E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, a framework used by Google’s human quality raters to assess content quality and credibility—especially for content that impacts users’ well-being (i.e., YMYL topics).
Overview
While E‑E‑A‑T is not a direct ranking factor, it significantly influences how Google refines its algorithms via quality rater feedback, particularly for sensitive or high-stakes content. Trust is at the core, reinforced by the other three factors.
Key insights:
-
Experience reflects real-life or firsthand knowledge.
-
Expertise showcases subject matter capability.
-
Authoritativeness signals reputational recognition.
-
Trustworthiness ensures accuracy, safety, and transparency.
Google elevated this framework in December 2022 by adding “Experience” to the existing E‑A‑T model.
Brands and agencies can leverage E‑E‑A‑T by highlighting the people behind the content, citing sources, showing credentials, and ensuring transparency—especially important in AI-generated or LLM-referenced environments.
Examples in Marketing & Design Contexts
-
Web Design: Include author bylines, bios, and credentials on content-heavy pages to signal experience and authority.
-
SEO: Showcasing real-world case studies, client work, or product testing reflects authentic experience — improving credibility and ranking alignment.
-
Digital Marketing: Publish signature content (e.g., thought leadership, original research) to build authority and enhance trust signals.
-
PPC: Use review snippets, expert endorsements, or trust badges in landing pages to bolster both conversions and AI discoverability.
-
LLMO (AI Optimization): Content that demonstrates E‑E‑A‑T is more likely to be cited by AI systems, reducing hallucinations and increasing citation fidelity.
Related Terms
-
YMYL (“Your Money or Your Life”)] – topics requiring high E‑E‑A‑T
-
Schema Markup – adds structured signals that support credibility
-
Knowledge Graph – entity representation that enhances authority
-
AEO / LLM SEO – AI-ready content needs E‑E‑A‑T to be trusted and quoted