E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. It comes from Google's Search Quality Rater Guidelines, a document that tells human reviewers how to judge the quality of search results. It's not a single ranking factor or score, but it describes what Google's systems try to reward.
The four parts
Experience
Has the creator actually done the thing? A hotel review from someone who stayed there, a guide to registering a company from an accountant who has done hundreds.
Expertise
Does the creator have the knowledge or skills? Qualifications matter more for some topics, like medicine or law, than others.
Authoritativeness
Is the creator or website known as a go-to source? Mentions, links and reviews from others build this.
Trustworthiness
The most important. Is the page accurate, honest and safe? Is it clear who's behind the website and how to contact them?
Why it matters more for some businesses
Google holds "Your Money or Your Life" (YMYL) topics to higher standards: health, finance, legal, safety and major purchases. A clinic, a financial adviser or a law firm needs strong E-E-A-T signals. A restaurant blog needs fewer.
How to show E-E-A-T on your website
Show who you are
- A detailed About page with real people, photos and backgrounds
- Author names and bios on blog posts, linking to an author page
- Professional qualifications and certifications
- Links to LinkedIn and professional profiles
Show real experience
- Case studies with real numbers and real clients (with permission)
- Photos of your own work, team and premises, not stock images
- Specific details in your content that only someone with experience would know
- Lessons from mistakes, not just success stories
Show you're trustworthy
- Full contact details: address, phone number, email
- Privacy policy, terms, and refund policy for online payments
- HTTPS on every page. See HTTPS for SEO.
- Accurate, up-to-date information with dates on articles
- Genuine reviews, including how you responded to negative ones
Build authority off your site
- Get listed in relevant Sri Lankan directories and associations
- Earn mentions in local news, industry publications and partner websites. See link building in Sri Lanka.
- Collect Google reviews consistently. See getting more Google reviews.
- Speak at events, contribute expert comments, publish research
E-E-A-T and AI content
Google doesn't ban AI-written content, but content written only to rank, with no real experience or added value, tends to perform poorly. The safest approach: use AI as a tool if you like, but add real experience, check facts and put a real, qualified person's name on it.
E-E-A-T and AI search
AI search tools also prefer citing sources that are clearly identified, specific and trustworthy. The same signals help you appear in Google AI Overviews.
Quick checklist
- Clear About page with real people
- Author bios on articles
- Certifications and memberships listed
- Case studies with real results
- Complete contact details and policies
- Genuine reviews
- Original photos
This website follows these principles: every article is written by a named consultant with listed certifications. Want help showing your expertise? Our keyword research and content service builds E-E-A-T into every page.