In 2022, Google added an extra “E” to its search quality E-A-T standards to empower helpful and credible content. The extra “E” stood for “experience,” improving the original concept of expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness or E-A-T. Since then, Google E-E-A-T has been a hot topic of discussion and research in the SEO community.
There has been a drastic increase in low-quality content generated by AI software. Therefore, Google is applying measures to maintain the integrity of the content written by humans with high-level knowledge and expertise. Recent studies on Google E-E-A-T updates, including Google’s August 2023 core update, indicate that websites with higher E-E-A-T enjoy better benefits.
In this blog, you will learn everything you need to know about E-E-A-T, including what is E-E-A-T in SEO, how to improve E-E-A-T Google rankings for your website content, and more.
E-E-A-T is an abbreviation for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It is an integral part of Google’s new Search Quality Rater Guidelines. This guideline is a handbook that helps people evaluate the quality of Google’s search results.
These human evaluators are called Quality Raters. Google takes the evaluation and feedback of these raters seriously and uses it to measure the success of Google search engine algorithm updates.
E-E-A-T does not directly aid Google in deciding how to rank a website. However, Google likes to show results from trustworthy sources; therefore, E-E-A-T is essential for the SEO checklist. When your website has good E-E-A-T, users trust it more, which can lead to more people using the site.
Google updates its guidelines for rating search results about once a year. Previous updates to E-E-A-T in the last couple of years came during the following months.
| Year | March | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | March | Google’s first guidelines were published |
| 2014 | January | Google added E-A-T to its guidelines |
| 2022 | December | Google updated its E-A-T to E-E-A-T |
Google is actively working to decrease the spread of false information and harmful, low-quality content on their platforms. They recognize the significant impact of web-based information on our daily lives and our decisions.
As more aspects of our lives become intertwined with online information, the need to combat misinformation becomes increasingly apparent. Google E-E-A-T makes sure that the content available online is accurate and reliable. This helps you maintain your users’ trust that the information provided on your platforms is safe and reliable.
A recent study by Eli Schwartz confirms that about 77% of U.S. citizens search for medical symptoms online. Therefore, accurate online information is important because wrong or confusing information about health issues is harmful to users. Therefore, it is highly critical that healthcare websites publish the most reliable and correct information related to medical problems.
Here is another example of the importance of Google E-E-A-T in SEO. For instance, a user is searching Google for helpful tips on how to file tax returns accurately. In this case, the user would like to see the results to show
content produced by tax experts or accountants. These types of results will gain user’s trust that the search results shown on their screen are accurate and coming from a trustworthy source.
Google E-E-A-T wants to offer the most reliable and accurate information to every search user. Therefore, if you want your website, blog, or other content to rank higher in SERPs, it must fulfill Google E-E-A-T SEO requirements. You may apply the concept to your entire website or specific web pages.
Now you know that Google E-E-A-T prioritizes online content from credible sources. For this, Google uses expertise, experience, and authoritativeness of the content to establish its trustworthiness.
This trustworthiness ranking by Google for our content will also determine the Google E-E-A-T score for your website. So, let us look at the four core elements of E-E-A-T and how you can demonstrate them on your website.
Experience
With the rise of AI software like ChatGPT, Bard, and others, AI-written content has become common in recent years. However, AI content is generally low-level, and this is why experienced writing is becoming more important. Therefore, Google has added experience to its traditional E-A-T guidelines.
When Google talks about “experience,” it means having real-life, hands-on knowledge about the topic. Ideally, this content must be written by a real person with hands-on experience and expertise in the related industry. This is something that artificial intelligence (AI) is not capable of doing yet. It only gives a generic answer. AI might try to imitate human experience, but the content it generates is not 100% unique like human experience.
Google believes that experience is crucial for distinguishing content written by real people from content generated by AI. That’s why Google emphasizes the authors of “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL) pages with lots of experience and expertise.
Google E-E-A-T wants to ensure that the information users rely on for important topics like health or finances comes from knowledgeable sources with real-world understanding. If the information is wrong, YMYL pages talk about things that could impact someone’s health, safety, happiness, or money.
How to Demonstrate Experience
If you want to show Google that you are an experienced writer in a certain subject, you can do a few things. One effective way is to provide proof of your experience in the respective field for which you are writing the content.
Let us take an example: Imagine you have a website about digital marketing services tools. Your visitors may be beginners or experts looking for information to learn more about digital marketing services.
To prove your expertise and experience in digital marketing, you might create visual content. This content demonstrates how users can use different digital marketing strategies to their advantage. In the videos you create, your visitors will be able to see how digital marketing generates leads and increases their conversion ratio. Creating such content shows your visitors and Google E-E-A-T that you have hands-on experience in the field of digital marketing.
