What is E-E-A-T?
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It is Google's framework for evaluating the quality and credibility of web content and the people or organisations behind it. First introduced as E-A-T in the 2015 Search Quality Rater Guidelines, "Experience" was added in 2022 to reflect the value of first-hand knowledge.
The four E-E-A-T dimensions in practice
The four dimensions mean different things in practice. Experience: the content creator has direct, first-hand knowledge of the subject (e.g. a review written by someone who used the product). Expertise: the creator has domain knowledge, demonstrated through content depth and credentials. Authoritativeness: the site or author is recognised by peers and cited by others in the field. Trustworthiness: the site is transparent about who runs it, why, and how claims are supported.
E-E-A-T is not a direct ranking signal in Google's algorithm — there is no "EEAT score" in the ranking system. It is instead the framework Google's quality raters use to evaluate pages, and the principles inform how Google assesses content quality signals like backlinks, author entities, and on-page clarity. Pages that fail E-E-A-T checks are downranked through manual and algorithmic review.
Example
Example
A financial advice page written by an anonymous author with no credentials, no "About" page, and no external citations fails on all four E-E-A-T dimensions. Adding an author bio with professional credentials, citing primary sources, and publishing a transparent disclosure page are the first steps toward remediation.
Frequently asked questions
Is E-E-A-T a ranking factor?
Not directly: there is no E-E-A-T score in the algorithm. It is the framework Google’s quality raters apply, and its principles shape the measurable signals (author entities, citations, transparency) the algorithm does read.
How do I improve E-E-A-T on my site?
Named authors with real credentials, first-hand evidence in the content (original photos, data, experience), citations to primary sources, and transparent About and contact pages. Demonstrate, do not declare.