E-E-A-T is an abbreviation for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It’s a set of Google guidelines used to evaluate the quality of web content and the credibility of a website when ranking it in its search results. Simply, how a web page may rank higher depends on how much the page aligns with these guidelines. It means you should understand how to demonstrate Google E-E-A-T in your content or website to rank high in search results.
Formerly, it was known as E-A-T, and now it is with an additional E. Let’s learn what each of these elements means to us:
Experience (E): It focuses on the importance of the first-hand experience of the content creator or writer. For example, when writing a product review, the article is more credible if written by someone (or you) who has actually used the product.
Expertise (E): It measures how well the content creator/writer knows the subject or topic at hand. Content written by subject matter experts is more likely to be ranked higher in Google.
Authoritativeness (A): This refers to the overall reputation of the website and the content creator in their field. If recognized as authorities or widely cited experts, it will rank higher in Google results.
Trustworthiness (T): Trust is crucial for both the website and the content. Google loves to rank websites with accurate, honest, transparent information, and good user reviews.
So, improving your SEO is implementing these E-E-A-T guidelines. Google uses E-E-A-T to assess the reliability of a website, particularly for Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) pages on topics that could impact someone’s health, finances, or safety. Let’s try to understand what YMYL pages are with these examples.
Suppose, you have a website on mobile phones or smartwatches. They may fall under the YMYL category if they provide:
- Mobile phone reviews: Since people have to make expensive purchases, the accuracy and trustworthiness of your reviews are important.
- Health-related content: As smartwatches have health-tracking features (like heart rate monitoring), they could impact users’ health and well-being.
On the other hand, if you have a website on digital marketing guides, tools, and services, it may not be fully categorized as YMYL. However, your site could still be involved in it, if:
- Financial advice: Discussing how to invest in marketing strategies, tools, or services can impact a business’s revenue.
- Business advice: Guidance that could affect someone’s business operations might be under extra scrutiny of YMYL guidelines.
Your website should focus on maintaining high standards of E-E-A-T to ensure credibility and higher rankings in Google’s search results. Some websites with high E-E-A-T scores that can be mentioned are WebMD, Investopedia, The New York Times, Wikipedia, Amazon, etc. Check these websites how they offer credible, high-quality content with solid evidence, reliable products, excellent customer service, transparency, etc.
Before writing this article, I read several articles written by SEO pros and interviewed some of them on this topic. They include Neil Patel, Leigh McKenzie, Matt G. Southern, Zoe Ashbridge, and more to mention. I hope you’ll enjoy reading it and implementing the techniques found in my research.
How to Demonstrate Google E-E-A-T?
Now, let’s learn how to demonstrate each element of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) to improve your site’s content quality and ranking strength. In this era of mass AI content generation, E-E-A-T is increasingly important to study for content creators.
1. Experience (E)
To demonstrate Experience is to show your first-hand involvement and knowledge in the content. Here are some practical ways to demonstrate it:
- Use your narratives: Write the content from a personal perspective, sharing stories and anecdotes from your direct experience. For example, say “When I used the Amazfit GTR 4 for a week, I noticed that it was well worth buying for the quality and price.“
- Include original photos or videos of the product, tool, or process in action: For example, if you write a review of a smartwatch, include a video showing how you set it up, use its features, or track health metrics.
- Provide case studies: Describe your personal or client experiences with measurable outcomes. For example, you can write an article with a case study on how a particular digital marketing strategy increased traffic for your website.
- Include Pros and Cons: If you write reviews for a product or service, describe both the pros and cons from your own experience of using it. For instance, write about a keyword research tool you recently subscribed to after a month-long use and provide your pros and cons, highlighting its ease of use, features, benefits, price, etc.
- Create how-to guides: Write an article or create a tutorial based on your hands-on experience with a product or process. You can write a step-by-step guide on setting up Google Analytics with screenshots and advice from your practice.
- Include testimonials or feedback: This reflects your own experience working with a particular client or product. You can say, for example, “After following these social media strategies, our agency saw a 30% increase in engagement.“
- Provide a behind-the-scenes look: This will prove your direct involvement. It can be a short video or a process of campaign management.
- Demonstrate mistakes and lessons learned: This shows your involvement. When writing about a Facebook ad campaign, you can mention what went wrong in setting up the campaign and how you corrected it.
- Include interviews: Include interviews or excerpts from industry experts where you draw from your own experiences to answer common questions. For example, when you write about a smartwatch, meet a fitness expert who uses it and include his photo or video with what he said.
- Share success stories: Collect success stories from clients or users who benefited from your advice, based on personal involvement. For example, create ablog post about how your recommended email marketing tools helped a client double their ROI.
- Present real-time data or testing results: This will inform Google about your real experience. When you write a review of testing smartphone batteries from different brands, present the actual results you found in it.
These are some of the practices to demonstrate the Experience aspect of your content. You can use any other techniques to show that you have knowledge of the topic and are directly involved in it. By strengthening this aspect of E-E-A-T, you can make your content more trustworthy and valuable for readers and search engines.