When Google’s Quality Raters review your website’s content and watch these videos, they will realize that you really know your stuff. Therefore, the raters will more likely consider your website trustworthy. Basically, showing your experience through videos with practical demonstrations helps Google’s E-E-A-T algorithm and your website’s visitors trust you as a subject matter expert on the topic in question.
Google E-E-A-T sees expertise as closely tied to the real human who creates the content. Google’s Quality Raters look at various factors, such as:
- The knowledge of the content creator
- The reputation of the content creator in their respective field
When it comes to topics like finance and medicine, expertise plays a critical role. This is because the information has to be accurate and trusted. The authors writing or creating content on financial and medical topics must have relevant qualifications. Furthermore, they must have extensive experience in these areas.
However, for other topics, everyday know-how can count as expertise, too. For example, imagine you are searching for a recipe for classic Italian pasta. One article is written by a culinary expert with years of experience in Italian cuisine.
The expert gives detailed insights into the dish’s history and cultural significance. Another article is written by a home cook who has experimented a lot with the recipe. The writer shares personal stories and tips. Both articles show expertise but in different ways.
Google’s Quality Raters would recognize the expertise in both articles, considering the context. However, for serious topics like health, they will prioritize content from qualified experts over enthusiasts.
How to Demonstrate Expertise
Want to know one of the easiest ways to show Google’s Quality Raters? Then you must demonstrate to them that you know your stuff. You can do so by sharing information about yourself or others who helped create or write content for your website. Think about adding details about the authors, such as:
- What have they studied?
- Where have they worked?
- How respected they are in their field?
If a user is searching for medical tips, they are more likely to trust advice from a doctor. You can also include links to trusted sources in your writing. This will help prove that what you are saying is supported by experts.
This is especially important for pages about Your Money or Your Life topics. Adding resource links helps you show that you have done your research and that your information is accurate and up-to-date.
Remember, even everyday skills can count as expertise. For instance, if you know a lot about fixing car engines, you can write helpful articles about common problems and solutions.
However, if you know very little about finance and try to start a finance blog, people will quickly realize that you are not an expert in that area. Therefore, it is important to stick to topics you are knowledgeable about.
Authoritativeness is all about how much people trust you or your website when providing information. It’s like being seen as the top expert in a particular area. Think about big names like the Financial Times for finance or ESPN for sports. People trust these sites because they are known for their knowledge and experience.
If you check out their articles, you will see they have:
- Links from other trusted sites
- Writers who are experts in their fields
- Comprehensive content that covers everything about a topic
So, why do people trust these sites so much? They can see the writers have a lot of experience and know what they’re talking about. Plus, these sites get links from other respected sites, which adds to their credibility.
Remember, being seen as an authority is not just about having a website or writing about a topic. You need to have real expertise and experience in that area. If you don’t know much about a subject, people won’t see you as a trusted source of information.
How to Demonstrate Authoritativeness
Building authoritativeness for your website involves several strategies. One key approach is to acquire backlinks from other high-authority websites. A tool like Semrush’s Backlink Gap helps identify websites linking to competitors rather than yours. You can apply filters for high-authority domains and pinpoint potential link opportunities.
You must also establish your authority on the topic. This means you must create comprehensive content covering all aspects of your subject. Users are more likely to trust your website, which demonstrates expertise through a wide range of content addressing various facets of a topic.
Keyword research plays a crucial role in content creation. Tools like Semrush’s Keyword Magic offer insights into search volume and difficulty, helping generate content ideas. Similarly, the Topic Research tool provides a wealth of subtopics and questions users ask, aiding in crafting relevant content.
Adhering to Stanford’s Web Credibility Guidelines further enhances authority. These guidelines involve
- Easy contact access
- Accurate information verification
- Professional design
- User-friendliness
- Frequent content updates
- Minimal promotional content
- Error-free presentation
Moreover, building authoritativeness requires a multi-faceted approach. This includes
- Incorporating backlink acquisition
- Topical coverage
- Keyword research
- Adherence to credibility guidelines
You must implement these guidelines to establish trust and become an authoritative source in your respective fields.
Trustworthiness
For Google E-E-A-T, trustworthiness is super important. Think of Trustworthiness as the top layer of a cake, holding everything else together. Trust is a binding element that attracts visitors and turns them into loyal customers.
Even if your site seems expert and authoritative, if it’s not trustworthy, Google will not like it. That means all your SEO work could go to waste. How much trust you need depends on your content. If your content delivers important information, such as medical advice, you must be super trustworthy.
