What Is Google's E-E-A-T and How Does It Impact SEO?

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It is an evolution of the original E-A-T concept, which did not include 'Experience'. Google introduced E-E-A-T to evaluate web content’s overall quality and credibility, with a particular emphasis on the creator's first-hand experience with the topic.

E-E-A-T is important for Google search results because it helps surface the most reliable, trustworthy, and valuable content for any query. Google aims to provide users with higher-quality search results and to reward brands and content creators who build genuine expertise and authority in their field. This is especially critical for 'Your Money or Your Life' (YMYL) topics, where accurate and trustworthy information is essential for users' health, financial stability, safety, or well-being.

To demonstrate E-E-A-T for a brand or content, focus on each of the four components:

• Experience: Show content creation by people with direct, first-hand experience.
• Expertise: Demonstrate subject matter expertise through content depth, author credentials, and citing reputable sources.
• Authoritativeness: Build brand authority by publishing high-quality content and earning recognition within the industry.
• Trustworthiness: Be transparent about content creators, provide clear contact information, maintain a positive reputation, and follow ethical content practices.

Google's Search Quality Rater Guidelines evaluate E-E-A-T by looking at various levels of quality, from the lowest to the highest. They assess whether the content creator has the necessary experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness for the topic. Trust is considered the most critical component because untrustworthy pages are rated low regardless of the other factors. The guidelines provide specific examples and criteria for raters to determine the E-E-A-T level of a page.

AI-generated content can impact E-E-A-T because it may lack the first-hand experience element. Google advises against publishing AI-generated content without human review and editing. The content must be evaluated for accuracy, usefulness, and compliance with quality guidelines. Using AI to assist and enhance human-created content is key, as the final content should be reviewed by a human expert with real-world experience to maintain the E-E-A-T qualities.