E-E-A-T
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. These are the criteria set out in Google's Search Quality Rater Guidelines. They are not a direct ranking factor in themselves, but they describe what Google's ranking systems are built to approximate.
Why it matters for your rankings
E-E-A-T matters most on YMYL topics, where bad information causes real harm: health, finance, legal and safety. On those subjects Google is deliberately conservative and favours sources it can verify.
The first E, Experience, was added in 2022 and changed the emphasis meaningfully. It asks whether the author has actually done the thing. A review written by someone who used the product outranks a summary assembled from other reviews, which is why generic AI-assembled content struggles in competitive categories. Practically, E-E-A-T shows up as named authors with real credentials, cited sources, clear ownership and contact details, and content that demonstrates first-hand knowledge rather than paraphrasing what already ranks.
How to check it on your site
Check every key page has a named author
Anonymous or 'admin' bylines on advice content are a straightforward gap. Add real authors with linked bio pages.
Show credentials, not job titles
Bios should state relevant qualifications and experience, and link to external profiles that corroborate them.
Add first-hand evidence
Original screenshots, data, photographs and specific examples demonstrate experience in a way that summarising competitors cannot.
Make the business verifiable
A real address, phone number, About page and clear editorial policy all support trustworthiness assessment.