2. Expertise (E)
According to the E-E-A-T guidelines, you should have Expertise in the topic and demonstrate it in the content. You do it by providing deep, accurate, and well-founded details on the topic. Here’s how you can show your expertise in your content (or wherever applicable on your site):
- Make It In-Depth Content: Write comprehensively on the topic, covering all key aspects. If you write an article on different desktop operating systems, include every key feature of each OS and explain their advantages and limitations for specific use cases.
- Cite industry research and data: Don’t just say, also provide proofwith reliable data, studies, and industry research from authoritative sources. If you are writing about the effectiveness of an email marketing tool, cite data from reputable sources or studies by a well-known marketer.
- Use industry-specific terminology: Show an advanced understanding of the topic by using specific terms. For example, if you write on an SEO topic, use specific words and phrases correctly like indexing, canonical tags, etc. to show you have a deep understanding.
- Display your credentials, certifications, or professional qualifications: These can easily validate your knowledge in the field. If you are writing about Google Ads, showing your Google Ads certificates proves that you are already an expert.
- Include a detailed author bio: Include your author bio in each content you write, with your qualifications, experiences, and accomplishments. It makes readers understand your expertise.
- Refer to any published work, whitepapers, or contributions to other respected platforms:For example, if you are writing an article about link-building techniques, link to your other SEO articles published on popular blogs and sites.
- Share about conferences and webinars participated: By referring to where you participated as a subject matter expert, you can show your expertise. You can do it with a recorded audio or video in your content.
- Regularly publish content in your niche: It indicates your dedication and knowledge in that area.
- Provide expert solutions to common problems: Providing solutions to your audience’s problems also demonstrates your deep understanding of your niche. So, offer advanced tips, tricks, and hacks to show you have a good experience in your field.
- Keep your content up-to-date: Always try to update any outdated content on your site. This informs your ongoing expertise.
- Co-create content with other experts: Such a collaboration validates your position as an expert. For example, you can write a comprehensive article on emerging marketing trends with a well-known expert and publish it on your site.
- Show any awards, recognitions, or honors received: Show or mention it on your site or content to get you recognized as an expert in your field.
They are some of the ways to effectively communicate your expertise in your field. You can use any of the strategies relevant to your website and content. Establishing your expertise helps to build credibility and improve your ranking in Google’s search results.
3. Authoritativeness (A)
Demonstrating Authoritativeness is providing proof that you or your website is a trusted source or a leading authority in your industry. When Google sees your authoritativeness, you will see better rankings in search results. You can use these strategies:
- Build or gain backlinks: Backlinksfrom authoritative websites within your niche enhance your authority. For example, if your article on Apple smartwatches gets backlinks from high-authority tech sites, it boosts your site authority. (Check these link-building books)
- Write guest articles: If you contribute to highly regarded industry publications, blogs, or news sites, they will also boost your authority. (See guest post services)
- Host authoritative figures:Host a podcast, webinar, or interview with other experts in your niche.
- Highlight any awards, certifications, or recognitions: If you have any such awards or certificates, mention or show them anywhere.
- Build a positive brand reputation: If you are a strong brand, you get references from anywhere. So, build your online reputation. (Check these courses)
- Establish yourself as an influencer: Create highly influential or viral reports or articles that get shared widely for your site or other sites. (Read influencer marketing books)
- Highlight any media coverage or interviews: For example, if you are recently interviewed about you or your website by a TV or newspaper reporter, mention or link to it.
- Include testimonials from recognized authorities or high-profile clients in your content: This makes you recognizable as an authority.
- Conduct and publish original research, studies, or reports: Doing so gets cited by other industry leaders.
- Ensure that your content is accurate, well-researched, and fact-checked: This positions your site as a reliable source of truth.
- Maintain a consistent presence: Be a long-standing website with a history of high-quality, authoritative content.
- Use social proof: Demonstrate your authority, such as a large following on social media platforms like LinkedIn or Twitter (X).
- Secure endorsements from high-profile individuals or experts: For example, when a leading influencer recommends you, it tightens your authority.
When you show these qualities on your site and off-site, you can clearly demonstrate authoritativeness. When many other websites or people recognize you and make references to your work, your site will get stronger ranking potential.
4. Trustworthiness (T)
Trustworthiness in Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines involves building user confidence that your content, website, and brand are reliable and honest. You can use any relevant ones of the following ways to show Trustworthiness:
- Provide a detailed author bio: Include your qualifications and experience along with your social media profile links.
- Fact-checkand refer to credible sources:Ensure that your content is fact-checked and links to reliable resources. For example, cite the studies of a reputed body when you write about the fitness-tracking capabilities of smartwatches.
- Keep your content current and relevant: This ensures your site visitors get the latest information on your website.
- Display genuine user reviews: Featuring verified reviews and client testimonials provide real-life satisfaction with your advice or services.
