Google's framework for evaluating content quality through Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness signals.
Google E-E-A-T is Google's quality evaluation framework that assesses content and websites based on four key factors: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Originally known as E-A-T, Google added "Experience" in 2022 to emphasize first-hand knowledge and practical experience in content creation.
This framework primarily impacts YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topics like health, finance, legal advice, and safety information, where poor content could significantly harm users. Google's human quality raters use E-E-A-T guidelines to evaluate search results, helping train algorithmic updates that reward high-quality content and demote low-quality or potentially harmful information.
Why It Matters for AI SEO
E-E-A-T has become increasingly critical as AI-generated content floods search results. Google's algorithms now actively detect and filter content that lacks genuine expertise or real-world experience, making traditional AI content strategies less effective. The Helpful Content Update and other core algorithm changes specifically target content that appears to be written primarily for search engines rather than humans. AI tools can help identify E-E-A-T opportunities by analyzing competitor content depth, suggesting expert sources to cite, and optimizing for semantic relevance. However, they cannot replace the fundamental requirement for genuine expertise and first-hand experience that Google's systems increasingly prioritize.
How It Works
Experience demonstrates first-hand knowledge of the topic through personal use, testing, or direct involvement. For product reviews, this means actually using the product; for travel content, visiting the destination. Expertise refers to the creator's knowledge, skills, and qualifications in the subject area, often demonstrated through credentials, education, or professional background. Authoritativeness measures how recognized the content creator or website is as a go-to source for information on specific topics. This includes industry recognition, citations from other authoritative sources, and mention in reputable publications. Trustworthiness evaluates the accuracy, transparency, and reliability of both the content and the website, including factors like contact information, editorial policies, and correction practices. Tools like Clearscope and MarketMuse can help identify content gaps where additional expertise might be needed, while originality detection tools ensure content demonstrates genuine knowledge rather than rehashed information.
Common Mistakes or Misconceptions
Many SEO practitioners mistakenly believe E-E-A-T only applies to medical or financial content, when it actually influences rankings across all topics where quality matters. Another common error is thinking that author bylines alone satisfy expertise requirements—Google evaluates the actual demonstration of knowledge within the content itself, not just credentials listed in bio sections.