality
AI should support, not replace, your content strategy. Keep focusing on creating helpful, reliable information that demonstrates real expertise and experience in your field.
What about SGE?
Google's Search Generative Experience, known as AI Overviews, makes E-E-A-T signals even more important. When AI Overviews creates AI summaries, it pulls from sources it trusts, such as websites that clearly demonstrate experience and expertise. Building strong E-E-A-T not only helps your rankings but increases your chances of being featured in SGE's AI-generated responses. It means your content can gain more visibility in search results.
Making E-E-A-T work
Remember E-E-A-T exists for one reason, and that’s to help users find reliable information they can trust. Whether you're a doctor sharing medical advice or a hobbyist writing about board games, focus on proving your real experience and knowledge. Keep your content honest, accurate and backed by evidence. That's what Google and your readers really want to see.