However, if you are talking about your favorite restaurants, it may not be as big a deal. For example, if
your site says Americans do not need a visa for Australia (but they actually do), people and Google will never trust your website for such information again.
On the other hand, suppose you run an online store. People need to trust that their money is safe with you. Therefore, if your site does not have SSL encryption, visitors will not trust it for online transactions. If you want to check your website’s security, you can use a tool like Semrush’s Site Audit. It will tell you if your site’s secure and give you tips on fixing any problems.
How to Demonstrate Trustworthiness
If your website is honest and sincere, gaining trust is easy. Just show you know your stuff and are reliable. Here are some other ways to make your site trustworthy:
Clear Contact Information
Make sure it is easy for people to reach you. For online shops, having a contact page with your name, address, phone number, and email is important. You must also include privacy and cookie policies, and if you sell stuff, a returns policy. You can add them at the bottom of the page.
Customer Support
Give clear info about how you help customers. Let them know how long it takes to get a response, what support options they have, and any extra help you offer.
No Click-Baits
Be upfront and honest. Do not trick people with clickbait titles. Your titles and descriptions should match your content.
Keep Things Up-to-Date
Regularly update your content. If your info is old, Google E-E-A-T will not trust you much.
Real Reviews
Let customers leave reviews and testimonials. Good reviews show you are trustworthy. And how you handle bad reviews shows you’re responsible.
Secure Payment Gateways
If you handle customers’ money or sensitive payment information, keep it safe. You must use secure HTTPS connections and display trust seals from trusted providers. These show that your site is safe to use.
Google says in its documents that knowing how Quality Raters check content to decide what’s good can help you improve your own content. However, SEO experts still need to read it and keep up with the new version of Google E-E-A-T. Even though it does not discuss specific formulas or things that affect ranking, it does tell us what problems Google is working on fixing.
The goal of these suggestions is to make the Google search system better and give people using it a great experience. Quality raters use the Google Quality Rater Guidelines to check if the websites in the search results are useful and related to what users are looking for.
Lowest E-E-A-T
As the name suggests, the lowest E-E-A-T refers to websites or web pages with the lowest Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Webpages that fall into this category are usually untrustworthy and might contain a lot of spam.
Such pages do not offer a good user experience to website visitors. According to Google E-E-A-T Search Quality Rater Guidelines, these pages have the lowest levels of E-A-T: Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
Therefore, these low E-A-T web pages are often harmful, spammy, or tricky and cause harm to the users. It is important to know what causes your web pages to have low E-A-T levels. You can easily avoid these bad practices to maintain a positive online reputation and ensure ethical online interactions.
Lacking E-E-A-T
According to Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines, a single page might have a low Google E-E-A-T even if the rest of your website is good.
Let’s suppose you have a food blog. Most of your posts are about healthy diets and recipes written by expert chefs, and your readers trust your site. However, one post discusses expensive shoes. In this case, Google will not care how good your other posts are.
Why? Because the post about shoes does not match the central theme of your site and it lacks E-E-A-T.
Google E-E-A-T says in its guidelines that your page might get a “Low” rating if it lacks enough E-A-T for its topic. No good reputation or type of website can compensate for this. Google also says some pages lack E-A-T, but they are not harmful. They are just not good quality or relevant.
Google asks its raters to watch out for the following red flags:
- Poor quality writing or content that’s not original or well done.
- Titles that are exaggerated or misleading.
- Sites or creators with slightly bad reputations.
- Not enough info about who made the content or the site.
- Ads or extra stuff that distracts from the main content.
For example, your website has a page titled “50th Birthday Party Food Ideas.” It is poorly written, contains many mistakes, and has many ads. Even if the rest of your website is okay, this page would probably get a low E-A-T rating.
High E-E-A-T
Web pages with a lot of Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness have a big amount of knowledge. They are also highly trustworthy, and are seen as credible by Google E-E-A-T algorithm.
As mentioned above in this blog, even if your website is mostly trustworthy, it might have one page that is irrelevant and may damage your E-E-A-T rating. However, it works the other way too. Your website might not be very credible overall. However, it could still have one or two pages that are super trustworthy.
Google’s guidelines say what makes a page have high E-E-A-T:
- Good reputation and expertise
- Content that’s well-researched and accurate
- Clear and easy-to-understand information
- No misleading or exaggerated claims
Let us suppose your website has a page about how to train a dog. It is written by a vet, has lots of helpful information, and does not make any false claims. Google would see this page as having high E-E-A-T.