- Provide contact details: Contact information including an email, phone number, and physical address shows transparency and accountability. Ensure your site has a ‘contact us’ page.
- Include a privacy policy and terms of service page: These pages ensure users understand how their data is collected, used, and protected.
- Ensure your website is secure (HTTPS): Displaying a secure site certificate (HTTPS) reassures visitors that their data is protected. A professional website design also signals legitimacy.
- Avoid using deceptive ads or clickbait links: Because they mislead people into clicking for unrelated content. They suggest spammy content.
- Write balanced, unbiased reviews: When you write product reviews, discuss both the pros and cons. This makes your reviews honest as you show both positive and negative sides.
- Avoid making unrealistic claims: Don’t make a promise of guaranteed results about products or services unnecessarily.
- Be responsive: Engage with your site users by responding to their comments, questions, and concerns. It shows you are real and you care for their satisfaction.
- Display trust badges, seals, or certifications: If you have any such things (like Google Partner or Trustpilot reviews) from reputable entities, show them on your site to enhance trustworthiness.
- Offer clear refund policies or guarantees: If you are an e-commerce business, this assures buyers that they are not at risk.
- Ensure all content is original and plagiarism-free: This enhances trust in the authenticity of your content.
- Publish content consistently: Publish your articles or posts regularly so that visitors will come back regularly.
- Transparently disclose affiliate relationships or paid promotions: This maintains honesty. For example, if you promote affiliate products, state “This post contains affiliate links”.
- Encourage feedback: Create a forum or comments section where your site users can discuss your products or services, and respond thoughtfully to their input.
- Demonstrate compliance with regulations: Show regulations like GDPR or CCPA for data privacy to assure visitors that their personal information is safe.
Demonstrating Trustworthiness positively influences your audience’s confidence and Google’s perception of your content. This makes your site a good and trusted one.
Myths about E-E-A-T
Here are some common misconceptions about Google’s E-E-A-T:
1. E-E-A-T is a Google ranking factor
Reality: E-E-A-T is not a direct ranking factor, but it’s a set of qualitative guidelines that Google’s algorithms use to assess the overall credibility and trustworthiness of a site. Google’s Quality Raters use it to evaluate the quality of websites. (Download their updated guidelines)
2. E-E-A-T Only Matters for YMYL Websites
Reality: While E-E-A-T is crucial for YMYL websites (e.g., health, finance, law), it applies to all kinds of websites. Even if you think your site is in the non-YMYL site category, you have to focus on building each element of E-E-A-T if you work with competitive niches like e-commerce, tech reviews, or marketing where user trust is important.
3. You Need to Be a World-Renowned Expert to Satisfy E-E-A-T
Reality: No, you don’t have to be an expert. Expertise is just what you need in your niche. For example, if you’re running a tech blog focused on smartwatches, being highly knowledgeable and showing practical experience in that field is enough.
4. Having Certifications Automatically Makes You E-E-A-T Friendly
Reality: It can be, but proving your ongoing experience and trust is important. You have to show practical experience through case studies, first-hand knowledge, or user testimonials.
5. E-E-A-T is Only About Content
Reality: No, it isn’t only about the quality of your content. We have to consider other aspects like website structure, design, user experience, security, and transparency. A site with high-quality content but poor usability or unclear ownership will still struggle to be E-E-A-T friendly.
6. Adding an Author Bio is Enough to Satisfy E-E-A-T
Reality: An author bio helps, but you also need to demonstrate expertise in your content which is accurate and well-researched. Linking to authoritative sources, maintaining transparency, and showing proof of real-world experience helps to improve your E-E-A-T score.
7. E-E-A-T is Only for Blogs or Informational Websites
Reality: No. E-E-A-T applies to all websites. For example, a website or blog needs E-E-A-T to establish credibility. Credible sites rank better in search engine results.
The Importance of E-E-A-T for SEO
E-E-A-T is crucial for SEO as it helps improve search rankings, user trust, and engagement. Websites in competitive niches like YMYL categories should follow E-E-A-T guidelines. Websites that follow E-E-A-T can safeguard against algorithm penalties, enhance credibility, and attract quality backlinks. High E-E-A-T signals also increase click-through rates (CTR) and organic traffic as they align with Google’s user-centric approach.
Whatever your website or blog may be, building strong E-E-A-T ensures it is seen as reliable and authoritative. Because it positively impacts SEO performance.
I wrote this article based on the views of SEO experts. If there are any mistakes, omissions, or incorrect information found when you read it, I welcome your feedback. Please leave it in the comment section. If you find it useful to read, please share this page with your friends and social media platforms.
Ibochouba Singh is a content writer and reviewer with a passion for writing about digital marketing and tech gadgets, including software tools and new tech gadgets. He has over 15 years of experience writing for several consumers and clients, including tech startups, marketing agencies, and software companies. He is writing many articles and product reviews for many websites, including nigcworld.com, buywin.in, medium.com, and quora.com.
