Google‘s recent update to its search quality rater guidelines has introduced a new factor to consider when optimizing your website for search: E-E-A-T, or Double-E-A-T. This expanded acronym stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness, and it‘s quickly becoming a crucial aspect of SEO success. In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll dive deep into what E-E-A-T means, why it matters, and most importantly, how you can boost your own website‘s E-E-A-T score to climb the search rankings.
The Evolution of E-A-T to E-E-A-T
To fully understand the significance of E-E-A-T, it‘s helpful to look at how Google‘s focus on content quality has evolved. The concept of E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) has been a part of Google‘s search quality guidelines since 2014. However, it gained more prominence in 2018 with the infamous "Medic" update, which primarily affected websites in the health and wellness space.
The addition of the second "E" for Experience in 2022 signifies Google‘s growing emphasis on real-world knowledge and practical application of information. According to Google‘s official announcement:
"Our systems are designed to identify content that demonstrates expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. This helps make sure that we‘re providing high-quality, relevant results for our users."
This shift towards valuing experience alongside expertise is particularly important for YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topics, where inaccurate or misleading information can have serious consequences. As Google‘s Danny Sullivan explained in a tweet:
"We updated our raters guidelines to provide more examples & refreshed some terminology. We also added a new ‘E‘ for ‘Experience‘ to make E-E-A-T. This represents changes in our understanding of how our systems work; the fundamentals of what our systems expect didn‘t change."
Breaking Down the Components of E-E-A-T
To improve your website‘s E-E-A-T score, it‘s essential to understand what each component means and how it‘s evaluated:
Experience
Experience refers to the content creator‘s first-hand or life experience with the topic at hand. Google‘s search quality rater guidelines provide several examples of how experience can make content more valuable:
- A product review written by someone who has actually used the product
- A social media post sharing personal experience with a particular issue
- A forum discussion where participants offer insights based on their own experiences
In short, content that demonstrates real-world experience is seen as more trustworthy and useful than generic or second-hand information.
Expertise
Expertise is about the content creator‘s credibility and authority on the subject matter. This can be demonstrated through:
- Formal education or training in the field
- Professional certifications or accreditations
- A proven track record of high-quality content on the topic
- Endorsements or testimonials from other recognized experts
Websites that consistently publish accurate, in-depth, and well-researched content are more likely to be seen as expert sources.
Authoritativeness
Authoritativeness refers to the website‘s reputation and standing within its industry or niche. Factors that influence authoritativeness include:
- External links and mentions from reputable sources
- Media coverage or features
- Engagement and shares on social media
- Industry awards or recognition
Essentially, authoritative websites are seen as go-to sources for information in their field, with a strong network of endorsements and quality indicators.
Trustworthiness
Finally, trustworthiness is about the website‘s overall reliability, accuracy, and transparency. This encompasses factors like:
- Clear labeling of sponsored content or affiliate links
- Proper citation and linking to sources
- Accurate and up-to-date information
- Transparent contact information and editorial policies
- Secure website architecture (HTTPS)
Trustworthy websites make it easy for users to understand who is behind the content, how it was created, and why they should believe it.
The Impact of E-E-A-T on SEO
So why does E-E-A-T matter for SEO? The simple answer is that websites with higher E-E-A-T scores are more likely to rank well in Google search results. This is because Google‘s algorithm is designed to prioritize content that is reliable, useful, and trustworthy for users.
Studies have shown a strong correlation between E-A-T signals and search rankings. For example, a 2019 analysis by Perficient Digital found that websites with strong E-A-T signals were more likely to appear in the top search results for competitive keywords.
Source: Perficient Digital
Similarly, a 2020 study by Lily Ray at Path Interactive analyzed the impact of the May 2020 core update and found that E-A-T was a key differentiator between websites that gained or lost visibility:
"Across the board, sites that saw gains had strong E-A-T, whereas sites that saw losses had notable gaps related to one or more areas of E-A-T."
Source: Search Engine Journal
Neglecting E-E-A-T, on the other hand, can have serious consequences for SEO. In sectors like health, finance, and legal services, low-quality or untrustworthy content isn‘t just a poor user experience – it can actually cause harm. Google takes this very seriously and may issue manual actions or algorithmic penalties for websites that consistently publish misleading or inaccurate YMYL content.
Strategies for Improving Your Website‘s E-E-A-T
Now that we understand the importance of E-E-A-T, let‘s explore some practical strategies for improving your website‘s E-E-A-T signals:
1. Conduct an E-E-A-T Audit
Before you start making changes, it‘s important to assess your website‘s current E-E-A-T standing. Some key questions to ask:
- Does your content demonstrate expertise and experience in your field?
- Are your authors and contributors qualified to write about your topics?
- Do you have a strong backlink profile from authoritative sources?
- Is your website technically sound and user-friendly?
- Are you transparently disclosing any sponsored content or affiliate links?
Tools like Screaming Frog and Ahrefs can help you analyze your website‘s content, backlinks, and technical SEO to identify areas for improvement.