Very High E-E-A-T
Websites or pages with very high Google E-E-A-T are created by experts who know a lot about their topic. They have hands-on experience and are really trusted sources. This kind of page gets a very high E-E-A-T rating, especially when the topic needs someone with a lot of know-how.
For example, if you read a news story about a big financial crisis, you would expect the writer to be a financial guru. When you click on their name, you can see more about them. This extra information shows how experienced and trustworthy the author is, making the story more reliable.
However, if you are reading a list of someone’s favorite books, they do not need to be an expert in publishing. Therefore, how does Google know if an author is experienced?
The Google Raters look at things like:
- How much training and schooling does the author have?
- How much have they written?
- How long has the author been writing about a topic?
- How recently has the author written something?
- Does the author’s job match what they write about?
However, having a good reputation is not enough for your page to get a very high E-E-A-T rating. The page also needs to do its job really well.
Google E-E-A-T is not a single factor that search engines or SEOs measure directly to decide how high a website ranks in search results. Instead, it is more like a general idea or principle that Google considers important.
Although Google does not directly use E-E-A-T to rank websites, it does pay attention to signals related to E-E-A-T when determining rankings. This means factors like how knowledgeable, credible, and trustworthy a website or its content appears. These factors can indirectly affect your website’s ranking in search results.
When Google rates content for E-E-A-T, it does not directly change a website’s ranking. However, it helps Google understand how reliable the information is overall. This allows Google to ensure that its search results are of high quality.
Therefore, while E-E-A-T is not a direct ranking factor, it is still very important because it influences how Google evaluates the value of your content to users. You should keep this in mind whenever you create content for your website.
The good news is that you do not need to completely change your SEO plan to boost your E-E-A-T and think about YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) content.
If you are not sure what to do and want easy ways to make your website’s E-A-T better, we have nine simple tips for you. Just follow these suggestions, and you will improve your website’s E-E-A-T.
If you want to improve your website’s Google E-E-A-T ranking, focus on creating content that is all about people. This means you must create content that answers questions, gives advice, and makes your readers happy. Google has made some changes to help ensure that content is great for users. They want it to be original, useful, and written by real people for real people.
It is also essential to check your content often to make sure it is still helpful and has a high level of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).
Even if your content used to be beneficial, if it contains outdated information, it will not be much help anymore. That is why you should regularly review your content and update anything old or obsolete.
Also, make sure to create new content that talks about what your audience needs now. People’s interests and needs change over time. Therefore, your content should change, too. By staying up-to-date and creating content that truly helps people, you will make your website more valuable and keep your readers satisfied.
Google cares about making sure that the people who write content are trustworthy sources of information. To show this, it is important for you to create an About Us page on your website. This page introduces your team (if you have one).
Additionally, having individual author pages helps you highlight specific writers on your team. You can even create profiles of each writer on your team to emphasize their expertise and experience. Author bios play a big role in establishing transparency and Google E-E-A-T. They show details about the author’s qualifications and past work, which builds trust with your readers.
Another way to boost your content’s credibility is by having authors contribute to respected websites in your field.
It might sound hard, but you can start by writing guest posts for reputable sites in your niche.
If you can, try to hire experts. But if you are a small business or tight on funds, at least hire talented writers who do thorough research to create accurate content.
A useful tip is to have subject matter experts check your writers’ content. This ensures accuracy and prevents mistakes or spreading wrong information. For instance, your sales team might not write articles, but they can review sales-related content for accuracy or provide quotes to make the content more credible.
Credibility is the key to creating content. One of the best ways to ensure the trustworthiness of your content is to use credible sources. You can link or mention links to official sources, studies, research papers, and even social media posts or blogs by recognized experts in your field. This way, you provide readers with concrete evidence and valuable insights.
Adding links to official sources adds a layer of authenticity to your content. Whether statistics, trends, or opinions, backing up your claims with credible references enhances the reliability of your message.
For instance, you are writing about a medical topic. In this case, citing peer-reviewed studies or guidelines from reputable organizations like
the World Health Organization (WHO) can bolster your content’s authority.
Moreover, it is crucial to rely on trusted sources. However, the definition of a trusted source may vary depending on the subject matter. It often includes academic databases, respected news publications, or websites of established experts and agencies within your industry.
Additionally, referencing respected sources can enhance your own credibility as a content creator, positioning you as a knowledgeable authority in your field.
Your brand’s reputation plays a big role in how trustworthy your content and website are. That is why managing your online reputation is super important, especially for Google’s E-E-A-T SEO.
It is a good idea to keep an eye out for any negative reviews or press about your brand. If you do spot something negative, it is best to respond quickly and professionally. This shows that you care about your customer’s feedback and are committed to addressing any concerns they may have.
