E-E-A-T

E-E-A-T is not a score, a setting or a direct ranking factor. Google uses human quality raters to evaluate samples of search results against these guidelines, and their ratings help Google judge whether its ranking systems are working. The raters do not change the ranking of any individual page.

Google has said its systems look for a mix of signals that line up with what E-E-A-T describes, and that trust is the most important of the four. The concept matters most for topics where bad advice can harm people's health, money or safety, which the guidelines call Your Money or Your Life topics.

How it works

Each letter covers a different quality. Experience means the creator has actually used the product, visited the place or done the work. Expertise means they have the knowledge or skill the topic needs. Authoritativeness means the creator or site is known as a go-to source on the subject. Trustworthiness means the content is accurate, honest and safe, and it is clear who stands behind it.

For a website, this translates into practical choices: named authors with relevant backgrounds, first-hand photos and examples, accurate claims with sources, clear contact and company details, and a reputation that others confirm through reviews and mentions.

Raters judge these qualities at three levels: the main content of the page, the website and the person who created it. For the site and the creator, the guidelines tell raters to look for reputation from independent sources, such as news articles, reviews and professional bodies, rather than relying on what a site says about itself. Trust sits at the centre, because content can show expertise and still be untrustworthy, such as advice from a knowledgeable seller who hides fees. On topics that can harm people, raters are told to expect a much higher standard.

Example

Two articles explain how to care for a lawn after winter. One is a generic list with stock images and no author. The other is written by a named gardener who has looked after local lawns for years, shows photos from real jobs, explains what has failed for her and links to her business. A rater would score the second higher on experience and trust, and it is the kind of page Google's systems aim to reward.

The difference shows away from the page too. The gardener's business has reviews that mention her by name, she is quoted in a local paper's spring gardening feature and she is listed by a regional horticultural association. None of that lives on her own site, which is exactly why it counts as evidence: other people confirm what she says about herself.

Why it matters for your business

For a small business, the advice behind E-E-A-T is mostly about showing evidence you already have: the people, the work, the reviews and the credentials. That helps in search and helps the reader deciding whether to call. No checklist or plugin adds E-E-A-T to a page, and adding author boxes to thin content changes nothing; as with helpful content, substance matters more than signals. For businesses in health, legal or financial services the bar is higher, and advice without a qualified, named person behind it is a real risk.

Common mistakes

• Calling E-E-A-T a ranking factor and trying to optimise it like a keyword.
• Inventing author profiles or credentials, which destroys trust when discovered.
• Hiding who runs the business, with no address, team or contact details on the site.
• Using stock photos where first-hand images of real work would show experience.

Questions people ask

Is E-E-A-T a Google ranking factor?

Not directly. E-E-A-T is a concept from Google's guidelines for human quality raters, whose ratings help Google evaluate its systems rather than rank individual pages. Google's ranking systems use many signals that align with it, so improving real experience and trust tends to help over time.

What does the extra E in E-E-A-T mean?

The first E, experience, was added to Google's rater guidelines in late 2022, turning E-A-T into E-E-A-T. It recognises first-hand experience: content from someone who has actually used a product, visited a place or done the work can be valuable even without formal qualifications.

How can a small business show E-E-A-T?

Name the people behind the business and their real experience, show photos and examples of actual work, keep contact and company details visible, cite sources for factual claims and collect genuine reviews. None of this needs special tools. It is about making existing evidence of competence easy to find.