2. Enhance Your Author Profiles
One of the best ways to demonstrate expertise and build trust is through detailed author profiles. For each contributor to your website, create a bio that highlights:
- Relevant education, certifications, or training
- Professional experience and accomplishments
- Links to other publications or media appearances
- Social media profiles or personal websites
Use schema markup to add author information to your articles and link back to these bios to help Google understand the people behind your content.
3. Invest in Original Research and Analysis
Publishing original research, case studies, or in-depth analyses is a powerful way to demonstrate expertise and offer unique value to your audience. Some ideas:
- Conduct industry surveys or polls
- Analyze proprietary data to uncover trends or insights
- Interview subject matter experts or thought leaders
- Create detailed case studies showcasing your work or results
Not only does original research help with E-E-A-T, it‘s also a great way to earn backlinks and media coverage.
4. Leverage User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) like reviews, testimonials, and forum discussions can be a valuable trust signal for your website. Encourage your users to leave reviews or feedback, and showcase positive testimonials on your key pages.
Just be sure to moderate UGC carefully to ensure it meets your quality standards and doesn‘t introduce any inaccurate or spammy content.
5. Cite Authoritative Sources
When making claims or citing statistics in your content, always link back to reputable sources. This shows that your information is well-researched and backed by expert opinions. Some best practices:
- Link to primary sources whenever possible (e.g., studies, reports, official websites)
- Use authoritative sources within your industry or niche
- Avoid linking to low-quality or sketchy websites
- Use descriptive anchor text that explains the relevance of the source
In addition to boosting your E-E-A-T, citing authoritative sources can also help you build relationships and earn backlinks from other experts in your field.
6. Use AI to Enhance (Not Replace) Your Content
Artificial intelligence tools like GPT-3 and SEO.ai can be powerful allies in your content creation process, but it‘s important to use them wisely. AI-generated content that is published verbatim without human oversight can actually hurt your E-E-A-T by introducing inaccuracies or inconsistencies.
Instead, use AI as a tool to supplement and enhance your human-generated content. For example:
- Use AI to generate topic ideas or outlines, then have a human expert write the actual content
- Use AI to create drafts or snippets, then have an editor review and refine the output
- Use AI to automate repetitive tasks like meta descriptions or social media posts, freeing up time for higher-level content creation
The key is to maintain human oversight and quality control throughout the content creation process.
E-E-A-T Best Practices from Real Websites
To see E-E-A-T in action, let‘s take a look at a few websites that excel at demonstrating expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness:
1. Healthline
Healthline is a popular health and wellness website that consistently ranks well for competitive keywords. Some of the ways they demonstrate E-E-A-T:
- All content is written or reviewed by medical professionals with relevant expertise
- Authors‘ credentials and social media profiles are prominently displayed and linked
- Sources are clearly cited and linked throughout each article
- The website has a clean, professional design and easy navigation
2. NerdWallet
NerdWallet is a personal finance website that offers reviews, comparisons, and advice on a wide range of financial products. They build E-E-A-T through:
- Detailed author profiles highlighting their financial expertise and experience
- Transparent methodologies for how they review and rank products
- Clear disclosures of advertising relationships and how they make money
- A strong reputation and backlink profile from authoritative sources
3. Wirecutter
Wirecutter is a product review website owned by the New York Times. They demonstrate E-E-A-T through:
- In-depth, hands-on testing of every product they review
- Detailed explanations of their testing methodology and criteria
- A strict separation between editorial and advertising content
- A roster of expert writers and editors with deep subject matter knowledge
While these websites operate in very different niches, they all prioritize E-E-A-T in their content and marketing strategies. By focusing on expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness, they‘ve built loyal audiences and strong search engine visibility.
Continuing Your E-E-A-T Education
Improving your website‘s E-E-A-T is an ongoing process that requires continuous learning and optimization. To stay on top of the latest trends and best practices, consider:
- Following SEO blogs and publications like Search Engine Journal, Moz, and Search Engine Land
- Attending industry conferences and webinars to learn from experts and peers
- Joining online communities and forums to share ideas and get feedback
- Experimenting with new tools and tactics to see what works best for your website
Remember, E-E-A-T is ultimately about creating the best possible experience for your users. By prioritizing quality, expertise, and trustworthiness in everything you do, you‘ll be well on your way to SEO success.
Additional Resources
- Google Search Quality Rater Guidelines
- What is E-A-T and Why Does It Matter for SEO? (Moz)
- The Definitive Guide to SEO in 2021 (Backlinko)
- E-A-T and YMYL: New Google Search Guidelines Acronyms (Perficient Digital)
- Google E-A-T: How to Improve Your Website‘s Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (Ahrefs)
By staying informed and continuously improving your E-E-A-T, you can future-proof your SEO strategy and build a website that both users and search engines will love. It takes time and effort, but the rewards – in terms of traffic, engagement, and conversions – are well worth it.
