E-E-A-T
Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness: Google's quality guideline for content.
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It is the framework Google's quality raters use to assess the quality of web pages. Since December 2022, the E for Experience was added to the earlier E-A-T.
What do the four pillars mean?
Experience: does the author have personal experience with the topic? Expertise: does the author have demonstrable knowledge? Authoritativeness: is the author/website seen as an authority in the field? Trustworthiness: is the content and website trustworthy?
E-E-A-T and AEO
AI models select sources based on similar quality signals. Content with clear author information, source citations, and demonstrable expertise is cited more often. E-E-A-T is therefore not just an SEO — bibliotheekterm factor, but also an AEO — bibliotheekterm factor.
E-E-A-T audit checklist per pillar
Experience
- Does the content include personal experiences, case studies, or real-world examples?
- Are original photos, videos, or data shown that demonstrate hands-on experience?
- Does the author mention how long and in what context they have worked with the topic?
- Is there an "about the author" section with relevant personal background?
- Are product reviews or advice backed by actual use?
Expertise
- Does the author have demonstrable qualifications (education, certifications, publications)?
- Is the content factually supported with source citations or data?
- Does the content go deeper than surface-level explanations and show domain knowledge?
- Are there links to other authoritative publications by the same author?
- Is complex information presented accurately and with nuance?
Authoritativeness
- Is the website or author mentioned or linked by other authoritative sources?
- Does the website have a clear "About us" page with company information?
- Is there a consistent track record of publications on the topic?
- Are there mentions in industry media, speaking engagements, or awards?
- Are the authors externally recognized as specialists in their field?
Trustworthiness
- Does the website have a secure connection (HTTPS)?
- Is there a clear privacy policy, contact page, and business address?
- Are claims supported with verifiable sources?
- Is the content free from misleading headlines, clickbait, or hidden agendas?
- Are errors corrected and updates communicated transparently?
Author page template
A strong author page includes the following elements:
| Element | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Name and photo | Personal recognition and trust | Professional portrait photo with full name |
| Job title and organization | Shows professional context | "Senior SEO Consultant at Kobalt Digital" |
| Biography (150-300 words) | Demonstrates experience and expertise | Career overview with specializations and results |
| Qualifications and certifications | Substantiates expertise | Google Analytics certification, HubSpot Inbound |
| Publications and speaking engagements | External authority confirmation | Links to articles in industry media, conferences |
| Social media and LinkedIn | Verifiability and accessibility | Links to LinkedIn, X/Twitter profile |
| Overview of authored articles | Shows expertise and consistency | List of recent publications on the website |
| Schema.org — bibliotheekterm Person markup | Machine-readable author information | JSON-LD with sameAs, jobTitle, worksFor |
YMYL: when is E-E-A-T extra important?
YMYL stands for "Your Money or Your Life." These are topics that can directly impact the reader's health, financial situation, safety, or well-being. For YMYL content, Google sets significantly higher standards for E-E-A-T.
| YMYL category | Examples | E-E-A-T requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Health and medical | Symptoms, treatments, medications | Medical professional as author or reviewer |
| Financial | Investing, mortgages, taxes | Financial advisor or certified expert |
| Legal | Contracts, rights, regulations | Legal background or collaboration with a lawyer |
| News and current events | Politics, international events | Journalistic standards and source attribution |
| Safety | Product safety, emergency procedures | Demonstrable expertise and up-to-date information |
Frequently asked questions
Is E-E-A-T a direct ranking factor?
No, E-E-A-T is not a direct, algorithmic ranking factor. It is a framework that Google's quality raters use to evaluate search results. Google translates the insights from these evaluations into algorithmic improvements. Think of E-E-A-T as a collection of quality signals that indirectly influence your rankings.
How do I measure the E-E-A-T of my website?
There is no E-E-A-T score you can look up. However, you can use the audit checklist above to assess how well your website scores per pillar. Pay attention to the presence of author information, source citations, a secure website, and external mentions or backlinks from authoritative sources.
How does E-E-A-T differ from the earlier E-A-T?
In December 2022, Google added "Experience" as a new pillar. The difference is that E-A-T focused on formal expertise and authority, while E-E-A-T also values personal, direct experience. A travel blogger who actually visited a destination demonstrates Experience, even without formal travel qualifications.
Does E-E-A-T apply to small websites or blogs too?
Yes. While the bar for YMYL topics is higher, Google evaluates all content on quality. Small websites can score well by showing personal experience, citing sources, and being transparent about who is behind the content. This is exactly what differentiates human content from AI-generated text.
What role does E-E-A-T play with AI search engines like Perplexity?
AI answer engines select sources based on similar quality signals: reliability, authorship, source attribution, and relevance. Content that scores well on E-E-A-T is cited more often as a source. This makes E-E-A-T relevant not just for Google, but for the entire spectrum of AI-driven search results.
