E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. The concept comes from Google's Search Quality Rater Guidelines, which added "Experience" in December 2022 and describe Trust as the most important of the four. E-E-A-T is not a single ranking factor or score; it describes the qualities Google's systems aim to reward. AI search engines lean on similar signals when deciding which sources to cite.
The four parts
- Experience: first-hand involvement with the topic, such as having used the product, visited the place or done the work.
- Expertise: the knowledge or skill needed for the topic. Formal credentials matter most for health, finance and legal topics.
- Authoritativeness: being a recognised go-to source, shown by mentions, links and reputation.
- Trustworthiness: accuracy, honesty, transparency about who you are, and safe, secure pages.
Why it matters more in AI answers
An AI answer typically cites only a few sources. When a system has to choose, clear signs of who wrote the content, why they are qualified and whether others agree make a source safer to use. Content with no author, no date and no references gives the system little reason to trust it.
E-E-A-T checklist for every important page
- Author byline with a short bio, relevant experience and a link to an author page using Person schema.
- About page explaining who runs the site and why.
- Contact details: email, phone or address, and a contact page.
- Visible dates for publication and meaningful updates.
- Sources: links to primary research, official documentation and reputable publications.
- Evidence of experience: original photos, test results, case studies and specific details only a practitioner would know.
- Reviews and reputation: genuine customer reviews and third-party mentions.
- Organization schema with logo and sameAs links to your official profiles.
- Security and policies: HTTPS, privacy policy and terms.
The GEO score checker tests these signals in its E-E-A-T, Citations & Sources and Knowledge Graph checkpoints, with a fix for each one that is missing.
What does not work
- Fake author personas or invented credentials.
- Copying "As seen in" logos without real coverage.
- Changing dates without changing content.
These can mislead readers and undermine trust, which is the most important part of E-E-A-T.
Frequently asked questions
Is E-E-A-T a ranking factor?
Not directly. Google describes it as a framework its rater guidelines use to evaluate whether its systems surface helpful, reliable content. Many underlying signals, such as reputation and accuracy, do influence results.
What is YMYL?
Your Money or Your Life: topics that can affect health, financial stability, safety or well-being. E-E-A-T standards are applied most strictly to these topics.
Do small businesses need author bios?
Yes, where content gives advice. A short bio naming the person, their role and relevant experience is enough to show who stands behind the information.