A handy tool for managing your online reputation is Semrush’s Listing Management tool. It is designed to help local businesses keep track of reviews easily. Just enter your company name and follow the steps to sign up. Once you are in, you can see reviews from various platforms all in one place under the “Review Management” tab.
If you have a Premium Location, you can even reply to Google reviews directly from Semrush, saving you time and hassle.
Remember, it is important to respond to both negative and positive reviews. Positive interactions with customers can go a long way in building and maintaining a good brand reputation over time. Therefore, take the time to engage with your customers and show them that you value their feedback.
When you hear “User-Generated Content” (UGC), it means stuff like pictures, videos, reviews, or posts made by people like you, not by big companies. When used well, UGC can be a sign that people trust and like your brand.
For instance, almost 80% of folks who shop online say UGC really influences what they buy. That is why it is important to get your customers to support your brand. UGC can be all sorts of things, like photos, videos where people talk about your stuff or even blog posts.
According to Google’s guidelines, UGC is crucial for your webpage to do well. One way to generate more UGC and improve your site’s E-E-A-T is to ask happy customers to share photos of your products and tag you.
You can also ask your customers to post about you on social media by sending a quick email or running a contest. This will give you more exposure, and if they tag you, you will have lots of content to share on your own social media.
Other ways to use UGC to boost your site’s E-E-A-T are:
- Using hashtags to organize fan photos easily
- Running contests or giveaways that get people talking and sharing
- Talking with your fans regularly to keep the conversation going
- Working with influencers to spread the word
When you show UGC on your site or social media, ask for permission from the creators and always give them credit. Remember, getting a great UGC takes time. Keep engaging with your audience to encourage them to interact with your brand and each other.
Getting backlinks from other trusted websites is a big part of making your SEO strategy work well. It shows that your business knows its stuff in your industry.
Think of backlinks like a friend recommending a brand to you. You will most likely trust that brand more, right? Similarly, with websites, if a site you trust recommends another site, you are more likely to trust it too.
Another cool thing about backlinks is that they are super important for SEO. The more good-quality backlinks you have, the higher up you’ll be in Google’s search results.
Now, you can get the backlinks in different ways. However, to improve your Google E-E-A-T, some good ways to start is by making awesome content as follows.
- Create stuff people want to link to, like helpful infographics or videos.
- Share cool visuals or interesting facts on social media, and always include links back to your articles.
- Do your own research and publish it. People might want to reference it and link back to you.
- Write helpful guides on topics related to what you do.
Once you have got your awesome content, contact other websites and see if they would be interested in linking to it. It is a great way to get more people to see your stuff and boost your SEO at the same time.
Most of what you find online is just people opinion repeating the same things over and over again. Have you ever looked up something and noticed that all the top results basically say the exact same thing? Therefore, to show Google that you know your stuff, try bringing something new to the table.
Maybe you have an original fact that none of those top results mention. Or perhaps you have a different way of looking at a topic that has been discussed a lot. Think about it: What do experts do? They tell you stuff you didn’t know before.
One way to find gaps in your content is to use Semrush’s Topic Research tool. Just type in your topic and add a competitor’s website. Then, click “Get Content Ideas.” This tool will show you different subtopics related to your main topic. The ones with a green checkmark are topics your competitor has covered.
Now, you can create content about those untouched topics. It is a great way to show Google that you really know your stuff.
Use Various Content Formats
When you are creating content for your website, explore more options other than writing! You can try mixing it up with other types of content too. You could add things like podcasts, videos, or webinars.
Now, let us talk about videos. They are especially cool if you are doing product reviews. Why? Because when customers watch you using a product and hear what you think about it, it makes them trust you more. It shows that you really know what you’re talking about.
If you are thinking about buying something online, wouldn’t it be helpful to see someone actually using it before you make up your mind? That’s the power of video!
Therefore, be confident about getting creative with your content. Mixing in videos, podcasts, or webinars can make your website more interesting and keep people coming back for more. It is also a great way to showcase your expertise and build trust with your audience.
Have you ever heard of person schema markup? It is a special way of organizing information on your website. When you use it, search engines like Google can understand better how authors are connected to their content.
Now, here is why it is cool: When Google knows who wrote what, it can show more detailed search results. For example, if someone searches for an author, Google might show a box with quick info about them, like a mini-bio.
Person schema markup is super handy for your “About Us” page. You can add stuff like photos, names, roles, qualifications, and other important details about your team members. This helps visitors get to know your team better and makes your site more trustworthy.
